I really love Christmas. I love it when I first hear a Christmas song on the radio, as I type up my end-of-term reports.
I love to gaze at the sparkly, twinkly lights decorating people’s houses on the journey home from school. I love working in schools at Christmas time: the nativity plays, the carol concerts, the staff Christmas parties.
Yes, Christmas makes me truly happy.
Last weekend, I was shopping for Advent calendars for my children. The supermarket aisles were stocked with a plethora of calendars, filled with chocolates, sweets, toys, books, bath bombs, candles and alcoholic treats for the grown-ups.
As my eyes danced in delight, I stopped to think: wouldn’t it be great if there was an advent calendar for teachers?
When Heroes won’t cut it
It has certainly been a year like no other. Teachers everywhere are tired and stressed, and I just don’t think opening the calendar door to a Cadbury’s Hero will cut it this year.
We’ve covered lessons for absent colleagues; we’ve spent hours standing in cold, wet playgrounds on duty; we’ve spent the day educating our bubbles, knowing that we couldn’t spend time with our vulnerable loved ones that weekend - or any time in the foreseeable future.
In a month in which we have seen that the provisional Covid vaccination priority list excludes teachers, and the government has decided that we don’t deserve a pay rise, wouldn’t it be great if each day in December we could open the calendar door to one of the following little festive treats?
So, please, treat yourself to a mug filled with hot chocolate (or mulled wine) and pop on your favourite Christmas tune as we reveal the wish list of treats we would love to see behind a teachers’ Advent calendar this year.
A teachers’ Advent calendar
1 December: A golden ticket to get out of that last-minute cover lesson.
2 December: A free pass to visit the dentist, optician, Post Office or bank during school hours.
3 December: A non-essential meeting that will be covered in an email instead.
4 December: An endless supply of glue sticks.
5 December: Your very own interactive-whiteboard remote control.
6 December: A “get out of your compulsory break duty” ticket.
7 December: An early night and a restful sleep.
8 December: A voucher for a duvet day, with no questions asked.
9 December: A blank invoice sheet to claim for all the unpaid overtime worked.
10 December: A space in the car park.
11 December: A face mask that doesn’t cause your glasses to steam up or your make-up to smudge.
12 December: A spa day (remember those?) to help you relax after the challenges of the past term.
13 December: A lie-in.
14 December: A one-off opportunity to take a reasonably priced holiday during term time.
15 December: The chance to drink a hot cup of tea or coffee. Yes, all of it. While it’s still hot.
16 December: The chance to eat lunch without any distractions.
17 December: The chance to attend CPD of your own choosing.
18 December: Fresh milk in the staffroom fridge.
19 December: A time machine, for use exclusively when the photocopier jams.
20 December: An opportunity to have a proper catch-up with your teacher buddies. In real life. Maybe even over wine.
21 December: The opportunity to take time to recover from an illness without feeling teacher guilt.
22 December: An effective commitment to workload reduction.
23 December: Recognition and respect for teachers in the media.
24 December: A payslip that recognises your worth.
Sarah Mullin is a deputy headteacher and doctor of education student. She is the curator of “What They Didn’t Teach Me on My PGCE”, and the founder of #EduTeacherTips, a YouTube channel for teachers, by teachers. She tweets @MrsSarahMullin
