[Miscellany]

Me - I'm sooo not ready for the end of the year. I've got so much still left to do. I'm moving rooms next year.
#2 - I got offered a new room. The new room is actually a lot better than the one I have now but there is no way I'm going through the pain of moving.
R - I would seriously rather teach in a hole than move rooms again.
Me - haha.
R - moving is the worst!
Me - yep, tell me about it.

It's not just the physical pain of moving but also the mental drain of knowing that you have to set up a whole different room from scratch - not to mention the mental switch moving to a whole new type of teaching. I'm wondering if I remember how to do it.

The hardest bit to deal with though are the emotions I'm going though about leaving. It's harder than I expected it would be. Every piece of work I take down I'm thinking about that child and the effort they put in, I'm think of my own teaching and guidance that helped achieve that result and I'm thinking of the joy it's brought to so many people who have walked past and stopped, looked and commented. Taking the work down is a process I need to go through in order to leave it behind properly. I'm leaving behind a wonderful team, a space I have perfected to my own tastes, a bazillion motivated children and most importantly my autonomy. I'm going to miss that and I know I'm giving it up to work under a leader I quite frankly don't respect all that much to do work that will, I already know, not be appreciated for whom I do it for. I need the challenge though.

I've received a lot of cards and lovely presents this year. It's really the words I take with me more than anything else. Words about flourishing children. Words of thanks and praise. Words saying that for the first time ever they are seeing their children enjoy art. Affirming, lovely words that lift my spirits. These words are very important to me because in a profession like teaching (and nursing too I'm sure is similar) you hear all the complaints but none of the compliments. When there's something wrong, you get words straight away: Words in letters, words in cards, threatening, spitting, accusing, hissing words. When you do good, it's the rare parent that notices or thinks to give a gift of words. We use them everyday and they cost nothing - and yet when it comes to giving them nicely we hesitate...

I guess I'm saying that it's an easy present to give and yet it brings a lot of joy. So, you've got a day left before the holidays (Victorians) - do it.

Labels: christmas, school, stressed teachers, teaching, teaching the teacher, words

posted by M at 10:57 pm 9 comments