The Blinking Dredded Christmas Season

WARNING: it is the end of the year, all teachers are at breaking point including myself, the following is an excerpt from a private mail that I sent to a friend. if I seem irrational and annoyed it's because I am SEVEN months pregnant and running around way too much.

This entry is for ALL the people in our lives who say "Teaching?? thats not stressful, you should try being in an office all day,...on facebook,...playing solitaire. THATS a real job"

Yeah, well this one's for you.

I lost the plot yesterday -
During a highly stressful, 'running out of time now' Christmas Play practice, in an outdoor open amphitheater; with gale force winds ripping my hair from my hair clips; and blowing the voices of the actors and three narrators onto the tennis courts; While choir children hollered and screamed at one another (they're supposed to be sitting quietly "but ma'am, you just can't even hear yourself over the wind! thats why we're shouting"...) a group of aftercare/homework centre children from senior primary came into the amphi and joined the fray...

They started making a HUGE noise while I was trying to work (At this point I had the entire cast on stage, the choir was running around the amphi and the grade 7 cast members were practically screaming in hysterical laughter after "drop kicking" the baby jesus like a rugby ball across the stage)

They joy of it was that there was a teacher there the whole time (I didn't see her with the aftercare kids) who, I think, just watched in tired 'end of term style' as they went ape for 30 min (until finally speaking up a minute from the bell)

I eventually stormed off-set and sat by myself.

I really won't be doing anything creative or imaginative again at School again in a hurry, there is NO support from staff - infact, I've been urged by a few teachers to quit the "silly christmas idea" because the children need to focus on work. (I am speaking on behalf of all music/drama teachers everywhere - this is not a school isolated occurance)

I am dumbfounded. How do they expect any major cultural growth/changes if they push academics/sport so hard?

I am hearing one message from HOD and principal and getting a completely different message from staff (from the general lack of support) I have to commend my HOD though, she has put up with a lot of nonsense from staff - she assured me that I would have a staff member helping at each practice but that has not been forthcoming. NOT her fault. urgh!

Also - the powers that be would not allow me to come into school early for practices because they didn't want to pay me for my time - the funny thing is that I finish work at 12:10 and all rehearsals have been from 12:10 - 12:30 each day for the past three weeks... who's the sucker here? ME. so they've got the hours out of me, with no support, no pay and high blood presure for my trouble.

I need a chocolate AND maternity leave for a year.

oh well, i've had my splurge.....thanks for listening :)

Sands xx