The death of the individual teacher

That is a somewhat melodramatic post title, but it fits. Merge and more I am seeing the evidence that the individual teacher is to be squashed, to be compressed into the boxes that the government want them to be in. I can only teach what they want me to teach, test what they want me to test, support who they want me to support, and display my children's work on cream backing paper. Cream. That's practically magnolia. Ick. Which is why 2 of my boards are currently covered in black plastic bags. We're doing space - how can I in all honesty, mount space work on cream backing paper. I've been told off about the state of my room. Apparently the cleaner has complained. Fine. Today I shall go in and get rid of all the junk modelling stuff that the children have been using, and if they ask why I *will* tell them. I am that cross about it. At the end of the day it is *my* room. MINE! I teach in it. I live in it. Apparently the cleaner complained about there being food on the desk. It's a bag of apples because one of my children brings a piece of bread and a tinned sausage for her lunch. I supplement it with fruit. That's my choice. Do I have to stop that because the cleaner doesn't like it? Don't care - I shall not be stopping it! Apparently she complained about there being a bag of clothes in there. Those are on their way to another child who has school uniform, 2 pairs of trousers, and that is it. Yes, I am sending some of the AC's old stuff their way. Why shouldn't I? I would never see a child go without if I could help. I still worry about the BG because single motherhood is so tight for cash. (assuming her mother is still single - there's no reason for her to be!) I could not knowingly leave a child in need. But shall I? Because the cleaner doesn't like it? Shall I display their work badly because the art coordinator likes cream? Shall I not understand my own planning because the system that the school uses just doesn't work for me? Shall I leave a child with an inadequate lunch because the cleaner doesn't like apples on my desk? Anyone who knows me will testify to the fact that I am very untidy generally. It just happens. One minute it's all good, and then it's all gone wild! It comes to the fact that I am not a show home kind of person. I am living in the now, living in the what *has* to be done, living in the rather spending time with the child than hoovering. The house and classroom are *never* unsanitary - no dirty pots in my cupboard rather than wash them - but they are very lived in, Is that individual? I think so, but I may not be around much longer to celebrate it!