The anger from parents and teachers at the chancellor’s ‘little extras’ comment yesterday in the budget announcement first got me retweeting furiously (specifically the BBC article about it). It then made me sigh slightly as I realised that the first day back for some of us after half-term would already begin with frustration.
With this post though I want to reflect on the positives of our profession (because there are many). To take a moment away from the madness and politics of it all and actually reflect on how lucky we are to do what we do.
I salute anyone who decides to be a teacher. I know there are plenty of challenging jobs, but how many jobs can you honestly say have such an effect on the development of young people and our future generations? I’ve loved it and hated it all at the same time and I’m only 6 years into the job. It can have you pulling your hair out in frustration, before two seconds later have you laughing like you’ve never done before. Have you questioning why you’re doing what you’re doing, before having you feel like the greatest educator in the history of schooling. There’s nothing else I could ever possibly imagine doing.
I saw on twitter minutes before writing this post a lovely tweet about Michael Rosen’s Chocolate Cake video and how it had a made a teacher’s ‘lovely class’ laugh out loud. Those are the little moments that as a teacher make it all worthwhile. That’s what it’s all about.
We have such a tough time recruiting, and retaining teachers in this country. Financial incentives for training are there, and there are the plenty of adverts from teachers like myself, preaching about how rewarding it is. Because, frankly it is. But surely the amount of frustrated and angry press that surrounds our education system can’t help.
So you know what? Let’s just appreciate for a moment that we get to do what we do. Let’s accept there are always going to be things to make this job tougher, to frustrate us, but let’s meet them head on, or sweep past them and focus on what matters for us. We’re teachers, and so our job is to teach. To give our students the best education we can.
There’s no other job like this one, and for that we’re lucky (and maybe not so lucky at the same time). Fundamentally though, we’re fortunate to be teachers. Whether we’re just starting out, or 40 years in. We’re lucky! So yes, we can be angry, but let’s keep it private, and focus on being back from half-term (or finally on it) and all the joys that this period up to Christmas brings.
I retweeted the link for the BBC article yesterday in the midst of my frustration; I’ve now today removed that retweet. Thanks in part to some of the positive, inspiring teachers that fill my twitter feed. In part, because it’s time to appreciate that I’m a teacher.
Thank you, thank you. I’m lucky. I’m all about that attitude for this half term!
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James
Teaching for Teachers 