The way I see it: Teachers get ‘back to school blues’ too

THESE three little words have the ability to strike fear into the hearts of teachers around the country. At this very moment, laminators are over-heating, printers are malfunctioning, and education websites are crashing.

Teachers young and old, novice and seasoned, are panicking the night before they return to the classroom as they realise they have forgotten everything they know over the summer. Their ability to teach, their years of service, all seem null and void. Some are even considering a return to the training colleges at St Pats or Marino — a little refresher course must surely be on the cards.

It seems like only yesterday they peeled the blu-tac off the wall and cast aside the flashcards with glee. Discarded lesson plans for holiday plans. They tried to hide their grin as people jibed at the length of their time off. Justified with “Oh, it’s not a full two months…what with... em..” Followed with a quick distraction — like cake or chocolate.