You’re not quite sure how, but you’ve made it to half-term with both your body and mind still mostly intact. It should be a cause for celebration, but not even the sound of corks popping at the final bell can silence those pesky teacher thoughts. Here are five thoughts that tend to linger... for the first few hours at least:
 

1. “When did my classroom get in such a mess?!”
   You know exactly how your classroom got into such a mess... You let your class inside on that first day back! Seven weeks of dedicated teaching and learning later and they pay you with a pigsty. Who’s mixed up the plain and lined paper? Why is this textbook missing a cover? And where have all the bloody pen lids gone?!
   
   
   
   
    
2. “The marking... THE MARKING!”
   While Justine Greening’s plan to park Sats resits has put a smile on your face, your plan to carefully hide the essays you didn’t fancy marking at the end of September has left you with a bit of a sinking feeling. You think back to that one time in the first week of term when you marked and handed back homework overnight. You’re confident it will happen again... But probably next September.
   
   
   
   
    
3. “I’d better dig out my Christmas hat...”
   Yes, it’ll still be October (just!) when you go back to school, but Christmas is the flashing fairy light at the end of the eight-week-long tunnel that is the next half of term. While the rest of the world may think it’s too soon to start thinking about the 25 December, you know that the festive spirit is the only thing that’s going to get you through. Especially if that spirit is gin.
   
   
   
   
    
4. “What if there isn’t enough coffee for next half-term?!”
   You know it must be time for half-term when you can’t get through registration without a coffee or five. It may be readily available in the staffroom, but what happens when you’re not there?! You’ve suddenly come over all funny. And this time you know it’s it’s not just caffeine withdrawal. You decide that it’s probably best to stay off the dirt for a short time, until...
   
   
   
   
    
5. “Hang on... do I have to redo my display boards?!”
   I’ll put the kettle on now, shall I?
   
   
   

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES on Twitter and like TES on Facebook