To the teacher weighed down with paperwork, I say: you've been messed around too often. You came into teaching to spend your time teaching children not filling in forms.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
For the longest time, you just sound like a broken record, but you have to be consistent when teaching kids.
Misdirected focus on paperwork, on procedures, and on bureaucracy frustrates teachers and fails to give children the education they need.
It was the case for a number of years that I was doing a book a year, but that was back when I was part-time teaching - and since 1991, I've been a parent, so that cuts into the time!
One of the great things about education is that it should stop you making mistakes - and I have made a lot of mistakes.
I was a good pupil at primary school: in the second class I was writing with no spelling mistakes, and the third and fourth classes were done in a single year.
Being a teacher is back-breakingly difficult work. It is also extremely important work.
Most of my teachers probably found I made less trouble if they let me read.
I've learned that mistakes can often be as good a teacher as success.
I'm not actually teaching any more, but I am writing pieces for schools all the time, and for kids.
Teaching was the hardest work I had ever done, and it remains the hardest work I have done to date.