Teachers have a hard time in many schools throughout the UK.  Chester is regarded as a ‘good’ area with higher than average socio demographics, but even Chester has its share of difficult schools.

Work life is often worse still for student teachers.  A cursory glance around forums such aswww.tes.co.uk highlights the many issues student teachers face.  Violent threats from both pupils and their guardians to sexual advances from over confident teenagers, the list is sadly both lengthy and varied.

Yet with all the responsibility of educating our nation’s youth and the sometimes difficult tasks that involves, the pay is still relatively low in comparison to the time it takes to qualify and become a competent teacher.

Bearing this in mind it probably highlights why there have been a number of newly qualified and student teachers meeting in Chester Coffee Shops comparing notes on their recent experiences.  This time to relax no doubt allows the teachers to let off steam, but also encourages them to share techniques / experiences which have allowed them to deal with specific issues.

These type of meetings should be encouraged throughout the teaching profession in order to educate our young as best we can.