Do you ever want to give up?

Recently I have had a number of people comment on how easy my job is with all the holidays I get. They act as if it is the easiest job in the world and teachers are in it for an easy ride. Clearly they have never known a teacher very well. Not only do I find myself working hard to get students to take learning seriously but I also feel that I'm constantly defending myself to prove that I'm a professional and worthy of respect. I'm not sure if I have the energy to put this amount of effort in for much longer.

Apples for teachers

I've never been given an apple by a student. I have had an apple thrown in my direction (I don't think it was intentional, but its difficult to tell) and have picked up numerous decaying apples from various places in the school grounds (bins are difficult to use apparently), but I've never been given an apple.

Last Christmas, I received 3 christmas cards and a plastic christmas decoration from my students and I was elated. Good thing I'm not in this for the gifts!

My apples are metaphoric ones. The rewards come about in that moment of enlightenment that flickers in the eyes of a student. Or at that rare time when students are so involved in discussion that they don't notice that class is over. Or the look on students' faces when they get good results back after working really hard on something. The apples aren't always frequent, but they are enough to keep me going back for another day.

The beginning...

Starting a blog is really hard. I guess I'll begin with why I'm starting. I'm a teacher and being a teacher is certainly an interesting job. It can be inspiring and exhausting, exciting and emotionally draining. So I wanted to write about some of my experiences. From being in the classroom to being in the staffroom (can you guess which one causes more stress and frustration?)

I'm a teacher from Australia teaching English in a suburban state school. The school certainly has similarities to the TV show Summer Heights High, where the students come from diverse backgrounds, have diverse abilities and diverse goals in life.

I like the kids I teach. They do funny things and make me laugh. Sometimes they're feral. Mostly, they mean well. I've been here a few years now, so the students are used to me and tend to go along with what I ask. They have an automatic resistance to new teachers. But I guess we all tend to resist the unknown.

I like the staff i work with... well most of them. Some are my closest friends and I think I'll stay friends with them for a long time. Others are, well, interesting. I guess I'll let you know about them as they pop up in my day to day adventures.

So, if you stumble upon this blog for a read, I hope you enjoy it and feel free to post a comment.