Wine with Teacher Blog — grinding my gears

This month's article is supporting teachers who have just heard the soul-crushing news, probably delivered by an extremely sympathetic principal: "There is no position for you next year." Each year, teachers without permanency face the uncertain risk of their job disappearing due to changes in staffing or school enrolment numbers. I urge you to find the lesson in this experience. Remind yourself that you are not a terrible teacher, you are just an expendable one. This realisation is no less devastating...  Back in 2016, I was reeling from the fresh pain of rejection and it could only be described as...

This month's article is asking you to question why teachers are labelled heroes and essential workers only when they're putting their health at risk, yet outside of this time there is still a largely negative opinion about our profession in the eyes of the general public and media.

This month's article is questioning whether we lose our relevance as a teacher when we teach less, change positions, or leave the classroom altogether. Are we, as teachers, only relevant if we have a class of students to call our own? It can feel that way, but it isn't true. The job title "teacher" becomes intertwined with our identity; it becomes a symbol to others that our dream is to change lives for the better. We are proud of our passion and our mission. Teaching offers us a significant purpose each day and we proudly say, "I am a teacher"...

This month's article is asking you to challenge the labels given by others and to never accept any opinions as fact. Some teachers and staff can sew a label so tightly onto a child that it can be hard to rip off, but you must do it.