What gets me up in the morning? That’s easy, I’m a mom of two young children. After five years without a single morning of sleeping in, I’m used to my day starting at stupid o’clock.

However, there is a difference in the manner that I get out of bed on the mornings that I go to work and the mornings I do not. I work part-time, so on weekends and during the first two days of the week my daughters’ whining for breakfast, low-level bickering or the sound of Rice Krispies being poured on to the floor at the end of bed are what force me to reluctantly throw back the covers.

But from Wednesday to Friday I actually float out of bed. Sometimes I even leap, for I know I am off to work. It is no secret to my colleagues that I find the balance of being a mum and a teacher “challenging” to say the least.

Our school is on the up

But I don’t just love my job because I get to sit down at break time with a (hot) cup of tea. No, I love my work and have done increasingly so over the past two years. My school has come through some very challenging times. 

In recent years, battles with behavior, staffing issues and a poor learning environment kept us on our toes. But our school has moved on. We are moving upwards. I am proud to be part of a dedicated team and led by an inspirational new principal. We have a cohesive new team and a new culture: one that supports every member of staff. We motivate each other and work effectively together. Learning is exciting and it is at the heart of what we do.

My school gets to the bones of me, and at times I am consumed with a drive for school improvement. Every day I feel like I have made a difference to someone and that is worth getting out of bed for...and treading through the pile of Rice Krispies. 

Katie Smith is a senior leader, teacher and special educational needs co-ordinator.

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