Children find it hard to understand that their teachers are real people. I understand that. They think you live, breathe and sleep school and if they see you out of it they are both confused and excited, jumping up and down, excitedly on the spot looking both embarrassed and as though they are going to wet themselves. Somehow, I didn't expect their parents to feel the same way. Naively, I thought that the parents were grown ups and could understand that teachers had lives and interests outside of their job.
Maybe it's because I'm a music teacher that I have been suffering from the 'I didn't know you.....s' this week. It's half term and I haven't gone away. I'm spending a week doing very little (for me) but leaving my cave occasionally to buy things or see the odd friend (and it is true that most of my friends are odd). This week I have bought wool, cake decorating stuff, an oasis and food. I've been swimming, met friends in Prezzo and been to the bank. In every one of these places I have met a parent (sometimes with their children but mostly not) and the parent has said something very strange like, "I didn't know you were a knitter, did sugarcraft, liked flower arranging, ate coconut yoghurt, went swimming, ate at Prezzo, banked here." Quite often the statement was followed by; "you are a woman of many talents," and sometimes: "Just wait till I tell my little Johnny about that he'll be so excited that you do that too!"
Well, I just want it to be known that I am not talented at any of the things I've been doing. Julia of All Trades Master of None. I like to try things out but I'm not good at any of them. I only have one major talent and that is procrastinating and I suspect that skill is one the parent hopes little Johnny isn't going to share with me.
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