What the Teacher Did Next

So…after much internal debate, I’ve taken the plunge and signed up with a supply agency, and now that I’ve made the commitment, (albeit a very casual, part time commitment) I need to start focusing on the positives, because if I don’t have my head in the game, it’s going to be a very, very short game.  Now of course there are countless worthy reasons to be a teacher, we all know about those, but today I’ve been thinking about all the selfish reasons why I miss the classroom.  The reasons that are not so much child-centred as a little bit me-centred, because I’ve learnt that whilst it’s very noble putting the children first all the time, it can drive you a little bit bonkers.  Not only that, but it’s the days when you most enjoy teaching that the children most enjoy learning, so it’s actually a win-win situation.  So here it is, my list of 7 (horribly self-centred) reasons why teaching is awesome: 

1.  Much of the day is spent interacting with little folk who, let’s face it, are much more fun to be around than the average grown up.  Thrown together by fate (with a cut-off date of September 1^st determining who their 29 (ish) peers will be for the next 7 years), each class brings its own dynamics, its own unique mix of characters and quirks.  And you get to know them all better than you know some of your own friends and family.  Yes, they may drive you nuts at times, but it really is a privilege to be able to build those relationships.

2.  Having a licence to be silly.  OK maybe not during an observation or in the middle of a crisis, but just at random moments throughout the day.  It’s hard to think of another job where you can start talking in a funny voice to get everyone’s attention, break into a song or dance down the corridor just because the mood takes you.  Yes, there are times (OK quite a few times) when you have to be serious, but there are lots of other times when you can let your hair down and have a bit of fun together.

3.  The time goes by incredibly fast.  It really does.  I’ve worked in offices where hours have felt like days.  Teaching is the complete opposite.  Even when it’s hard, it’s never boring (except for the marking of course…marking is the epitome of boredom).  In fact, I usually find myself willing time to slow down so we can finish what we’re doing.

4.  You receive heart-felt complements for things that you’ve never considered yourself to be particularly good at.  One class insisted that I read an entire book in my AMAZING cockney accent, and not only have I been told that my singing voice is beautiful (it really isn’t), I’ve also built up a solid fan base for my rapping. Best of all, my talent for art (which is still overwhelmingly unappreciated by everyone over the age of 10) has been lauded on numerous occasions – I’ve let this go to my head so much that I’ve pinned up some of my masterpieces in the study.

5.  You get to debate all sorts of important social issues with people who haven’t yet made up their minds and are open to different ways of looking at things.  In a world that sometimes feels like it’s lost its way, talking politics with children gives you hope for a brighter future.   

6.  Your mistakes – successfully rebranded in the classroom as opportunities for learning – are celebrated, discussed or laughed off.  Children love to tell a teacher when they’ve made a mistake, and that’s always a good thing.  Mistakes are treated as a shared experience that helps us all to move forward or sometimes just a funny distraction from the task in hand.  Even during observations, mistakes are great so long as you treat them with the positivity they deserve. 

7.  And finally…you get to learn new stuff.  All the time.  Teachers never stop learning, because they’re always at school.  You get to improve your writing skills; think about why you love the books that you do; get your head around Shakespeare; find out loads of interesting facts about Anglo Saxons, Vikings and Romans; study artists and learn different techniques; try different sports………the list could go on and on.  And of course the love of learning is as contagious as chickenpox: if you’ve got it, you can’t help but spread it to the children in your class.

When you think about it in these terms, teaching is pretty awesome and it’s understandable why outsiders sometimes perceive us as moaning minnies, who spend half their time messing about with kids and the other half on holiday.  But that’s the thing: if you strip away all of the other nonsense, then teaching should be a fun, joyful and aspirational career.  No-one is going to wave a magic wand and make all of the nonsense disappear, but what if we just focus all of our energy on the bits that we know are important, play the game when we need to and just learn to let the other stuff go.  Easier said than done, I know.  But I’ve been to the dark side and it wasn’t much fun, so this time I’m going to choose joy.   

Thanks for reading my post.  I welcome all feedback and would love to hear your views.  You can also visit What the Teacher Did Next on Facebook .