We all have memories of our teachers, some good, some not so good. It’s funny the things I remember about my teachers, their clothes, their smell and probably most of all the things they said to me, or about me.  In primary school I wasn’t allowed to make the tea because I wasn’t very good (have I mentioned that before?! A deep wound!)  and I was told I couldn’t colour in the bar chart for the Olympics medals Britain won because I couldn’t colour in the lines. Thanks for that. I’m still not great at making tea, but thankfully I’ve learned to colour in the lines. Phew. Relief. I so need that skill to impress my new friends.

Education regularly makes the news. If it’s not testing and SATS it’s Academies and pay.  This morning in our assembly  the children asked our Governors ” What makes a good teacher?” Their answer, obvious though it may seem was, ” Someone who likes children.” Shock, horror really??  Do you mean some teachers don’t like children? Surely not, that’s like  a Dr who faints at the sight of blood, or a comedian who just can’t create laughter.

Sadly, during my teaching career I have come across the odd teacher who I was convinced didn’t actually like children. Liking children doesn’t make you a great teacher, but it’s a good place to start! This rhyme touches on the fact that you also have to like getting up early, spend your weekends working, be able to entertain children of all varieties, sit through dull training, have endless patience, and not get wound up by bureaucracy and news.

25 years later I’m still working on perfecting all of those things.

 

I want to be a teacher

I want to be a teacher and tell you what to do

Sit down, make a line ,and wash your hands after the loo.

I want to be a teacher and teach you how to spell

Encourage you to find something in which you will excel

I want to be a teacher, and guide you in your ways

Of making friends, and making up, respond to positive praise

 

I want to be a teacher, it seems a great idea

To help you grow, be yourself, not living days in fear

I want to be a teacher, work long hours and fill in forms

Of data that’s incredibly dull but shows how you perform

I want to be a teacher, take holidays when I’m told

And share a plane with loads of kids who sit as good as gold

I want to be a teacher, go on courses and then feedback

On how to read a power point and tweet while at the back

I want to be the teacher who is kind and makes things fun

I’ll sing and laugh and jump about, put my hair up in a bun

I want to be a teacher, I’ll aim to be the best

Explaining etymology, morphology – but mainly for the test

I want to be a teacher, writing plans in my spare time

And if I’m bored of an evening I’ll compose a little rhyme.