I’m writing today because it’s Friday (even though it’s not the end of our week).
Monday was world teacher’s day and I saw various quotes and cards plastered over social media. For those who follow my edutwitter feed or are contacts on Linkedin, please don’t take my lack of re-posting or liking to mean that I don’t wish to honour the hard work of teachers, it’s that I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to think about it really. Don’t get me wrong, I am not in any way suggesting that teachers shouldn’t be recognised or thanked, I just think that it should happen way more often than once per year. My dad’s refusal to accept Father's Day as a ‘thing’ and his Victor Meldrew-esque response of it being ‘another day on the bandwagon of blatant commercialisation’ definitely resonates with me now. We always celebrated Mother's Day (Mothering Sunday, if you please, in the Hadlington household) because it at least has religious roots.
Our first staff appreciation of this academic year was so wonderful because there were just so many moments of appreciation. The thing I like most about this time is that it is an opportunity to acknowledge others for the help and support they give. I know that these are not the only people or times which deserve a mention, so it’s even more special when we have so many; in my mind, I would say that for every mention, there are at least one or two more which go unmentioned and that makes me very happy. It’s also Random Acts of Kindness week and I have been hearing about such lovely things happening around school. I read an email this morning and I’ll be honest; I had a very emotional response. It had popped into my inbox yesterday, yet began with ‘when you have five minutes…’ so I didn’t open it immediately. I’m glad I didn’t because it really made my morning.
This is just a short extract (the sender shall remain nameless):
“Children make such a difference in our lives and can make you feel wonderful even though everything around you may not be ok!”
I’ve always liked this quote by Paul Ginott; it’s so powerful…
I have come to a frightening conclusion. I am the decisive element in the classroom. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized.
Between Teacher and Child
It feels like we are settling in to some semblance of a new ‘normal’ and we are all working hard on getting this year off to a really positive start. I struggle to remember that we are actually only in week 5, when it feels more like week 55 because we have accomplished so much in a short time. Every discussion I have had about school development plans (and I have had a LOT) have talked about wellbeing and its importance. We are all so good at looking after the students, we must never forget that the adults need looking after too. I am absolutely NOT implying that I think we do forget, I just want to remind everyone that it’s ok not to be ok and that my door is categorically always open. My office is a space to be whatever you need it to be, whether that be a space to shout, cry, vent, get excited about new opportunities, tell me about wonderful students or just simply listen to one of my Spotify playlists while we sit together. Incidentally, this week has been a mixture of Suede Radio, Bon Iver Radio and currently Keane Radio. Flowers in the Window was playing when I started. 18 years ago, my BHS friend Sally (from previous emails) walked down the aisle to this and then coincidentally it has changed to One Day Like This to which Rachel walked down the aisle 14 years ago. Such beautiful brides, both of them.
To finish, I would like to leave you with a final thought: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Thank you once again and see you all tomorrow.
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