Term 1 2022 Round Up

Thoughts & take-aways on my first term back in NZ

Katherine
Katherine
11 April, 2022

Happy last week of term! šŸŽ‰

And what a term it's been. I know it has been a challenging one for a lot of us with so many families having to isolate at some point and grand plans being put on pause.

This has been a bit of a funny term for me; getting back to teaching in NZ after 2 years of working in London and dealing with the oddly-harsh jolt back to reality as my old routines, metaphorically, came romping back to find me, bursting open my front door uninvited, and settling in for a cup of tea like theyā€™d never left. In other words, coming back hit me like a ton of bricks (but I like the imagery of the Old Routines Monster much better).

I'd been planning on only doing a couple of days a week of relieving this term but letā€™s just say that DIDNā€™T end up being the case and Iā€™m now on my eighth straight week of full-time relieving (yes, Iā€™m still working on saying ā€˜noā€™ sometimes šŸ˜‚).

Reflecting on the term, one thing Iā€™ve taken away is that it is okay to adjust your expectations based on the reality of whatā€™s in front of you. Itā€™s clear that all the interruptions to schooling have had a big impact on many of our students and they arenā€™t at the same point as the cohorts a couple of years ago were. Our students do need a bit more TLC, a bit more handholding and a bucketful of extra patience.

So, don't be too hard on yourself if you are feeling drained; students HAVE been more needy and getting them from A to B has been exhausting! If you didnā€™t get through everything on your term plan, thatā€™s okay. Take where youā€™re at now as a win and use it as your first stepping stone onwards and upwards for Term 2!

Now, let's finish the term strong; (somehow) hold it all together and whack a little smile on the dial! (They say ā€œDon't smile until Easterā€ but you've made it now, right? šŸ˜‰).

Youā€™ve got this! šŸ’Ŗ I'm counting down the days right there with ya!


Be purposeful teachers
Who are in control
Feel inspired
And know they've done enough.

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