Once upon a Sunday evening not too long ago an Australian teacher, and mother of two young children, reflected on how she had found that pot of gold at the end of the teaching rainbow. She had been timetabled for her planning time – her RFF – her APT – her release from face to face (whatever your teaching state calls it) on a Monday Morning.
Oh what joy she felt!! Every Monday morning she was able to start the week well by having time to plan all the resources she needed for the week ahead without a fight to the death at the school photocopier. Her week would begin at a leisurely pace, often with her beloved (and necessary) coffee in hand. She would be able to clear out her pigeon hole in the staffroom while teachers hurried across the school playground, rounding up their students with books under arms, hoisted onto hips.
The lucky teacher realised her Sunday nights were reclaimed. No longer did she pray for her children to be settled into bed so that she could begin the frantic organisation of resources for lessons first thing on a Monday. No longer did she lose the peace of Sunday evenings. Those final moments of the weekend where she should be soaking up the last moments to recharge. The common Sunday night anxiety dissipated when her planning time was first thing on a Monday. She softened into the last moments of a Sunday knowing she had time in the morning to get organised. Spending paid time rather than her own time.
Yet from talking to other teachers and her colleagues online she knew that this reclaim of Sunday night was something that other teachers were not experiencing and they were envious. Far from savouring those last moments of the weekend teachers Sunday night anxieties had spread like a virus into their Sunday afternoons. Farewell Sunday night movies or Netflix binges. Farewell Sunday Sessions with non-teaching friends at the pub. Farewell the weekend unicorns and rainbows – those were the ‘working week’ clouds gathering overhead.
The Aussie teacher felt the injustice. She wished other teachers could reclaim their Sunday nights. She reflected on how she could assist her fellow teachers and came up with an idea.
Perhaps she could share her resources so that her passionate, fellow teachers could download these resources and reclaim their Sunday nights. She dreamt of teachers being able to download resources which would enable them to find time for a Monday Morning Coffee. That was it – download time for a coffee! This Aussie teacher couldn’t change the number of playground duties a teacher had. She couldn’t add airconditioning to a portable or make that parent you need to see show up just-one-time for parent teacher interviews. That kind of change was beyond her capabilities.
Yet she knew she could take the skills she did have and make a difference with them. She could share her knowledge with her colleagues. All the teaching hacks she had acquired from almost 20 years of teaching in a range of settings. Those golden nuggets of information she loved to share with graduate teachers when she mentored them. She could take her special education knowledge and provide resources that would engage students, while allowing teacher to promote an inclusive classroom environment. She could help teachers work be less stressful one resource at a time.
The Aussie teacher felt warmth (and coffee) rush through her body at the thought. Monday Morning Resources was born!