Teachers Just Want To Teach🍎🍏

Hey Peeps,

Today I want to talk about something that’s been really on my mind for a while; teachers. Or, more accurately, what teachers are "expected" to do every single day. Spoiler alert 😉 we just want to teach. That’s it. That’s all. But sadly, life in education has become a multi-tasking circus 🎪 and honestly, we’re all feeling the burnout.

First off, let me clear one thing up: teachers don’t want more pay 💰. Nope. We want less workload. (Yes, less. Not more.) Because we’re constantly drowning in paperwork 📝, admin forms, meetings 🗣️, and a million other things that pull us away from what we really love; teaching.

You see, we’re not just educators. Oh no. These days, we’re practically social workers 🧑‍⚕️, data analysts 📊, social media marketing geniuses 📸, and sometimes even stand-up comedians (okay, maybe not that last one... but I think I am funny😂). And for what? Because someone higher up thinks it’s fair to ask us to do all of it.

Let’s start with the data. The department wants us to look at all the data, analyse it, and then come up with solutions. Fair enough, I get it. Data is important. But here’s the thing: we’re not data analysts 🙄. We’re teachers. Last time I checked, that’s a "specialised" skill, and I think it would be better if someone whose entire job is analysing data actually did it. They could sit down with us, explain what the numbers mean, and help us figure out how to fix the issues. Instead, we get spreadsheets 🖥️ late at night — fun times! Luckily, I have excel skills from my previous career!

And then there’s the social media marketing part. Teachers are now expected to take photos of everything we do at school 📸, to promote our schools and help increase enrolments. Because, apparently, we’re also the school’s official influencers. Can’t schools just hire someone for that? Please? 🙏

Counselling, often falls onto us because schools are underfunded 💸 and cannot afford enough support staff. At a school with 1,500 students 🎒, two guidance officers are basically trying to bail out a sinking ship with a teaspoon. They can't cope! Guidance Officers burn out quickly, look at the stats! Please remember teachers do not step outside their boundaries and do refer to GOs and Deputies when it is serious and a genuine child safety concern. But who do they tell first, the teacher, because that is who they see the most.

Let's not forget the admin overload. Filling out forms 📝, attending meetings 🗣️ (see my previous blog on meetings), and replying to emails 📧 that seem to multiply overnight. It’s exhausting, and honestly, it feels like we’re just doing busywork; like trying to herd cats 🐱 while juggling flaming torches 🔥.

Oh and all the extra outside of hours time we volunteer. We get paid 5hrs a day. Most teachers are generally on site for 6hrs. Add another 3-10 hours a week working at home plus tutorials before and after school. Yes, we get a lot of holidays!! But we work harder than most professions when we are at work. You would get time in lieu or overtime for this. We don't, so we get more holidays. Fairs fair.

Teachers just want to teach. That’s all. Most teachers leave the profession within 5 years. 🧑‍🏫 We want a little support, some understanding, and maybe a ‘thank you’ every once in a while instead of being asked to do add one more thing to our to do list.

If anyone out there has a brilliant idea on how to make life easier for teachers, I’m all ears👂 literally, if you want to chat. Please don't email, you might stay in my unread list.

Love,

Ro ❤️