Unclenched Fist?

 As the blog continues to see an increase in views and followers, we receive some feedback through our contact page. 

Here's a slightly edited thought from one of us:

There is a lot of bitterness within the community of the school. Staff are tired at the end of this academic year. They are exhausted by the work and continuous focus needed during the last stages of the courses and examinations. It is natural to see fewer smiles, more issues, more grumpiness. We do believe that with the natural sunny disposition in teachers, being grumpy is part of the teacher's DNA. We are doomed to correct mistakes students make; that is part of our job. We are constantly seeing issues and regularly trying to find solutions to problems. That is part of teaching.

The other side of all of this is, of course, the joy of getting to these solutions and seeing our students, their parents and also colleagues come together in agreement. Never mind the countless emails back and forth, never mind the interminable endeavour of developing the students' skills. Eventually, all is worth it. Our vocation is not the easiest. We believe it is only second in hardship to fishing in the Bering Sea.

This natural disposition of seeing mistakes and wanting to correct them, finding inappropriate behaviour and trying to address it is what makes us who we are. That will never change. What we need to change is how long we can be grumpy, how long we can be down on our knees. We will inevitably rise. 

To this end, we must arm ourselves with a measure of hope and positivity. Teaching is the art of turning darkness into light. It is divine power. When you watch the promotional videos of our students on the school website, it is inevitable to smile and feel proud. Those are our students. We are their teachers. 

With the negative vibe going around, we must remember the good moments we have at WCC. It is truly a special place. It is special to the teachers and to the students. It may not be different to some schools in the UK or anywhere else in the world (not sure if they have our video wall, though!), but it is special to us.

We protect what we feel is special. Some choose to leave when they do not see it. Some choose to stay and fight darkness. Some just wait. We react differently. What we must do as a body of teachers is to rise, stand and elevate ourselves to a spirit of solidarity and positivity. When we are angry, exhausted, disappointed, beaten, unfairly treated, used (some of us want to be used, some of us want to be abused..), criticised etc, we look back at the good moments and take a deep breath and remember those children we have in our custody. Once you remember those moments, things become easier, work becomes more pleasurable, less strenuous, less of a job and more of a vocation. 

What we propose these days is to remember to be forgiving towards your colleagues, tolerant to their changing moods, supportive of their individual idiosyncrasies. Treat your colleague in your department to a bar of chocolate, a smile, a handshake, a milkshake, a sandwich, or simply to a chat! 

We applaud the Staff Association for their efforts. They are trying hard to lift the spirits, involve everyone, organise events. Even some LG members are treating the staff to a quiz. That is a good initiative. We may disagree on many things but we do agree that is what we need and what we want to see.

That very member of staff continues to send notes to you if they think You Are Amazing. You may have something to say about that. Don't. The recipient of that card will be pleased. It means something to them. It means something to all of us. 

With the imminent change of guards, we need a change of mood. A fresh start. And with every fresh start, we need to acknowledge our mistakes and walk away with unclenched fists. No more fighting. An amicable divorce, if you wish.

We do not ask you to forget. We do not ask you to forgive. We ask you to let go.