Believe it or not, I am going to try and avoid ranting in this blog - it will be a challenge, but one I am willing to attempt.
Let me start with this. The education sector in this country is amazing and we should be so completely proud of ourselves. Throughout this pandemic we have stepped up, we have supported the vulnerable, we have continued to provide education, we have continued to share our love. This is no mean feat. We have done this whilst carrying our own worries and concerns; whilst battling against the media and populist opinion against us; whilst managing and looking after our own families.
I want you all to stop. Just stop and think. Think about your own personal achievements since March 2020. When you do this, you realise what you have actually done. You have, with the creativity, compassion and unquestionable work ethic associated with our profession, performed miracles. Just to name just a few of your successes:
You have changed your job description over night. You have developed methods to teach children remotely. You have developed strategies to provide feedback to the children. You have learnt new technology and implemented this. You have worked extra hours to provide the best for your children. You have probably ruined your eyeballs looking at a screen for hours on end.
You supported the most vulnerable in society. You have provided food parcels. You have made welfare calls. You have supported social care and mental health services. You have been that listening ear for struggling families. You have signposted families to the best support services for them.
You have read, digested and implemented reams of government guidance to provide "safe" spaces for children and adults alike. These have been the safest we could make and this would not have been possible without a Herculean effort. The massive time and effort going into Risk Assessments and focusing on safety was worth it to stop some transmission. The unsung heroes - site supervisors - have worked miracles with school sites.
You have made budgets stretch to impossible points to provide the resources your children need. The creativity of SBM's, admin staff and the pure generosity of the public have allowed schools to provide devices and support for children which has allowed them to access remote education.
You have supported the national effort with Test and Trace. You have conducted so much contact tracing at a remarkable success rate - much higher than the national organisation has managed to reach. You did this in your holiday times, in your weekends, in your family time. This was very important for the national effort.
You have managed your own lives. Whilst doing all of this hard work for your schools, you have been members of your own family. You have supported your own children with remote learning. You have managed your own family anxieties. Some of you will also have managed COVID cases, and possibly bereavements during this period.
I am not saying this hasn't been tough. I have been close to breaking point on a number of occasions, but this moment of reflection is important. It is also important to understand that, actually, what we have achieved is almost super human. To keep this pace of work up is impossible. Now we are getting used to this new way of working it is time to focus on you. Take time out for you. Give yourself screen breaks. Do exercise. Hug someone you love. You need to remember who you are - not teacher you, not COVID you, but you! In the long run, this will make you a better teacher.
Finally, I don't care what anybody says - when you reflect on what you have done, you can hold your head high and be proud of what you have achieved. Not many people say this, but well done - you truly are all heroes in my eyes!
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