I really love Christmas. I love it when I first hear a Christmas song on the radio, as I type up my end-of-term reports. 

I love to gaze at the sparkly, twinkly lights decorating people’s houses on the journey home from school. I love working in schools at Christmas time: the nativity plays, the carol concerts, the staff Christmas parties. 

Yes, Christmas makes me truly happy. 

Last weekend, I was shopping for Advent calendars for my children. The supermarket aisles were stocked with a plethora of calendars, filled with chocolates, sweets, toys, books, bath bombs, candles and alcoholic treats for the grown-ups. 

As my eyes danced in delight, I stopped to think: wouldn’t it be great if there was an advent calendar for teachers? 

When Heroes won’t cut it

It has certainly been a year like no other. Teachers everywhere are tired and stressed, and I just don’t think opening the calendar door to a Cadbury’s Hero will cut it this year. 

We’ve covered lessons for absent colleagues; we’ve spent hours standing in cold, wet playgrounds on duty; we’ve spent the day educating our bubbles, knowing that we couldn’t spend time with our vulnerable loved ones that weekend - or any time in the foreseeable future. 

In a month in which we have seen that the provisional Covid vaccination priority list excludes teachers, and the government has decided that we don’t deserve a pay rise, wouldn’t it be great if each day in December we could open the calendar door to one of the following little festive treats?

So, please, treat yourself to a mug filled with hot chocolate (or mulled wine) and pop on your favourite Christmas tune as we reveal the wish list of treats we would love to see behind a teachers’ Advent calendar this year.

A teachers’ Advent calendar

1 December: A golden ticket to get out of that last-minute cover lesson.

2 December: A free pass to visit the dentist, optician, Post Office or bank during school hours.

3 December: A non-essential meeting that will be covered in an email instead.

4 December: An endless supply of glue sticks.

5 December: Your very own interactive-whiteboard remote control.

6 December: A “get out of your compulsory break duty” ticket.

7 December: An early night and a restful sleep.

8 December: A voucher for a duvet day, with no questions asked.

9 December: A blank invoice sheet to claim for all the unpaid overtime worked.

10 December: A space in the car park.

11 December: A face mask that doesn’t cause your glasses to steam up or your make-up to smudge.

12 December: A spa day (remember those?) to help you relax after the challenges of the past term.

13 December: A lie-in.

14 December: A one-off opportunity to take a reasonably priced holiday during term time.

15 December: The chance to drink a hot cup of tea or coffee. Yes, all of it. While it’s still hot.

16 December: The chance to eat lunch without any distractions.

17 December: The chance to attend CPD of your own choosing.

18 December: Fresh milk in the staffroom fridge.

19 December: A time machine, for use exclusively when the photocopier jams.

20 December: An opportunity to have a proper catch-up with your teacher buddies. In real life. Maybe even over wine.

21 December: The opportunity to take time to recover from an illness without feeling teacher guilt.

22 December: An effective commitment to workload reduction.

23 December: Recognition and respect for teachers in the media.

24 December: A payslip that recognises your worth.

Sarah Mullin is a deputy headteacher and doctor of education student. She is the curator of “What They Didn’t Teach Me on My PGCE”, and the founder of #EduTeacherTips, a YouTube channel for teachers, by teachers. She tweets @MrsSarahMullin