Friday was one of the worst days. Horrible day. Crappy day. Topped off with tears and an almost panic attack. And yet, it’s not the only day I’ve felt this way. In fact, it’s not even the second or third or even fourth day. This is every day. Each and every day I teach, it’s like I can’t even breathe. It’s as though I’m drowning and have no mental energy left. You might be thinking I’m new to the profession but I have been here for seven years and it’s only getting worse.
And yet, this is what a lot of people call their career. We spend countless hours preparing, thinking, planning, assessing, and for what? On Friday afternoon, when trying to carry out a fun soccer game, I was called blind by one kid who continued to rant and rave (with expletives of course) because he didn’t get his way. This is the same kid I’ve had meetings with, calling his mum and invited her to speak with me at the school, constantly checking in that he’s OK – but it all doesn’t matter really, does it? You see, that kid, the one who can’t self regulate his emotions, the one who only knows how to scream instead of talk, the one who only knows how to yell and not listen, it doesn’t matter how much I do. This kid needs something else. Hope, a way forward out of his horrible home life, positivity.
And I’m more than happy to try to give that to him. Except for the fact there’s at least another ten just like him in my class. I’m only one person with my own trials, my own worries and yet I take the students’ problems on board too. I become the punching bag taking the hits for issues that are well outside my scope as a teacher. But who cares about teachers, right?
Top Comments
I relate to a lot of what you're saying. But I think your blame is not completely in the right place. Many of these same kids who misbehave at school often thrive when they do work experience. The problem is the whole philosophy that education should be compulsory and that the gov't should run it. It's one-size-fits-all and students are pushed through the system practically regardless of results or behaviour.
When kids are forced to go to school, do subjects they don't like, and all for some vague notion of "educating" them and giving them skills they might use some day (even though they don't learn or remember much of it), of course they rebel. Well, many of them. And it only takes one or two to ruin an entire class and stress out talented, passionate teachers. It makes no sense for them to be there.
If parents directly paid schools and it wasn't compulsory, schools would only have students who actually wanted to learn (expelling others very swiftly) but also schools would be forced to deliver results to the satisfaction of parents or else lose their customers, just like any other competitive market. The gov't can't make it any cheaper or efficient and it never has.
Those kids who aren't academic can instead start developing skills in jobs, basic low-paying safe jobs. It should be the choice of the parents and teachers should be able to focus on teaching, not behaviour management.
....and heaven forbid you are a male teacher in a primary school as well. Not only do you deal with everything described accurately above, you are constantly being, examined, watched and judged for every single move you make because you are a simply a male. Don't even think of holding a kindy childs hand in the playground as you will be labelled as a "suspect monster". Male teacher equals potential predator in the eyes of many, many mothers. 16% of primary teachers are males, driven away by prejudice and anti-male agendas