[Miscellany]
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
You
I'm looking at you and I'm wondering how you slipped through the cracks. I'm wondering how you can cope at * years old; daily, with what most people never know until they're an adult. It's a horrible realisation to know that adults can and will let you down. Just to know this is a slap in the face. To expect it as normal is debilitating to the human soul. To know it as your reality is beyond words.
You deal with it daily though and don't think I don't know how you cope. Oh, I know. I see it every day. I see it in the way you move in your seat. I see it in the words you ignore - those both harsh and full of praise. I notice the way you lash out when others wrong you; desperately trying to cling to that part of you that is still a little hopeful and protect it. I understand the parallel universe you've created to exist alongside this real one and I also know that reality is a dicey concept right now anyway. I know you slip in and out as you need to. I know how protective you are of the world you've created and I know why. I know how comforting that world is. I know how essential it is. I know you need it. I think you're amazing for having concocted this space for yourself. You've shown at * what most adults never have to do - that is to completely protect yourself from all sides; from all attacks; from everything. It's unfair that you have to and they never do. Most will never, ever, EVER understand because they never, ever, EVER had to deal. Lucky them. They'll be the people who will tell you to look on the bright side. Nice.
You haven't learnt yet how to ask why and when you do that will be yet another hard pill to swallow because there won't be an answer that won't come pointing back at you; yet another little something to deal with. I understand from that look you give me that you are completely resigned to this way of being. This is your reality and mate, you are doing a magnificent job of using absolutely every resource you have to survive it. And you are surviving but it won't help you in this reality; the reality that isn't all that dicey for everybody else. In this reality you are barely treading water; slowly sinking into quicksand; gasping for Ventolin; sawing logs with a butter knife. I recognise this.
I think about you a lot. I think about you when everyone else is long gone. I think about you when I should be thinking about myself but I have no answers. I don't want to be yet another adult who fails you; like all of us have done so far. As I sit here for yet another night at my desk with my head in my hands, trying desperately to make a bridge between us that won't fall down, I know that I have failed you too. I see the you, who you really are and I admire that person and can't think of a more imaginative, clever, resourceful kid and on top of all of that I completely understand. I do. I guess that's what makes it harder but in the end, despite all of this I'm just another adult and just another person who will fail you in the end and it's killing me.
You deal with it daily though and don't think I don't know how you cope. Oh, I know. I see it every day. I see it in the way you move in your seat. I see it in the words you ignore - those both harsh and full of praise. I notice the way you lash out when others wrong you; desperately trying to cling to that part of you that is still a little hopeful and protect it. I understand the parallel universe you've created to exist alongside this real one and I also know that reality is a dicey concept right now anyway. I know you slip in and out as you need to. I know how protective you are of the world you've created and I know why. I know how comforting that world is. I know how essential it is. I know you need it. I think you're amazing for having concocted this space for yourself. You've shown at * what most adults never have to do - that is to completely protect yourself from all sides; from all attacks; from everything. It's unfair that you have to and they never do. Most will never, ever, EVER understand because they never, ever, EVER had to deal. Lucky them. They'll be the people who will tell you to look on the bright side. Nice.
You haven't learnt yet how to ask why and when you do that will be yet another hard pill to swallow because there won't be an answer that won't come pointing back at you; yet another little something to deal with. I understand from that look you give me that you are completely resigned to this way of being. This is your reality and mate, you are doing a magnificent job of using absolutely every resource you have to survive it. And you are surviving but it won't help you in this reality; the reality that isn't all that dicey for everybody else. In this reality you are barely treading water; slowly sinking into quicksand; gasping for Ventolin; sawing logs with a butter knife. I recognise this.
I think about you a lot. I think about you when everyone else is long gone. I think about you when I should be thinking about myself but I have no answers. I don't want to be yet another adult who fails you; like all of us have done so far. As I sit here for yet another night at my desk with my head in my hands, trying desperately to make a bridge between us that won't fall down, I know that I have failed you too. I see the you, who you really are and I admire that person and can't think of a more imaginative, clever, resourceful kid and on top of all of that I completely understand. I do. I guess that's what makes it harder but in the end, despite all of this I'm just another adult and just another person who will fail you in the end and it's killing me.
Labels: kids, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, teaching, teaching the teacher, work
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Awkward
My boss called me into her office the other day wanting to change the way we assess in the curriculum area that I am a leader of. Of course, I'm being nice... she didn't want to change the way we assess, she had already made that decision without consulting me. Rather, she wanted to tell me that in fact we weren't going to use the assessment tool that I had painstakingly put together (and had been using at the school until now..) and instead we were now to use an online annotated assessment sample instead.
I don't have a problem in changing things up at all, but if I'm leading a curriculum area I want to make that decision because my decision will be based on evidence and knowledge rather than oh... a whim. I'd also like to be consulted about it, even if it's just for show.
So now, I have to make the presentation tomorrow that is going to lead our staff into using this online tool for our assessment. Here lies the problem: I have been looking at this online assessment sample for a few days now and it doesn't marry nicely or neatly enough to actually inform our assessment in any real or easy way. For instance if child A is in Grade 1 but working at a Grade 3 level I want to be able to go to the assessment sample at grade 3 and compare that to what Child A is doing, if they measure up I can start to make an informed judgement about moving Child A's reporting mark up to that level too. The problem with the new assessment tool is that there is no common element between Levels. I can't go up and down levels because there is no common assessment task between levels for me to compare to.
After the presentation the staff will have a workshop where the take children and assess them using the online tool. It's not going to work. You can't do it.
So how do I present this knee slappingly hilarious idea without looking completely incompetent while at the same time maintaining authority and face and NOT being derogatory towards the boss for having such a dumb idea?
Labels: boss, questions, school, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, teaching, teaching the teacher
Saturday, August 03, 2013
Shit
The shift in Education Leadership lately has been towards a business model of management. I've never worked in an office but I've seen The Office and as far as I can comprehend the business model basically consists of a complete tosser at the top who has no idea what they are doing/might be good at managing one thing, middle management who don't care and the plebs who do all the important stuff while stealing the highlighters when no one is looking. It's a money driven system with an agenda of maintaining or expanding a commodity.
In teaching, it is ridiculous to think of learning and students as a commodity. A commodity implies that there is a direct return on an investment, which is all well and good in theory except that the business world is notoriously impatient and only wants results in one form (economics). Getting an economic return on the student investment will probably not be evident for 30-50 years if something was put in place today. This is too long for a political party to wait in order to brag about their effectiveness in government. Despite allegations to the contrary I honestly do no believe any of the major political parties want to promote anything that won't show a result within their term of governing. Is this cynical of me? It's only true. Furthermore isn't the return we actually want to see is a healthy, happy community of people who are life long learners and critical thinkers? Isn't THAT the point? Oh wait, that's not the same as money.. okay.
When compared to the business model the current school model of leadership has some similarities particularly in that there is also a complete tosser at the top, middle management who don't care and plebs. However while an office pleb has only a small level of authority, a school "pleb" gets to be King of the Castle in their own classroom. They are the authority in a very real way. This means that in order to have effective leadership of staff from the top, you absolutely need to make sure that at the bottom line what is being taught in the classroom is always at very best standard possible. Therefore f you don't have excellent curriculum knowledge from the top then a few plebby teachers can ruin the stability of the school. A shitty teacher = shitty parents = shitty school.
In my view, good leadership in schools comes not from economics but from exclusively employing exemplary, inspiring teachers with excellent knowledge of curriculum for the top jobs. Yes, sure economics is important, as is being able to work out timetables and the like but these things can be learnt on the job (and let's face it, don't we all know trained monkeys who are able to work out timetables and meet with the accountant every 3 months?)
My view of leadership is not exactly shared by the Department of Education. They speak of leading from experience and exemplary teaching but in fact the opposite is what is being pushed into leadership now. Those on the road to leadership these days are groomed by Department heads more interested in management than Leadership. There's a difference. The moment schools become "managed" by business graduates who have an interest in economics rather than knowing exactly how to teach and lead curriculum is the moment schools lose out.
In my opinion a good school has personable managers, a healthy budget in surplus with excellent teachers who carry the load and get the job done. An excellent school has a leadership team that could walk into any classroom and teach or help teachers plan a lesson in a way that inspires another teacher to be better at their job. There is no surplus in the budget (perhaps just a rainy day fund) because the budget is used for resources, professional development and mentoring and to pay exemplary teachers extra money for excellent work and Leadership have a good idea of what the needs of staff and students are.
We are moving away from a model of excellent and moving towards 'good'. This is horrific in my eyes. I can see it happening right now in my place of work. The latest promotion to a very senior leadership role at the school is a manager and not a leader and what is the most horrifying is that I know that this was desirable from the perspective of the school.
