Jon’s School Days
March 22nd, 2006 11
I had such an awesome day yesterday as Josie very kindly let me shadow her teach. Yeah, I was a bit nervous but also dead excited to be out of the office and having fun with a bunch of kids all day. Some of you will know that it’s crossed my mind to go do teacher training in September, so wanted to see what it was all about before I signed up to anything.
It’s weird seeing one of your friends tech a bunch of 8 and 9 year old, to me it doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was their age. I was really impressed with the way she controlled the class, and the obvious affection the kids had for her.
I’ve got to say, teachers work damn hard. They work their collective asses off. Which is a big sticking point for me. It’s not that I’m adverse to a bit of hard work (ahem) but quite a lot of the paperwork seems so unneseccary. I can’t imagine anyone becoming a teacher unless they had a passion for working with kids, and the government seems to be squashing this by putting undue pressure on hard working school staff.
I’m not really ruling out teaching as a possibility, but I’ve spoken to entirely too many people in the profession that are bitter about the workload. I dunno, we’ll see. It’d be good to check out a few more schools (and years) first I think.
The best bit of the day for me was thirty-five manic kids singing me the bumble-bee song. Awesome!
11 Comments (+0 in the moderation queue).
#1 On March 22nd, 2006 at 5:33 pm Paul said...
Cool! Did you get my e-mail? Sounds very much like web-design/css is something you’re moving way from, so I’m guessing you’re not interested.
#2 On March 22nd, 2006 at 6:53 pm Starberri said...
Well you know what I think
After my superlong rant on google talk I really don’t need to say anything else do I. But thanks for writing in public about the truth too many people seem to fail to acknowledge - the fact that it’s not all fun and long holidays being a teacher!
All that said, you’d probably be flippin ace at it.
#3 On March 22nd, 2006 at 8:32 pm Paul said...
I thought teachers spent most of their time either on ’stikes’, ‘teacher training’ days or “stuck in the snow”??? That plus a six week summer break and extended Christmas. Hell, I might even sign up for this!
#4 On March 22nd, 2006 at 8:44 pm Starberri said...
Yeah, and kids being sick on your shoes.
#5 On March 22nd, 2006 at 9:11 pm Starberri said...
Oh and Paul, don’t make me FONG you. These graphic designers, they don’t know they’re born.
#6 On March 22nd, 2006 at 11:25 pm Dominique said...
Go for the teaching thing Jon, check it out. I do think it’d be a loss to the world of web design… You’re good at this web design thing and I like mooching aesthetically pleasing pages.
Nonetheless, Paul, ya need to be kinder to teachers because they do work very very hard (a bit like social workers) for very little thanks. Seriously, kids nowadays are more and more harsh and unforgiving. (I’ll shut up about attitude, disrespect, hopelessness, violence and need before even getting started!) Teachers do a full day job and the homework!!
Frankly, they should be first in the halls of fame before any stars or warriors etc, if only for the simple reason that none of us would learn much if it weren’t for our teachers, good ones and bad ones included.
#7 On March 23rd, 2006 at 12:09 am Matt said...
I seem to remember most of my primary school teachers being menopausal spinsters who’s only remaining passion in life was to hate children with all of their black little hearts. That just made the years when i had the nice ones even more formative. To be a primary school teacher would be a great privelege and an opportunity to influence children in a way that could shape their future.
#8 On March 23rd, 2006 at 12:57 am Paul said...
FONG? Oh and by the way - 17th August 1980 - I remember it and every day since with photographic clarity
#9 On March 23rd, 2006 at 9:04 am Jon said...
Paul & Liz: That’s probably true actually, Paul has some kind of memory that’s photographic… Sure there’s a technical term for this but I’m blowed if I can remember what it is. FONG?
Matt: That’s what I’m aiming for! Roll on the days of spinsterdom (is that a word?)
#10 On March 23rd, 2006 at 9:38 am Si said...
My wife Lizzy has been a teacher for nearly 3 years now but she’s had the luxury of educating the secondary school era. Seriously, she works more than her ass off! I do take the p*ss out of her for all her holidays but she needs them. As a head of dept too, she has to put up with all the paperwork her bosses throw at her including schemes of work for the year, the different levels the kids work at and try to meet unrealistic targets. To top it off, the kids don’t realise what she does for them. She even buys the materials for her kids out of her own pocket as the school don’t have the money available (sometimes I have to pay as she’s skint!)
On the flipside Jon, I had the pleasure of going in a few times to teach one of her classes about computer animation in Flash. The majority of the kids loved it and were great to work with. If you get them at the right age, you will get so much gratitude for the work you do and love the affection you get from some of the kids. It sounds like your friend is blessed with some youngsters that are great to work with. If I were you, aim low.
#11 On March 23rd, 2006 at 9:55 am Starberri said...
It’s one of my favourite words from A Knight’s Tale. I don’t think it’s in popular use yet, but who knows, it might be some obscure historical term.. It’d definately in urbandictionary.com. It means a right good beating
SO yeah, play your cards right or a good FONGING will be in order.