Labour’s Diane Abbott made headlines earlier this week after a slightly embarrassing interview with Nick Ferrari, to which she’d clearly forgotten to bring her homework on policemen (and women) in Britian. It made for very uncomfortable listening.

You know the saying: fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Something teachers know all too well, but, er, like Ms Abbott, don’t always remember. When you’ve got a class of 30+ children to keep track of everyday, mountains of marking to do, and an ever-changing curriculum to keep up with, it’s only natural that some things slip…

Parents evening

It would be hard to forget the actual event of parents evening itself, but amid the chaos, it’s easy to forget the smallest of things. And often, it’s these tiny acts of preparation that make a world of difference. Water for you, a clock within viewing distance, and every teachers’ secret weapon ­- sweets for the parents. Without these vital ingredients, your mouth is like the Sahara desert, you’re running late by half an hour, and parents aren’t so forgiving.

Sports day

Ah, sports day. The one event in the teaching calendar that has an 89 per cent chance of being called off, having already been rearranged twice. With all the swapping and changing of dates, it’s a challenge equal to the egg and spoon race to be fully prepared. Finally a sunny day comes along and without a cloud in the sky, nothing is set to dampen the schools’ spirits. Except, hold your horses - where are all the medals? Oh yes, you took responsibility for hiding them in a secret location last year. A location so secret, you have no idea where it is. Ready, steady, search.

A class birthday

Despite an interactive calendar and an amazing birthday hat in prime classroom position (the sort that flashes and has soft candles sticking out in all angles), it’s pretty impossible to remember 30 new birthdays every year. There’s nothing quite as soul-crushing as seeing a small child’s face fall when they realise you’ve forgotten to buy them a birthday card from the class. After a quick dash next door (where your neighbouring teacher, in an ultra-prepared manner, has a box of spare birthday cards in her desk), birthday bliss is resumed.

The end of term production

Fast forward to the middle of July and there’s just one obstacle standing between you and the six-week holiday - the school production. As an avid musical theatre fan, you couldn’t help but volunteer to help with the singing after last year’s show (there’s little worse than 90 Year 6 pupils murdering some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest work).  But it’s three weeks to go, and only a third of them know all the words in *that* Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat song. Time to spilt the song up and hand out solos to the more enthusiastic members of the cast.

Star of the week

It’s finally Friday, and, as always, it’s been a long week. You’re 10 minutes away from waving goodbye to your class for the weekend, when a little voice pops up: “Miss, who won star of the week?” Your heart sinks - you forgot. 30 hopeful little faces look up at you and it’s a heart-wrenching choice. With a blurry memory of the week that’s passed, and no immediate front-runner, you’re forced to pull out the age-old: ‘This week, I just couldn’t pick, you are ALL stars! Dojos for everyone!’

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