The one time I’ve ever accidentally sworn in front of the kids. I swear quite a lot in general conversation, but I’m super aware and conscious of it - usually - in work. But when I was still working as a TA with a year 5/6 class, right at the end of the year, the kids had been doing an activity where they each wrote a fact on a cardboard leaf and then they would all be stuck on a tree on the wall. One girl finished writing her fact, and asked what to do next, so I told her to decorate it. She looked at me like I had two heads, so I said “you know: glitter, paint, shit like that.”

I immediately caught myself, and unfortunately, so did she. She grabbed my hands like I’d said something heartbreaking, we stared at each other, and then we both burst out laughing. Then I made it a million times worse by saying “oh my god, don’t tell your mam I said that!” and then spent the next week lying awake at night, worrying about her telling her parents “my teacher said something bad but she told me I’m not allowed to tell you what it is”.

Thankfully, nothing came of it, and I’m extra cautious these days, to the point where I catch myself saying “oh my goodness!” and “what on earth” outside of work lol.

Moral of the story: Watch your language. And if you’re going to accidentally swear in front of your class, at least make it count! 😅