If you’re a teacher, you deserve a God damn medal. Make that a truck load of medals and school-holiday’s supply of wine, because you lovely people are done putting up with our children for another year.
Well, almost.
Teachers around the country are counting down the days – nay, seconds – until school is officially out for 2017. And while the rest of us are approaching the Christmas holidays, the men and women educating our children have perhaps the most painful week of the school year still ahead.
So in honour of teachers everywhere, here’s an excruciating checklist of all the “fun” things they (or you, if you’re a teacher) go through in the last week of school.
Dwindling students
Yes, teachers are still expected to plan detailed, balanced lesson plans right up until that final bloody bell rings. Only thing is, half of their class won’t be showing up because their parents will pull them out for impromptu beach days or family getaways.
That’s great and all, except when the teachers have to come up with activities on the spot to entertain the seven very restless kids that do turn up.
Moving classrooms
Isn’t it great how schools decide to start knocking down/renovating/redecorating classrooms when teachers still have real live children to look after in them?
As a result, half of their lessons are spent herding said children like a flock of sheep into a room ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCHOOL. In the remaining 16 minutes of the lesson, no one will achieve anything.
Top Comments
Okay, honestly? The last couple of weeks of school really aren't that bad.
First of all, allowing glitter into the classroom is at the teacher's discretion. If you've made the rookie mistake of choosing a glitter-based craft activity, well...you've brought that on yourself, I'm afraid.
I have never heard of teachers having to perform in the Christmas concerts. Is this a pre-school thing? Doesn't happen at primary schools, in my experience, unless the teachers choose to.
"Yes, teachers are still expected to plan detailed, balanced lesson plans right up until that final bloody bell rings. "
LOL, nope. The last week is a bludge and everyone knows it - teachers, parents and students. The last week of school is mostly craft, sport, finishing off pages in handwriting/other work books, free time, movies, cleaning up and the ubiquitous Christmas booklet. Nothing detailed gets done in the last week of school.
I don't know, I still feel more pity for our parcel delivery lady. Every year you can tell just by looking at her when the Christmas rush has hit. Poor thing is absolutely exhausted by 9am.
Our teachers seem to do okay. No proper lessons in the last two weeks, they keep it simple with lots of colouring in and movies and reading. New classes are not organised until the first week back as they have a lot of "turnover". Staff development is run over the last three days instead of during the holidays. No doubt it's still hectic, but at least they seem to be enjoying it
I agree. My hubby delivers parcels and has been working 12 hr days and Sundays. We live in a small town I cant imagine what it would be like in a big town.