Just Keep Swimming

"When life gets you down, do you wanna know what you've gotta do? Just keep swimming."

Dori, Finding Nemo

It's usually around this time of year that I start to feel a bit wobbly and wonder whether I am really doing the right thing slogging my guts out day in, day out in this seemingly thankless profession. We all have moments like this. Some people don't like Mondays, many others (for reasons I can't fully grasp) hate Tuesdays. Me? I hate going back to school after any time away. It is probably because I realise in that brief respite from the chaos of lessons, children, and tasks that there is such thing as life. 

So, on Sunday, the day on which I have inwardly agreed with myself to blog, with the spectre of returning to school after a week off looming, I decided to forgo anything which reminded me of school. This blog was one of those things which reminded me of school, so it therefore fell victim and no new post was penned. Monday (yesterday) was not an enjoyable day. Not even an outstanding lesson observation from a respected colleague was able to shift me out of my funk. And today, after an unsettled night's sleep, I thought about "accidentally" flinging myself around an icy corner on my bike on the way to work, in the desperate hope of a day off.

I didn't do that. I went to work, and I actually had a good day. Not perfect, not even great, but a good day. My lessons were good, I had a chuckle at one of my students because she is obsessed with "Silent Witness" and, when asked how yesterday's episode was, she looked truly downcast and mumbled that the series had finished. I talked politics with that same class, always a favourite pastime of mine, and found that there were students who not only thought about the world, but actually, actively, cared. Later in the day, I had a productive lesson with my year 11s who are traditionally...erm...a pain in the arse. I found myself buoyed in spite of myself. Sometimes it can happen that way - even if you are in the deepest, blackest mood, a day at school can actually lift you out of the gloom and leave you feeling like all is well with the world.

My fiancée holds to this "look for the positives" mentality and on the whole I do agree with her. She has to listen to me moan about school more than anyone else, so she is in the best position to give me advice; advice that I now pass on to you. She is a teacher as well and obviously has her own off days, but on the whole she manages to boundlessly maintain a sunny disposition. She is, in this way, much like Dori. Not that she's simple, or has a short-term memory, but that she is filled with an unerring optimism based on seeing positives wherever she can. I try to emulate this as often as possible. It's not always easy, but there's a lot to be said for looking for the little positives and, with that to spur you on, keep on truckin' (or swimming, as it were).

Now, I realise that I am actually in the minority of teachers who had their half term last week - which is perhaps why going back to work yesterday felt so wrong - but I think that everyone needs some inspiration at this time of year. So, without further ado, here's Dori...