DEAR Mr Gove, I am a secondary school teacher and I did not go to work last Thursday.

I am writing to you to explain my decision, as I believe there will be an immense amount of criticism and disrespect levelled at teachers because of the strike, and perhaps my reasoning will help put this strike into context. If not, I will at least have tried.

Think back to your last presentation. How sure are you that every person present fully understood your objectives? Did it engage them all 100 per cent of the time? If, at any moment in that session, an observer picked one of your audience to question, do you think he or she would be able to articulate what they were absorbing? Would you stake your salary on that?

Imagine making such a presentation five times a day, for audiences of different abilities with varying degrees of motivation. Some are hungry, some disaffected and some have troubles which transcend the session’s objectives. Nonetheless, you will be held accountable for their level of understanding and you are responsible for their progress. That’s a lot of responsibility, isn’t it, Mr Gove? Are you confident you could do that? Every day? Could you provide each and every one with appropriate tasks to show their understanding, then give them constructive feedback? That would need to be matched to a specific level as well, please.

This is only a part of what teachers must do every working day. And they do it well. I work in a really good school. Not a ‘good’ school, according to Ofsted, but we’re sure as hell working our butts off to deserve that status and the relief it will unlock. Staff are motivated and sincerely striving to help students. They work long hours to meet targets, and they work long hours to do a good job. Those things are not always the same. Teachers always give more – and it’s a privilege to work with such talented people who are so committed to helping others.

Do you feel the same about your colleagues?

I’m striking because my working conditions are under threat. I teach better for having some protected free time in school for preparation and marking. Respite refreshes us.

A mental break from that relentless revolving door of students and learning objectives is an investment for you – but it is hard to communicate that without you spending some time alongside us and really understanding the demands we meet.

For too many of us, the cost of striking would make the difference in the monthly battle to reach pay day without borrowing to eat.

I decided to strike Mr Gove because I believe you need to hear us clearly: the changes you want to make will damage my profession and deaden the education of the children of this country.

Will you be listening?

MARY STEVENS, Morrell Close, Kidlington