After my first term back to work as a teacher I am remembering the feeling of relief when you wake up in the morning realising that you've made it. A lot of people look at teaching and think it's an easy option - you get so much more holiday than everybody else and the kids are only at school from 9-3.30 right? It's true. We are pretty lucky. What the public don't necessarily see though are the hours of preparation, marking, assessment, record keeping, report writing and creating resources which means that many teachers work well into their evenings, weekends and holidays. Or that when the kids are at school you are never really "on a break" as you're preparing for the next lesson, running clubs, on playground duty or interrupted by a knock on the staffroom door - and that interacting non-stop all day with thirty seven-year-olds can be pretty intensive. I'm not looking for any sympathy here, it's probably the most rewarding and wonderful job there is, I'm just explaining why teachers start exulting, cheering and whooping, before dropping onto their sofas for a sleep, when the end of term arrives.
It's also pretty exhausting for the children. Bug has just reached the end of her first term at school too. Aged four, she has found the last couple of weeks stretched her a little thin. Christmas fair, school play, school disco, swimming lessons, Mummy's school play, with the addition of Breakfast Club and After School Clubs to fit in with my work has meant that she's been asleep almost before her head's hit the pillow this week and is now full of cold.
So waking up this morning and knowing that it's the holidays has felt pretty good for all of us. Even Hubby gets to join in, as he also now has a week off work - so we're all in "beginning of holiday" mode together. Today's tasks involve Christmas cards, wrapping gifts, last minute gift shopping, housework, haircuts and bathing the dog - all of which can be done with no real urgency. Thank goodness!
I've also reached a milestone. I was pretty disappointed not to get the permanent teaching jobs I applied for at the school where I've been teaching this term (on a one-term contract). I know they liked me and my teaching, but my job application and interview did not do me justice. The headteacher gave me a lot of really good feedback, and was able to give me some great advice and support writing my next job applications - so I did get a job from that one. I'm starting at a new school in January, this time teaching Reception Class for two terms. It's going to be interesting as I will be team teaching for the first few weeks, before the current teacher goes on maternity leave. I'm also intrigued by the classroom set up, as the school has rapidly grown, and their building expansion hasn't yet kept pace, so there will be two classes (with all the Teachers and Teaching Assistants) in one classroom until the new room is built. Watch this space for an update!
