Editor's Echo: Teacher, coach, counsellor... superhuman?
There’s a rather outdated belief that school teachers have it easy, short days, long holidays, endless cups of staffroom coffee. To that, I say: please spend one week, no just one day in a classroom and then tell me how easy it is to educate, inspire, counsel, and coach a herd of sugar-fuelled children through life’s joys and maths worksheets.
Being a school teacher in South Africa today is no longer just about chalkboards and curriculum. We are educators, yes, but also amateur psychologists, nurses with plasters in our top drawers, referees on the sports field, data capturers, budget jugglers, tuckshop supervisors, and on more than one occasion, surrogate parents. Somewhere between break duty and report deadlines, we are expected to smile, inspire, and wear “professional yet practical” shoes. (Who decided whiteboard marker stains were a badge of honour, anyway?)
When a child forgets their jersey, it’s our job to worry they’ll be cold. When a teen shows signs of distress, we notice. We bring snacks for the ones who’ve had no breakfast, extra pens for those who ran out of ink, and a truckload of patience for those who challenge every rule just to test if you care. Spoiler alert: we do.
And now, at long last, the July school holidays are finally upon us. Just a few more classes, a few more parent meetings (with the occasional awkward "You called my child “what”?" moment), and then we can collectively exhale.
What do teachers do in the holidays, you ask? We rest. We forget what a bell sounds like. Some of us take short road trips, finally finish reading something that isn’t CAPS-related, or maybe just sit in silence without being asked how to spell “photosynthesis” for the fifth time in a row.
More importantly, we remember who we are outside of the classroom. Because come Term 3, we’ll be right back in the trenches, armed with worksheets, sanitizer, and our special look that says “don’t test me today, I’ve had one coffee too few.”... and let’s not forget that June 21st marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year, winter solstice.
From here on out, it’s a slow and glorious climb back to the warmth and sunlight of summer. As someone who’s confessed that I’m not a winter person, this is reason enough for a celebratory mug of hot chocolate... spiked, perhaps, with a splash of something teacher-friendly.
So here’s to all the teachers out there, I speak to those still standing after Term 2. May your slippers be fluffy, your coffee hot, and your phone switched off for at least a week - because - come the end of July, we’ll be back, markers in hand, hearts wide open, ready to do it all again.
