Teacher's have it easy.
I woke up to a crying baby at 4am. Then I started thinking about them. They have three weeks left, and then it's done. They haven't done their assessments. They got scaffolds and in-class learning and cover sheets and exemplars, and they're still not done. I doubt they will be done, and I know when I get there I'll have to talk to them about it. I'll have to explain what they need to do again and check in with them again and have that talk again. I have all the dials and knobs and levers, and they're all being worked, and nothing is changing. Nothing is moving. I also need to go to the shops. One kid didn't give me their recipe in time, so I need to buy their ingredients so they don't have a meltdown. They have ASD. They meltdown. This sort of thing would ruin them. I pay with my card. I've also packed the sugar syrup I made at home before bed. Also, for another kid's recipe. I can't even listen to my podcast. It's about the things I want to do, but I can't cause I am consumed by the lack of work of other people. I turn it off. I listen to old music that I can sing along to. It helps, but my heart is still racing. That underlying feeling of not doing enough stays with me. I pull up and reverse. I need to get the food, the laptops, the other equipment and load up my car. I've forgotten my keys. Over to the other office, borrow some keys. Back to my office. There's been an update, so my laptop has to update before I can do anything. Back to the equipment, actually load my car. Back to my laptop. The email the kid said they sent isn't there. I can't print what needs to be printed. Back to the car. Drive to the gym. Unlock, say gday. The gym is booked, so we can use our classroom, but can't do any physical activity until 1pm. No one told me this. This isn't in my plan. Someone is crying. I'm not sure why. Another kid is angry; they don't want to tell me why. Then they complain and complain about the basketball court, and there is literally nothing we can do about it. Now, we're cooking. The kitchen is hot. One girl scratches her palms from the nerves. Another talks and talks and talks and still does not work. The kid sent the file. The printer isn't printing. Neither is the other. 5 minutes until I need that printing. The internet had been changed. I have to be on the other network for it to work. One hundred and forty pages now print to two different printers. I argue with a student who wants to walk to the other side of the school to use a guillotine. I have to raise my voice and show them how four people with scissors will do this job quickly. The stall is a success. The kids work together and then sit and chat and laugh and play cards. This is what it is all about. Therefore, I don't sleep. Then the phone rings. Three of our students have been rude in the yard and have not followed a teacher's instructions. Blatantly ignored them even. I have to talk to the students. Argue with them, because they clearly did nothing wrong. One of them even turns their back to me. Ignores me completely. After 10 minutes, most of them see my view, but others still scoff, roll their eyes, and kick the dirt. This will now require emails and notes and phone calls.
It is 11am.