Iron while the strike is hot!

Being a teacher, there is always a dilemma as to whether to strike for better pay or not. Do you have a moral responsibility to the learners in your class to participate in any rolling mass action, which given the limited time frame of the strike - 1 day- was doomed to the cauldron of inefficacy from the start, even before the cooking fire was lit?

Honestly, I think half of the learners in my classes were disappointed at how few teachers participated in the strike. There was no surging feeling of solidarity with the downtrodden masses as to the pittance offered by state. In fact there was a peculiarly insular feeling as to the events taking place. I know that many of us seasonal patriots who dusted off our brief lack of cynicism for the World Cup were appalled at a number of strikes which threatened (although never really) to derail the near perfect presentation of our nation to the world. I suppose that in the back of our minds there is that niggle that given the current economic climate that to strike is just a tad unpatriotic.

And so we prepare for the final moderation of our marks in about two weeks time. Our Grade 12 learners are increasingly seeing the need to begin their long December Vacation early, and have already begun planning the post Exams after party while completely ignoring the finer points of stylistic devices so juicily presented to them. I have begun to role play the worst case scenarios in terms of end of year marking just to attach some relevance to the learning process. Fear and its associated blind panic are quite motivating if wielded properly. One just needs to make sure that you don't sever any limb that might still be of use.

But I digress - in the past week I have been involved in the production of a musical which far exceeded our expectations. Directed by one of my extremely capable colleagues, it was a privilege to be a part of that show. Time stood still while the show ran for the week, and we got to be part of another time and place. Teaching, ah, where else are you able indulge in this momentary distraction, extend yourself in such an enjoyable way and feel such a sense of collective accomplishment, then to to return to the norm of the classroom, and the mundanity of the proverbial feeding spoon.

I need to plot the way forward to moderation, reset contextual tests, set preliminary examinations and mark a whole forest of assignments. I put on my creased shirt and my crinkled tie and count the cost of not ironing while the strike was hot.

Aidan