When Mathilde entered the teachers' lounge at the high school where she works on Friday, August 29, it marked her 23rd back-to-school day. Although she is well-practiced in this ritual, she approaches it each year with "anxiety" that sets in as soon as August begins, she said. However, her apprehension is not the same as it was when she started in 2003. "Back then, I was in Essonne [in the Paris region]. It was tough, and classroom management scared me," said the history and geography teacher relocated in the western region of Brittany. (All the teachers cited by their first names in this article requested to remain anonymous.)
Now, her anxiety is rooted in the certainty that her year will be filled with the recurring feeling of being "overwhelmed." Overwhelmed by a workload that has "increased dramatically" since the 2019 high school reform, leaving her "constantly racing against the clock"; by the "succession of political decisions" that have created permanent instability in her job; and by her lack of confidence in a peaceful future for the education system. She regularly discusses this with her colleagues. Even though she loves her job, she no longer believes she will be able to teach her whole life.
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