Escapism-a journey out of the classroom.

We all know a good teacher right? Well, when we're on the other side we have no idea of the sheer grit and determination it takes to be successful! The commitment required to get everything done on schedule requires an overlooking of many things! The responsibility grows and grows and grows and grows!

Before long, your lovely little class become your life! You spend more time with those little darlings than you do with your own children...it certainly isn't sold to you that way in teacher training!

I remember vividly as the years passed the job became more intense, now not only teaching the children but leading a subject; no wait! Make that three subjects! So along the happy road you find yourself leading English, Religious Education and Design Technology, the latter a big faux pas on their part; there's not a creative bone in my body.

Moving swiftly on and Teaching and Learning Lead is added to the noose around the neck...fortunately for the children they are always the top priority. Although it doesn’t feel like it with the cuts to the budget or none existing budget…having to beg, borrow and steal equipment and resources should be added to the job description. Not once did I imagine I’d be scouring the local community for donations to buy basic necessities such as paper and pens.

So here it is...you find yourself setting the alarm for 3am, marking books for two hours, followed by a shower, quick breakfast, leave the house at 7:15am to arrive at school for 7:30am. Set up for the day, prepare for meetings, scrutinise books etc. Before you know it yard duty creeps up on you...and the teaching begins! This is the amazing part, the part when teachers come alive...the part where you can physically see them making a difference!

3:30pm and it all goes quiet, the children leave after an action packed day and the meetings begin! If you're lucky you might manage a little marking. Imagine this day in, day out; by the time the holidays arrive, you need it! You absolutely need it!

You spend the week with those little cherubs that share the same DNA, the ones you barely see midweek! You've missed them and they've grown without you noticing until you're able to stop and notice! But don’t think you can switch off because that’s not an option! You still have to prepare for the return and catch up on any outstanding tasks!

A lack of courage prevents you from moving on, the children need you despite you sacrificing everything and you head back to the same old pressure, progress, attainment, reports, meetings, marking blah, blah, blah...

Then one day...you wake up! You realise that life is too short! It's too short to miss out on seeing your children grow, it's too short to be able to stop and breathe, you no longer want that notebook and pen beside the bed in case you wake up with an idea or have forgotten something. You acknowledge that money isn't everything! And if you calculated the hourly rate for the hours you actually put you'd be better off waiting tables.

You make the biggest decision of your life! To step away from the classroom! It's scary, very scary! It's all you know...

Three months on, I can tell you it's worth it! Oh, it is soo worth it!

The mental clarity, the ability to spend time with your own children, the time, the lifestyle!

Gone are the books, the marking, the meetings, the planning, the reports, the jam packed diary!

You reflect on your decision and life is good! You never once look back...