Trivium 21c

First they asked me to teach girls differently and I did not speak out because I was a teacher.

They could tell what I was doing because, well, they were girls…

Then they asked me to teach black boys differently and I did not speak out because I was a teacher.

They could tell what I was doing because, well, they were black… and they were boys…

Then they asked me to teach white working class boys differently and I did not speak out because I was a teacher.

They could tell what I was doing because, well, they were white, and boys and spoke cockney’ish’

Then they asked me to focus on pupil premium children, there was a lot of money on this one… and I did not speak out

They could tell what I was doing because, well, they asked me to sit them at the front, or on the end of rows and give them coloured blazers to wear, and put photos and lists of who they were up in the staffroom so that I might learn their names…

Then they asked me to teach and track, girls in STEM subjects, muslims for signs of radicalisation, free school meal boys and girls to learn ’em, ADHD and EFL children, single parent family children, and they looked at my marking, my added British Values and my mark book was a mosaic of colours and grades and I did not speak out because I was

…too tired.

Then I began teaching everyone the same again so that I could actually learn ’em and the children did not speak out because I was their teacher and children like to learn… It was a moment of calm in the teacup of education, but someone with a clipboard wanted the storm, not the wisdom…

I had not tracked, so they checked my books, my plans, my data and oh they came for me saying we must be top of the league, that I must work all the hours God sends and I did not speak out…

For I was at the end of my tether…

So I was made redundant and I did not speak out because it was such a bloody relief.