Is the magic of Christmas lost in primary schools?

Pupils love Christmas – but make sure that this time of year doesn’t place too heavy a burden on teachers, says Adam Black
17th December 2019, 5:46pm

Share

Is the magic of Christmas lost in primary schools?

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/magic-christmas-lost-primary-schools
Is The Magic Of Christmas Lost In Primary Schools?

Primary schools go all out at Christmas time nowadays, much to the delight of the children. Classrooms, lunch halls, entrance areas and generally every available space are given a tinsel overhaul. I’ve seen fake snow, elves on various shelves, reindeer footprints and gingerbread men playing hide and seek.

The children love it and there is a real feeling of festive joy. If a class is lucky enough to get a visit from Father Christmas, then it’s the highlight of the term, as it should be. Children should be given the opportunity to enjoy being a child and revel in these festive delights while they still can.

Teaching staff love it, too, even those who begrudgingly put on their Santa hat. Most teachers are happy to make this time of year special for children and are happy to go over and above for their class.


‘Hold Baby Jesus gently!’ 4 things you hear in every primary school in December

Christmas in school: 8 reasons why teachers know Christmas is coming

Festive films: 7 Christmas movies to entertain and educate pupils

WATCH: ‘Be the nice kid’ this Christmas


For some primary teachers, though, the festive cheer can end quite promptly at 3pm. After the party or the Christmas show or whatever yuletide jamboree the class has been immersed in, the teacher has to tidy up, sort out costumes or amend the Christmas show or nativity script, all on top of their normal day-to-day work.

Prepping and correction don’t stop at Christmas time - at times, it actually gives you more to prepare. And the more glittery a Christmas task, the more prep and subsequent tidying it will need. A working time agreement becomes a tricky thing to stick to in December. I’ve yet to see “party tidy up” on a working time agreement. It begs the question, can teachers be expected to provide these opportunities for children when they aren’t being appropriately scheduled for?

Last Christmas, an old primary colleague of mine had a two-hour staff meeting on the last week of term, on the same day as the school show. It meant that after sitting through the long meeting, she had to go and tidy up for the show, sort out the costumes, take down the sound system, all before preparing for the next day of school. It seems unfair to expect teachers to juggle the normal teaching demands on top of festive activities.

I’m not for one moment saying we shouldn’t provide these opportunities for children, I’m just saying that a primary teacher’s time is important and that if time is needed to do necessary things, then maybe writing evaluations - as one example - can wait to the start of next term.

It’s a lose-lose for teaching staff: if they don’t tidy up after a party or show, they get their knuckles rapped; if they don’t complete evaluations or attend the staff meeting because they were tidying after the show, they get their knuckles rapped.

What should we prioritise? Christmas cheer or paperwork and meetings? Maybe I’ll ask Santa to pop an answer in my Christmas stocking - because teachers really need one.

Adam Black is a primary teacher in Scotland who, in the New Year’s Honours list, received the British Empire Medal for raising awareness of stammering. He tweets @adam_black23

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared