We’ve all met someone who thinks teachers only work during school hours, we’re all champions at holding our bladders until break times, and we’ve all been tested by an unpronounceable name.

Where ever you are in the world, here are 22 things we all know and understand.

 

1. That no matter what, there’s at least one student who hasn’t listened to instructions 

2. That there's a very real threat of putting your neck out while writing on the board (because you’re still facing the class)

3. How hard it can be to hold back laughter when a student shows you work with (for example) an unfortunate spelling mistake

4. How challenging it can be to change your class’s seating arrangement

5. That days on end of inside lunch breaks leave you feeling a bit desperate

6. That even though you know it’s not (always) their fault, it's really annoying having one student after the other ask to go to the toilet

7. That returning a week's (maybe more) worth of mugs, cups and plates to the staff room is basically a walk of shame

8. How you can change your name on social media and students will still manage to find you

9. How you almost have a sixth sense for detecting illicit items (remember fidget spinners?)

10. What it's like to pretend it’s fine when you’re asked to add an extra thing to your already packed schedule

11. How nothing understand you more than coffee (some days more than others)

12. How it feels to already have 2,809,424,598 things to think about, then have another update to the curriculum

 

13. How sometimes it’s really hard not to lose your cool

14. That there's a quick chair-check you do before sitting down

15. How exhilarating it feels to finish all your reports

16. What it's like to have a student come to school sick

17. How you’re able to listen to – and respond – to three different conversations simultaneously

18. How sometimes your behaviour management really doesn’t go the way you thought it would

19 How there's a fine line between ‘resource collecting’ and ‘hoarding’

20. That there's a very specific feeling of satisfaction when you pour that end-of-week drink

21. What it’s like to be told (again) that teachers are lucky because they “get summers off”

22. How it feels when you hear the final bell on the last day of school for the year

 

 

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