As January comes to a close, we’re going to take a retrospective look at why it’s possibly the worst month for teaching that there is. Strap yourselves in, here are 5 reasons January is the worst month ever…
It’s Cold, It’s Dark
At least in December, the cold and dark weather gets a pass thanks to all the twinkling lights and the promise of a winter wonderland in the form of song. In January, it’s just cold, bleak and sad. No one wants to wake up early, not you, not the students. You commute to school in the dark and you commute home in the dark. Occasionally, you might find yourself staring in forlorn fashion at the fleeting daylight from your classroom window.
It’s a Long Month
I mean, technically it’s no longer than any of the other months with 31 days, but it feels much longer than any other month. For most, it usually means a lack of money after the Christmas period, the February half term tends to feel like a looooong way away and we’re wondering if we’ll ever put that gym membership to good use between marking mocks and running Year 11 interventions after school. Speaking of gym memberships…
Resolutions Tend to Fizzle Out
Teaching is a demanding job and sometimes can (but shouldn’t!) take precedent over other commitments we make to ourselves. So there’s absolutely no judgement here when someone admits that their resolution to get to the gym three times a week falters a little bit by week 87 of January – but keeping resolutions is hard and because we’re all a little impatient and we probably make our goals a little loftier than we might’ve bargained for when we were sipping a sparkling drink on New Year’s Eve.
Tired, always tired!
There’s something about January that makes teachers and students alike incredibly tired. Not just a little ‘tired’, but fully-blown sleep-tired. The English teacher might be the first to notice this one while reading a passage of a text to a class, in which one or two students in the corner (especially near the warm radiator) are starting to nod off. You want to be angry at them for it, but in your heart, you know you might do the same in their position.
There’s Nothing Festive About It
Hear us out… the last few weeks before Christmas are hard work but they’re most certainly festive and light-hearted by comparison to the dreariness of January. Everyone is aware of the upcoming holiday, and everyone is in good spirits about it. In January, we’re just wondering where Christmas went and wondering why we can’t just extend the Christmas holidays until February instead.
There you have it! 5 reasons January is the worst month ever…roll on February…🥂
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