Four more sleeps till the end of Term. The only ones more excited than the students are us poor teachers.
Like many in the wonderful world of education I love my job and loathe my job. I adore the kids who challenge me every day and I want to wring their necks. My job makes me a better person but it also causes me to drink way too much. It makes me ponder the choices I have made thus far and be thankful and regretful. It helps me know how to be a better parent, but allows me far less patience when I walk through the door at night.
Perhaps most importantly however, it makes me want to kill people who utter the words, "It must be so great having all those holidays". It's not "great", it's necessary. Those precious non-instructional periods are what allow us teachers to continue on beating our heads against brick walls and pushing shit uphill. Note my use of the term 'non-instructional period'. Holidays are spent at the beach or lounging around the house. Holidays imply travel, excitement or at the very least, a moment of stress-free existence. Holidays are not about Year 12 students text messaging you the latest in a series of inane queries. Holidays are not about marking 60 Language Analysis essays, most of which make you want to read Andrew Bolt just so you can feel something again. Holidays are not about planning the next 10 weeks of work.
And so, I go to bed tonight desperately anticipating my 14 day non-instructional period in the vain hope that a couple of weeks away will make we want to kill the buggers just a little bit less.
