Teaching on a Scottish island

I read a column in Tuesday's Herald and thought I would add a bit to it from my own experience. 

Dear Teacher,

If you’re considering going to work on a Scottish island, don’t let yourself be put off by anything in Rosemary Goring’s column (23/8/2016). I write as one who lived on Islay for almost 10 years, worked for a further 5 years on the islands of Argyll (including bits that aren’t islands but easily could be – like the Cowal Peninsula and the Mull of Kintyre), and then had the pleasure of visiting places like Lewis through my work with Gaelic in local authority schools.

Here are a few things you might want to remember, though, about island life:

-          ­You can be out every night of the week if you want. Just remember that, no matter how few pupils you may have, there will always be preparation, correction, reports and paperwork to be done for the local authority. Maybe you can’t pop out to a club of a Saturday night but there are other opportunities. If you have any talents – such as for art, music, drama, photography – you’re going to the right place to develop them. There are plenty of night classes, sports teams, book groups, drama societies, visits from the Screen Machine, etc. Apart from that, islanders signed up for satellite TV long before most of the rest of us and you’ll find it easy to keep up with what’s happening in the world. Islanders are also right into remote learning, so your brain won’t stagnate.

-          Islands are active places. You may not have considered going hill walking or beach-combing or wildlife spotting up to now, but on an island you will discover the natural world is right on your doorstep.

-          You need inner resources. You have to accept that when the boat leaves, that’s it. You’re on your own – well, you and your colleagues, neighbours and friends. You need to do a bit of forward planning when it comes to shopping. Forget about companies that don't deliver to the islands. They don't value their customers. Plenty of others do. Living on a Scottish island is expensive. Expect that: carriage costs will always add to the price of the things you want. You need to accept that mobile phone coverage is a disgrace, as is broadband speed. There will be problems with the ferries. The community will be pleased to have your support as they complain to anyone they can think of about the islands always being at the end of the queue.

-          You have to accept your relationship with the school population is different: the kids are part of adult life on most islands, since there’s no separate youth culture in small communities. Give them a bit of space when you can. They’ll do the same for you. You will learn so much from a school population that is usually open to new ideas and new experiences.

-          Enjoy!

I don't know if they'll publish it but it's what I have learned.