Pushing through the corridors

With shouts and shoves and maybe even knives,

The teachers are just there to split

The fights and take a battering

Of words too old for Key Stage 3 to know.

But somewhere in the muddy bowels

Of the inner city school we know

A teacher sparks a love of art

Or music, writing or of scientific facts.

Those sparks exist no matter where

And teachers always find a way

To guide their students on.

I’m watching Educating Greater Manchester at the moment and it’s terrifying. I work in a school out in the country, so even though there are behaviour issues, they’re nowhere near the level that you might see in one of these inner city schools.

I take my hat off to those teachers that deal with students that are rude and disrespectful. However, a lot of those behaviour problems are because they lack confidence. Nobody at home has ever told them that they’re good human beings with a chance at a future.

I don’t think I could ever work in the city because I’m just not tough enough. But, in saying that there are still those beautiful moments in any school; those moments where students just light up your morning or afternoon. And those moments can happen whether it’s in the city or in the country.

Much Love

Rachel xx