Working from home blog #3

Brought to you by Sean Heffernan

Did you know that working in a pastoral environment is a hard job…? The day to day trials and tribulations of the modern-day Year 8 student constantly keeping you on tenterhooks. Will we have a moment of brilliance?  Or will we get to the end of the day with head in hands not believing what utterly ridiculous remark someone made in that lesson period 4 that resulted in lunch time being taken away as you try and teach said student the error of their ways?

I want those days back!!

The first few days of thinking of a school closure you start to think, “Ahhhh yes, no stress for a while! No running to get that student for detention, no having to run data for inter-tutor competition, and all the other stresses of the general day to day life of a pastoral worker.”

Suddenly it hits you!

You’re now a week or so into isolation. You stare around in the haze. Your house looks like a bomb went off in hobby craft.  Your sweet little 3 year old that you squeeze tight at night, that you are certain you would dive in front of a moving car for, has morphed into a threenager diva mad on lockdown power! She is currently now the reason you want to dive in front of the car.

Boredom has set in. 

Even Disney+ can’t fix this debacle. WHY DISNEY+? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE US ALL! 

I try and set up a routine for my working from home. I’ve got my laptop, I’ve got my bed (wife has taken over the dining room table to teach her lessons from) and most importantly, I’ve got my phone.

The phone that is the gateway for checking in to the world that is my usual daily reality and my love and passion. My job working in a school environment and working to help and nurture some amazing students. 

Suddenly you hear it: “Daddy!!! Daddy!!!”

“Yes, Amelia?” I shout down as I am just about to press call from the mobile. 

Silence. 

“Yes, Amelia????”

Silence again…. 

As parents you will know this – silence with a toddler is never good. I go down to the living room. My wife has popped down stairs for 20 seconds to just answer an email from one of her students…

Disaster the crayons are out…. and all over the tv screen! 

I wait for the wife to return. 

The tv has been cleaned! 

I trek back upstairs to my make-shift office, 

I press call. 

“Hello, good morning it’s Mr Heffernan calling from Kingsthorpe College.  I just wanted to check i…… arggghhhh.”

“Sorry about that, my 3 year old has just dived round my neck and is using me as a climbing frame.”

Cue much laughter. 

I miss my office. I miss the maths department staffroom.  I miss my team and amazing colleagues. I miss my students.  I miss FINE and lunchtime detentions. 

Help!!! 

Sang to the tune of Queen’s ‘I want to break free!’