Check out these ways you know you're a teacher in Ireland and see if any of them resonate with you!
Teachers in Ireland have to deal with very particular "Irish" type problems and dilemmas.
How many of these can you relate to?!
1. You have to change your Facebook name
Back to front, minus a couple of letters or changing it into Irish. Teachers have to go to amazing lengths to hide themselves from students these days.
2. You get asked 'Will this be on the Leaving Cert Exam' at least twice a day
'No, I'm just teaching you it for the craic!'
3. You've more than one class year in your room
Start a new job in a small rural primary school only to discover that you've got second, third, and half of fourth class to teach for the year!
4. You'll catch someone 'uptown' when they shouldn't be
You're quietly nipping out to your car when off in the distance you suddenly see a few lads crawling up the road on their way to hide out for the day in the town. Oh the effort to have to chase after them!
5. You will be called Mammy at least once
'Mammy can I....Awwww shite!'
6. Nothing will ever be as tough as the Irish exams in college
'Why must they punish us so?!'
7. ...apart from having to teach maths
Jays these sums will catch me out someday!
8. You'll have shifted at least one of your students' older brother or sister
This one applies to secondary school teachers more so. Nothing as awkward as arriving in to teach a class only to find the brat of little sibling of a former 'acquaintance' staring up at you.
9. No one else will quite understand the bedlam of preparing a class for First Holy Communion
'No, the communion wafer does not taste like raspberry ice cream. I don't care what your brother says!'
10. You give out random tests when you've been out the night before and can't be bothered to teach
There are just some days when you can't handle trying to draw up a lesson plan.
11. Smart alecks swapped names when you came into a class as a substitute teacher
A real-life game of 'Guess Who.'
(Getty Images)
12. You're constantly getting abuse from others about all the holidays you get
'Three months a year! Not to mention Easter, Christmas, mid-terms and finishing at 3 pm every day!'
13. You've had your tea spiked
There will come a day when you'll never trust fifth class to make you tea again.
14. Sometimes you hide under your desk because of a demon known as 'The Cigire'
Why can't the inspector be more like Inspector Gadget!? Or Inspector Space Time!? That'd be something to look forward to.
15. You remember what an inkwell desk was but your students don't
God those were the days.
16. Your nights out are funded by money from giving grinds
Tax-free baby!
*Originally published in 2016. Updated in 2024.
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