The First Day of Term

Today is the first time I am not starting a new year as a head teacher. The first day of the spring term was for me always one of the least pleasant in the year. My thoughts are with those who are on their commutes this morning, as no matter how much you love your job, the first day back after Christmas is always hard. 

The following post is a reflection on past experiences.

The First Day of Term

The alarm shrieks at you to tell you that Christmas is over.

You didn't need it though, as for the first time in two weeks you were fully conscious hours before it went off. Why does it seem darker now than it did in the week before schools broke up? Apparently the nights are starting to get shorter now, but it doesn't seem that way.

An extra spoonful of coffee in your favourite mug has the desired effect and drags you out of the house and into the car. You curse out loud as you realise that you have to sit there, prolonging the holiday for a few more minutes, whilst the windscreen defrosts. When the sun finally rises its going to be a beautiful morning, but you won't see much of it.

As you creep carefully out of your estate the fact that all the Christmas lights are still up seems to make things worse. Some people have even left them on over night, which really rubs it in. At least you bit the bullet and took yours down over the weekend. Ok, it was too early, but the thought of doing it when you get home tonight would have been worse.

Driving with the heating on full is necessary, but it makes you feel a bit sick so you try different ways to make the journey in to work a bit more comfortable. Silence doesn't work, so you try music radio but that is too cheery for your mood. You settle on the news, as that is bound to be depressing and will allow you to wallow for a bit.

The car park is icy and empty, apart from the caretaker's battered old Toyota. His tyre tracks betray the fact that he pulled in a bit too too quickly and nearly regretted it. Seeing his car reminds you that you must make sure he remembers to grit the playground before the families start to arrive. Thank goodness you remembered to check if you had enough in storage before Christmas, as you didn't, but the order arrived just before the end of term.

The first order of business, even before you track down the caretaker, is another coffee. The effect of the double strength one you had before you left has now dissipated, and you need something to help you fake some enthusiasm for when the staff arrive.

Pleasantries are exchanged when they do, before you leave them to finish getting ready for the arrival of their children. The office staff aren't in yet, so you are left in limbo for a few minutes. 

Then the queue starts forming at the gate. It's freezing out so you let them in a few minutes before you are supposed to, in the faint hope that they will somehow be warmer on the playground. The children are mostly keen to tell you about the Christmas presents they received and you try in vain to remind them that Christmas was not just about getting the latest ps4 game. The teachers will be annoyed that you opened the gate too early, as the parents and children drift into the classrooms, but what were you supposed to do as you were the one that had to face the music?

The bell rings to start the day and you retreat into the warmth of your office. It is at that point that you realise you have forgotten your login. You then find out that there was a security upgrade issued on January 1st, as your old password format (the same word but adding 1 to a number at the end) is not 'secure' enough now so you try to come up with something that you won't have forgotten by play time.

Once that is sorted you spend the next few minutes deleting the 125 spam email messages that have accumulated in your inbox, which leaves you with around 15 that need your attention. Time for another coffee...

Playtime arrives, and the high point of the day, as you know that the staff, being philistines, have all donated their unwanted strawberry cream and orange cream sweets to the stash in the staff room. Then you remember, it is your day for playground duty, so they will have to wait. As far as you know though, there are only two of you who are refined enough to enjoy those flavours, so there should be plenty left when you pop in on the way back to your office.

Things perk up after lunch a bit as you do what you would officially term a 'learning walk' but is really an attempt to lift your mood, and you resolve to spend more time with the children as your new years resolution. Being in class reminds you that today is only temporary, and makes you focus on the year ahead. By the time you start your drive home you are feeling ready for whatever challenges the coming year will put in front of you, and the feeling you had when your alarm went off seems a world away.