During my time as an art teacher I strayed away from the constant droll about dead white artists and the sketching of fruits, replacing it with creative paths that apply to modern life.

Anyway, I was told that I was to stop all that.

The headteacher (who never pronounced my name right) waded in and demanded that I spend an entire term getting the children recreate Henry VIII and his frounsy underpass with mixed media.

The tudors, medieval, victorian - all this boring shit. For the Victorian module, I got the students to design their own game characters for a Victorian themed video game. Teaching them how to construct figures in both static and dynamic poses -

Anyway, I was told to stop this

The curriculum is ass.
When I asked the children if they knew you could make money through art and design - the little cherubs all said no.
It's not surprising when the only form of art we're allowed to teach is based on old white men who were alive a bazillion years ago.

So many things I wanted to show them and inspire them with.
You know, I shudder when I remember commuting there. It was in Dagenham which made it more depressing (sorry)

I had to teach all 512 children in the school, I was a PPA Art teacher, 6 classes a day and lunch time and after school clubs too. I was given three -

THREE.
Cabinets.

For the entire school to store their unfinished work from the week before.

When I asked the headteacher for one more cabinet - she looked me square in the eye and said "no. "

I made friends with the caretaker - he niced me.

The following week after getting the new cabinet, this woman barged in while I was in the middle of teaching.
She pointed to my cabinets and said "can I have one of those? I need one."

I directed her to the remaining work still bundled on the floor and told her no can do.

Baring in mind every classroom except mine had at least 6 or 7 cabinets and cupboards lining the walls. So much so you couldn't see skirting boards.

Why couldn't she ask one of them.

Anyway, I digress

Later that day I was running after school club with the infants, then the headteacher barged in (they were all allergic to knocking)

Following behind her was the woman who had asked for the cabinet earlier.

The head walked over to the cabinet and went:

"Was it this one you wanted Shirl?"

If looks could kill she would have kicked the bucket that day.

The woman looked at me and shrugged her shoulders "I tried to tell her"

The head then said
"just gonna take THESE off you."

She took not 1... But two.

I'd been there 2 months at this point and I thought like hell am I sticking around for this shit.
I was contracted by a PPA provider so I had to work my notice - I mentioned to one motherfucker that I was leaving.

The headteacher calls me over...

"I heard you've been telling people you're leaving?"

I said "yes"

Head: "it's not upto you to tell people that, now I've got teachers stressed that they're not gonna have PPA. It's up to SLT to tell people."

Me: Hadn't realised I've not got freedom of speech.

Head: it's not about freedom of speech, it's about common courtesy?

Me: you wanna speak about courtesy? You came into my classroom the other day and helped yourself without consulting me first. You know nothing about courtesy. "

Watch her, she went RED. She gave a wry smile,

Then said:

"Okay... You go back and teach."

You KNOW she went to send an email. You already know.
She had said I was "aggressive" and "uno-operative." Said "I want her out immediately."

She thought she was getting one up by cutting my notice short but

I got double pay and even got paid in advance for the weeks I would have done by the PPA company.

I got to them before she did you see. They could see she was a demon so they niced me too.

That job made me miserable and stressed out - the curriculum is mostly skid and I don't like mainstream. I now work in a charity run school with 9 children and a whole lot of heart.
Wouldn't trade it.