On the edge of patience
The image titled “The Challenges of a Substitute Teacher” asks us to show empathy. It captures the substitute teacher in an extremely exhausted state, his face reflecting the inner pain. The messy desk in front of him, cluttered with unsorted papers, shows the enormous challenges that his job entails. The painting not only offers an insight into the actual circumstances of teaching. It is a clear depiction of contemporary working life that affects everyone. Numerous questions arise from the detail of the picture: What structural problems cause such conditions? How can we better help teachers? All questions that need to be explored
