It's another week off

Half term when I first became a teacher were a source of real agony for me. I used to worry so much about having a week off, worry about the children and drift aimlessly and helplessly through a week.

Nowadays, I'm a dad and half term this time has been a week of being head cook and bottle washer. There has been little time for the above worry. I share these thoughts with no need for you to express sympathy (unless you'd like to). It's just a thing that has bothered me non stop since I began work.

I have had a lot of nice times over this half term. Not least was my son's first bird-watching trip (he spotted and identified a teal). I had a lovely birthday. We went out as a family. But what is hard are the lack of 'middle gear' times. In term time I will have no time for any of this. And in the holidays, for all except about 12 hours, I have had all the time in the world. I have never reconciled myself to that week away but I now know I have to use that time to recover. And have a real relationship with family and friends.

Most jobs don't have this dilemma as they have no regular weeks off. We are fortunate in that respect. But if anything was to drive me away from teaching it might well be the lack of time in middle gears. To those without sympathy I say just this-people are not digital. It's not easy nor is it advisable to try to switch them on and off.