Lynn How
Lynn is the Editor at Teacher Toolkit. With 20 years of primary teaching and SLT experience, she has been an Assistant Head, Lead Mentor for ITT and SENCO. She loves to write and also has her own SEMH and staff mental health blog: www.positiveyoungmind.com. Lynn…
Read more about Lynn How
What common themes do the nation’s teachers share for the first week back?
We’re a week in and back in the thick of it.
With lazy summer days behind us and an increasing realisation that it’s a long way until half term, I wonder which of these apply to you?
First week test
You score one point for each of these occurrences:
- A child turning up on INSET day as parents didn’t read the newsletter last term.
- At least one member of staff being overly enthusiastic and perky.
- An INSET day that included some behaviour non-negotiables.
- Someone has already written the number of days until half term on the staffroom board.
- The suggestion that the really neat first page in a pupil’s exercise book should be a presentation minimum benchmark for the year.
- You’ve called children who look vaguely alike the incorrect name (you’ll see by the end of the year that they don’t look similar at all).
- You learnt the name of ‘that’ child within the first half hour of lessons.
- You’ve heard and asked ‘How was your summer?’ at least 20 times.
- You haven’t seen your work bestie for six weeks and realise how much you’ve missed them.
- At least one colleague emailed the work account over the holiday to book the computer suite.
- During a lessen you took a gulp of cold tea.
- You’ve needed a wee mid lesson.
- Someone in your school mentioned the Christmas play.
- A child has asked you when it’s home time, before 10am.
- You don’t know what day of the week it is because INSET has confused you (it’s Friday, phew!).
How many of these first week back themes did you experience?
With one week under your belt, it’s time to unwind. We hope you have a restful weekend.
