Ah, half term. That magical time when we finally get to sit down without a child appearing next to us with a mysterious item in a box... "I made this for you". A time when we can drink a hot cup of tea without forgetting where we left it. A time when we can walk past a tissue box without instinctively saying, “Catch it, bin it, kill it.”
As I take this opportunity to relax (and not even think about laminating), I’ve been reflecting on the sheer ridiculousness that is the everyday life of a teacher. Because let’s be honest—teaching is a job like no other.
First of all... a MASSIVE Happy Birthday to my sister!!
We both celebrate our birthdays during the Feb half term break. I turn 39... EEEEEK!
My sister and last summer during a visit to Portrush, Northern Ireland
The Unofficial Teacher FAQ
Excuse me?! what was that?
Every day, we face deep and thought-provoking questions such as:
🧐 “Are you married?” (No.)
🤨 “Why not?” (None of your business lol)
🫣 “How old are you?” (Older than you, younger than the headteacher. That’s all you need to know.)
🏠 “Do you live in school?” (Yes, I sleep under my desk and survive on leftover whiteboard pens.)
Who Said It Anyway?
Some things, once overheard in school, can never be forgotten. Here are a few gems from staff, parents, and children alike:
👩🏫 From a teacher: “That’s not a toy, that’s a teaching resource. Put it down.”
👨👩👦 From a parent: “He says he wasn’t here yesterday, but I dropped him off myself.”
👦 From a child: “Miss, I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.”
👩🏫 From a teacher (again): “Why are you licking the whiteboard, the rubber is right there!”
👩👧 From a parent: “Can you remind him to put his shoes on the right feet? He doesn’t believe me when I tell him.”
👧 From a child: “I can’t possibly do PE today, I did it last week.”
And my personal favourite from me during a phonics lesson...
"Ok how can you have lose 3 pens during this lesson? Where did they go?"
Take time for YOU this half term!
For only the second time in my life (the first being 2021 during lockdown) I won't be spending my birthday with my family in Northern Ireland. I am flying home in March for a family weekend and then for easter, will be too expensive to fly 3 months in a row. So I am spending it seeing friends, going to the gym tidying and trying to relax too. What have you got planned? let me know in the comments at the end.
The Lost Property Black Hole
Where, oh where, do the jumpers go?
The ones with names? We’ll never know.
A mountain of gloves—left hand, not right,
A single school shoe, nowhere in sight.
A water bottle, dented and cracked,
A lunchbox, still with snacks intact.
One lonely sock, its partner is gone,
And a mystery coat that’s been here so long.
Yet when a child cries, “I lost my hat!”
You ask,“Checked lost property?”—they never do that.
Top 10 Things I Will NOT Be Doing This Half Term
The Impossible Requests We Nod Along To
💡 “Can you just ‘whip up’ a full-scale display by home time?”
📋 “Could you run an after-school club? It won’t take much time!”
👀 “Can you cover Year 6 this afternoon?” (Absolutely not.)
ohhh and these too...
📌 “Can you just ‘pop in’ a few extra interventions?” – Of course, because I have so much spare time in the day.
📌 “Could you just keep an eye on insert entire class while I step out?” – Sure, I’ll activate my extra set of eyes and ability to be in two places at once.
📌 “Would you mind quickly sorting this IT issue?” – Because obviously, I have a secret side hustle as an IT technician.
📌 “We’re trialing a new initiative. It won’t add to your workload.” – Oh, of course. That’s definitely how it works.
📌 “You don’t mind doing a quick assembly, do you?” – Oh yes, let me just pull an inspiring 15-minute speech out of thin air.
📌 “Can you just make this ‘really interactive’?” – Absolutely! Let me find some puppets, a backing track, and an interpretive dance routine.
📌 “I’ve emailed about this twice.” – And I’ve ignored it twice for a reason.
📌 “Can you print this in color?” – Sure, let me just personally fund that with my teacher salary.
📌 “Can we squeeze in an extra meeting after school?” – Only if it comes with snacks. (And even then, still no.)
📌 “Have you thought about making this into a display?” – No. And I will not be thinking about it now either.
FINAL THOUGHTS...
Here’s the truth: You cannot pour from an empty cup.
You spend your days giving—giving patience, giving energy, giving time. You juggle a thousand things at once, making sure everyone else is okay. And that’s incredible. It’s what makes you you. But let me remind you of something important—you matter too.
Half term is not a bonus workweek. It’s not “extra time” to catch up on things that should have been manageable in a normal school day. It’s a break because you deserve one.
So, step away from the laptop.
Put down the to-do list. Leave the laminating!
Instead, make space for things that bring you joy. Sleep in. Go for that walk. Watch something silly. Call a friend. If you have kids of your own, be with them, really be with them.
If you don’t, spend time with the people who fill your cup.
Do things just for you—not for school, not for anyone else.
Because when you show up for yourself, you’re not just resting—you’re recharging.
And when you’re recharged, you’re an even better teacher, a better friend, a better human.
Half term is short. Make it count.
See you on the other side.
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