I’m hearing that a lot of people are tired at the moment. Oh, I’m with you all there. I am totally and utterly spent. After months of lock-down, COVID anxiety, opening-up anxiety, wondering what on earth is going on with the people in charge, bad news, anything else you’d like to insert in the list it’s all leading to total worn-out-no-thank-you-I’m-all-a-bit-sick-of-this-go-away-no-more-adulting-for-me-now.

No-one’s got much resilience (I hate that word, but actually it’s the right one to use here, I think). Manners seem to be optional. (Actually, so does indicating whilst driving, I’ve noticed.) People seem to not wonder about the tones of emails they are sending any more. Everyone’s done.

And now….. who gets to really step up to work? TEACHERS. Oh yes indeedy.

They are back, with their classes, dealing with everything. And they can’t be crabby. They can’t let things slide. In fact, their job is going to be harder right now. Sooooo much harder. Kids will be tired. Anxious. Tears will happen. Fights will break out. Nastiness will occur. There’ll be the big gap between the kids who did all their on-line learning, and those that didn’t. (That makes teaching stuff just a little bit harder.) Everyone will need to learn to share again. And it’s teachers who are going to have to sort this out. One spot fire at a time. The teachers in primary school will be working with unvaxxed kids. They will be wearing masks – which is fine for an hour or so, but NOT fine for 6 hours – and then the next day. (I know, health care workers have been doing this for a long time too…. But they are the first to be labelled ‘heroes’. And they are, Don’t get me wrong. I’d just like to add to that list, please.)

The teachers I know will do this to the best of their ability. They will be cheerful. They will look forward to seeing their little people they teach. They will smile, and teach, and be gentle, and inspiring. They will do their job wonderfully. And they will do this despite being taken for granted by various governments.

So when you deal with your local school, please do so gently. When you see a teacher, buy them a coffee, or a glass of wine. Or cake. Or flowers. Because they can’t let things slip. In fact, they now need to give their all – and then some.