After a much-needed festive break, you’re refreshed and invigorated for the new year and the new term. You’ve got your resolutions sorted and in a bid to stay energized until half term, you’ve booked in a couple of gym classes and opted to go ‘dry’ (without alcohol) this month. Nothing’s going to stop you now! Well, apart from these classic January realizations…

1. Exams are looming. Long gone are the heady days of referring to “next year’s tests”. Because it is next year. And it’s time to get serious, even if little Jake is still singing Jingle Bells at the top of his lungs every recess. 
   
   
2. The kids are sleep-deprived. Maybe even more tired than at the end of December. And why? Good TV and a decent haul of gifts in the holidays, including that new brand new PlayStation 4, has meant later nights and later mornings. At least morning registration is a bit quieter.
   
   
3. The kids have forgotten all the rules.  And, worse still, everything you taught them last term. And the prospect of re-teaching everything AND all of this term’s work is more than a little daunting.
   
   
4. Senior leaders are rested too. Which means they’ve had a bit of time to read about ten new teaching initiatives to “improve teaching standards and student progress across the school”.  Whether you’re wearing a thinking hat or asking questions the way that Bloom would have wanted, you’re keeping your fingers crossed it’ll all be forgotten before half term.
   
   
5. The goodies are gone. All that might have been bearable if you knew you had some of the wine and chocolate you were given as Christmas gifts waiting back at home. But they disappeared last Sunday with the realization that you had a full teaching day and a staff meeting on Monday. Hmmm, so much for Dry January…