Things They Don't Tell You About a Career in Teaching

When you're training to be a teacher there's a great deal your lecturers will tell you, in fact for the most part your head will feel like it's going to explode will all the new skills and knowledge you're trying to cram into it, but there's a vast amount they DON'T tell you.

1. You never stop being a teacher in hundred little ways from meerkat peering at your ducklings to make sure they're behaving, to constantly having to resist the urge to use your 'teacher voice' when any situation feels like it's heading in the wrong direction.  It never stops.

2. You will hate the sound of your own voice.  You've no idea how true this is for me, I have reached the point where I do not want to talk unless it's via the medium of inarticulate sounds or rapid hand gestures.

3. It's okay to say 'no' to the feeling you must work even though you were in school at 07:30, have brought your uneaten lunch home (twice to both of those), not walked outside in daylight for three days - or was it more? You will wake in the middle of night thinking "Shit! I haven't done so and so".

4.  You will crave solitude like an addict and even if you aren't a bath person you'll start taking them because it's one of the few places where you can get five minutes of echoing silence.

5. Everything is a potential resource or has a lesson or activity in it.  Everything - running that bath?  Maths - capacity and volume, English - the poetry of the sound of the gushing water, PSHE - how fortunate we are have running water, History - Victorian plumbing and the invention of, Geography - water sources, Art/DT painting reflection in water and designing a water floatations, Science - the minerals and additives to found in our water....the list is endless

6. It's possible to loath and love your job in equal measure.  You will hate the endless paperwork, the bureaucratic paperwork that stands in the way of getting your ducklings all right help that they need, the long thankless hours, but you will love being the person your ducklings rush to share something with, love their pictorial offerings, love when you see them working so hard to grasp a concept and you will love their nativity efforts.  Most of all you will love trying to help them unlock their potential and encouraging them every stumbling step along the way.

7. You will be exhausted and frustrated and hungry and needing a pee and you will convey all of that to your ducklings.  Then you'll be saddened that you're turning into one of 'those' teachers, it will break your heart in every possible way but from that you will pause, take a breath and exhale and change.

8. There will be days when you will come home and feel the inexplicable need to cry, your day has been relentless and you've been reactionary to a myriad of last minute decisions for books to be scrutinised for marking, for risk assessments, behaviour reports written, parents who wish to speak to you, lesson plans, gifts for hampers, etc. Some days you cry, some days you say "no" and go out for a meal with friends and some days you just have a bath

Not My Finest Hour

Wednesday morning I woke up jangling and discordant from nightmares and my chatty brain.  Over the years I've slowly learnt that work is just work, I can be passionate and committed to teaching but won't allow it to consume me.

Lately I've not been so good at this.  I've felt stressed and overwhelmed with the weight of doing a job share when the other worker hasn't been pulling their full weight, maybe I did take over and possibly it hasn't occurred to my work partner that I might be struggling.  Work has invaded my dreams and consciousness on every level lately, plus.....I'm 12 weeks pregnant and have been having reoccurring nightmares about losing the baby.

So, when that work colleague came to get me to clean the staff room as it was year group's turn and I saw three foot of dirty dishes, cups and a filthy side (bearing in mind I don't work a Monday and Tuesday) I lost my cool.

What followed next was a temper tantrum of a rant, I bluntly told the entire staff room that I was disgusted by such levels of selfish bone idleness from supposed adults.  I audibly chastised that they were a bunch of adults who most certainly wouldn't leave dirty dishes and crap all over the side at home, so demanded to know why they would do it at work.  I continued with my tirade to say I don't access the staff room, therefore no one has to clear after me so why should I do after other said adults?

I was in such a foul mood the deputy head took me to his office to calm down and once in there I only continued with my rant/temper tantrum.  Not my finest hour.

Basically, I've owned up to being petty and silly for allowing something so trivial to get under my skin, I've also apologised for my childish behaviour but....have point blank refused to clean the staff room moving forward: I don't use it as I work through my break and lunch so the other 'adults' can damn well clear up their own mess!