Growing up I had zero desire to become a teacher, nothing I disliked more than being stood up in front of people and talking! When I was eleven I had a very traumatic accident which caused many injuries and resulted in attending hospital appointments twice a week for all of my senior years at high school, a lot of missed education meant I just felt I had no hope and therefore didn't have much desire for thinking about a career path! Due to reasons that will come up at some point I also didn't decide to have children until I was a bit into my thirties. Fast forward over a decade and I have two children, eight and 3 currently and I am now becoming a lockdown TEACHER...
I now see my younger self was right and somewhat wiser than I gave her credit for, I definitely am not for the world of teaching children! One minute it is head shoulders knees and tantrums and then it is math I have forgotten how to do (due to my absences and always missing math, which I thought was great at the time) and a sulky, over emotional plea of but I don't need this, I will never use it like EVER..
During the first lock down in the UK it was our spring/summer time and I honestly enjoyed a bit of school work and playing in the garden (building a bar in the garden may have been key to this!) For once we actually had consistent lovely weather. The kids were thrilled, I however had the weight of just being informed my dear dad has esophageal cancer and he has not much time. Yet with Covid-19 we should stay away. This was a torment I never thought I would have to experience, at the same time shielding my children from this as best I could and keeping them happy. Anyway I digress, this lock down is full on winter styley and WOW how different it has been. Just as we had great spring/summer weather, we have had one of our worst winter weather in some years. I have always loved wildlife, got this from my dearest dad, however winter does not have much of an abundance of this. We tried to do some garden/wildlife things but it simply was too cold.
Then began the months of being stuck in the house homeschooling. The end result is the children are the most sad I have ever seen them, they seem angry, emotional and cripes naughty... This means I am officially a mummy monster who has the foulest language ( I have literally just said the 'F' word to my 3 year old because I could not understand something she was saying and she then decided to scream and kick off at me) My fuse is at the end the second I step out of bed. In my slight defense.... hahahaaha I am recovering also from a major spinal operation and had a steroid injection into one of my shoulders the other day. PAIN equals moody cow syndrome, which I hate but just cannot stop myself.
I wonder daily how any human can have a class of over thirty of our little mini me monsters ( I say this with much love) and keep it together. The one big plus from all of this will be the huge respect for our teachers, just as much as we have respect for the amazing NHS. Although I am very much still in my recovery phase from my spinal operation I will be forever grateful a Dr stepped in on my case and advised the original plan was wrong and more testing needed to be done. The man was correct and the problem was much bigger then first thought and in turn so was the operation. I will be eternally grateful to him and his team even if it does not work out for me. Offering me the chance to have a life with a chance of relieving some of my pain.
Becoming teacher has been 'awful' but at least at some point this will end. I only hope the world improves from all of this and we respect each other more. For sure we need to respect the planet we live, take care of our wildlife and bloody well try and look after it..... If everyone made simple changes the difference it would make would be HUGE. Like I say often and probably annoy everyone, It is the simple things!
So I tip my hat to all you teachers and I cannot wait for the time I can retire from teaching.
Gentle hugs,
Tracey x