Back to School Again!

"Ring-a-ling-a-ling, school bell ring and its back to school again."  This was a line from one of Bunny Wailer's song several decades ago.  At that time, there was more optimism in the air about teaching and learning and there was a better spirit of enthusiasm.  Now, the jury is out.


For some, students are looking to get themselves together to invade the classrooms and recall all the fun and not so fun things they did this summer.  Others, teachers coming back to work to face another year of service to the country with very little money to take care of things both at work and at home.  Yes, and there are others who are in better positions for one reason or another but what is clear is that education has become more challenging annually.

I am for one embracing the new academic year, with fresh students coming out of primary school who I am sure will be feeling excited that they have arrived.  I will see proud parents,  ones with bouts of anxiety and high expectations, the others, with pious faces transmitting an inflated sense of entitlement.  Whatever the situation, this well paid teacher is prepared with my etched  professional smile ready to receive them all.  After all, I am a teacher!

I do hope that this batch this year will be packaged with better socialization and oral skills because in the previous year, there were many students who were lacking in both.  I hope that the parents are fair to my colleagues (who am I kidding!).  I cannot help myself being completely optimistic about the new school year.  I hope I get a good chair, new registers and mark books, resources for the various subjects that I teach and a freshly painted structure.  Those things, though simple make a difference to one's quality of life (peace of mind).  It helps one to mentally compensate in order to be happy at the workplace.  I, would like to be happy again!

So, as the bell rings for the resumption of school, let all of us be optimistic about the classroom/working/social/environmental conditions.  Education is a must.  Teachers must be prepared and be contented, students must be respectful, administration must be considerate and supportive and most of all, parents must be cooperative.  Off I go.  "Ring-a-ling-a-ling!