The secret life
of a teacher
At the time of printing, it looks as though there is a deal on
the table agreed upon by all. One teacher explains why the
recent strikes were necessary in the first place.
T
eachers. Love them or hate them right now, it’s
understandable, because the recent Teacher’s Strike did
affect many people. Hopefully, here, I can enlighten
those who aren’t 100% sure of what the strikes were all
about, why teachers finally said ‘enough’, why they continued for
so long, and what is happening next.
All the teachers I know are incredibly selfless people with
enormous hearts. I see them comforting that child whose hamster
died that morning, I see them buy breakfast for children who
came to school without, I see them treating emotional
children and parents with care and compassion.
But we are also human, and we are not perfect. It’s
easy to forget that teachers have their own complicated
lives too: divorce, deaths of loved ones, illness. We also
just have to go through day to day life like everyone
else: grocery shopping, appointments, doing household
chores, being a parent etc.
The strikes started simply because, like pretty much all
strikes, those actually doing the job felt like they weren’t
being listened to after years of trying to be listened
to. Unvalued and underappreciated. Disrespected in
what used to be seen as a very prestigious and note-
worthy career. And it should be. The many years studying and
continuous training throughout a teacher’s career means that our
own learning never ends. There is a never-ending stream of new
teaching techniques to try, systems to get on board with, cutting
edge research to practice and so you are never just a teacher. You
are forever a student too.
Ask any teacher (and there are few left now) who have been
teaching for 20 or more years and they all say similar things.
Technology advances have helped – thank goodness for interactive
whiteboards and online data systems. But many other things have
gone downhill. Teachers have never been expected to do more and
be more than now. And whilst all teachers go into the profession
with an understanding of ‘this is NOT going to be easy’, we do it
anyway. And that, according to some, means that we don’t deserve
to complain. Or if we don’t like how the system is, then just find
another job.
Any person, if their work has changed in a way that is detrimental
to their health or the service they can provide,
should be allowed to speak up. The strikes weren’t
a quick, selfish decision. They were talked about
years ago, when teacher’s pay and job satisfaction
started steeply declining. And feedback was given,
but nothing changed.
As school budgets have been cut for resources,
staff and services, it’s the children who lose out. Yes,
teachers and other school staff won’t receive pay
rises, which is sad and unfair, but when resources
are stopped and the people holding the purse appear
to stop listening, that’s when the pot boils over.
Teachers, like many others in community serving
professions; hospital staff, care and social workers, emergency
services – all providing the most necessary of jobs, somehow aren’t
taken as seriously as they used to be.
Many teachers face daily physical and emotional abuse. Many
spend thousands of their own money over their careers buying
resources to fill in where budget cuts affect even the simplest things,
like paper, pencils, rubbers and rulers. Let alone luxuries like art
supplies, costumes for drama and science or sports equipment.
"Many
teachers
face daily
physical and
emotional
abuse."
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