My idealism is crushed and my heart breaks for the kids and for the good teachers out there in Education. We are heading down a very bad road by treating schools as companies or businesses. Hiring a trained monkey may seem like a good economic choice but we are not in the business of economics. We are in the business of learning and learning just happens to be a money pit politically speaking. The thing is I don't care about the politics of it, I'm all about connecting the dots here.
If we hire trained monkeys at the top then what exactly do we expect is going to come out at the bottom?
Labels: a case of the leader not wanting to be lead, boss, education, leaders of the world they are, new leader, school, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, teaching, teaching the teacher
Monday, July 15, 2013
Not My Place
I was going to do a music post that was me pressing shuffle and posting the first 5 songs that came up for laugh, but then I realised that it really wasn't going to work (for me). There's only so many times that The Pina Colada song can come up before you are shamed to paralysis. Okay I just admitted it, shame on me.
Anyway, the first song that came up was:
It's Not My Place (In The 9 to 5 World) - The Ramones
...which was a funny coincidence because I had *just* been thinking about how I'm one of those people that aren't built for the 9 to 5 workplace. One could argue that teaching with all the holidays one gets and the fact that the kids leave at 3.30pm that it really isn't a 9 to 5 work place but if you are suggesting that it's somehow easier than working a regular office work shift then I'd invite you to come say that to my face. We'd have... "words". It's worse. Way worse.
Anyway, I like it when the ipod randomly acts like a personal psychic and quite frankly I find it often does. In fact music often gives me exactly what I need when I need it, unfortunately more so than people ever have (or will?).
I was thinking though, that it really isn't my place to be in the rat race. I'm not motivated by working up the rungs of the ladder. I'm not excited by extra challenges in the work I do. I don't really want any extra money. I don't want to work long hours. I don't even want to work 5 days a week! When us teachers went on the recent strike part of our strike conditions were to work a 38 hour week. We didn't write reports. We didn't have extra parent meetings. We didn't have extra staff meetings. Of course we STILL put in more than the 38 hour work week that we are supposedly paid a pittance for but we certainly did less. When the discussions came up to go 'get back to normal' and get the shitty pay rise my hackles went up. I would much rather work less. I was happier not writing reports. I was happier not having to "volunteer" to come in on my weekend to do unpaid extra. I was more than happy to pack my bag at a reasonable hour and just leave. I was happier just teaching and enjoying my grade than doing all the extra bullshit that goes along with teaching.
A single girl such as I has got to pay the bills.
It's not my place in the 9 to 5 world.
It's just not.
So what do I do?
Anyway, the first song that came up was:
It's Not My Place (In The 9 to 5 World) - The Ramones
...which was a funny coincidence because I had *just* been thinking about how I'm one of those people that aren't built for the 9 to 5 workplace. One could argue that teaching with all the holidays one gets and the fact that the kids leave at 3.30pm that it really isn't a 9 to 5 work place but if you are suggesting that it's somehow easier than working a regular office work shift then I'd invite you to come say that to my face. We'd have... "words". It's worse. Way worse.
Anyway, I like it when the ipod randomly acts like a personal psychic and quite frankly I find it often does. In fact music often gives me exactly what I need when I need it, unfortunately more so than people ever have (or will?).
I was thinking though, that it really isn't my place to be in the rat race. I'm not motivated by working up the rungs of the ladder. I'm not excited by extra challenges in the work I do. I don't really want any extra money. I don't want to work long hours. I don't even want to work 5 days a week! When us teachers went on the recent strike part of our strike conditions were to work a 38 hour week. We didn't write reports. We didn't have extra parent meetings. We didn't have extra staff meetings. Of course we STILL put in more than the 38 hour work week that we are supposedly paid a pittance for but we certainly did less. When the discussions came up to go 'get back to normal' and get the shitty pay rise my hackles went up. I would much rather work less. I was happier not writing reports. I was happier not having to "volunteer" to come in on my weekend to do unpaid extra. I was more than happy to pack my bag at a reasonable hour and just leave. I was happier just teaching and enjoying my grade than doing all the extra bullshit that goes along with teaching.
A single girl such as I has got to pay the bills.
It's not my place in the 9 to 5 world.
It's just not.
So what do I do?
Labels: 70s, music, musical monday, punk, ramones, rant, stressed teachers, teaching, work
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Undertow
I have a question. Now I understand questions on the Internet rarely get answered seriously, particularly those on a journal that is only semi-functional at best, but I'll give it a go anyway. What have I got to lose? If you happen to read this over the next couple of years just humour me, okay?
There are a lot of changes happening in the Education industry that unfortunately reflect the times we now live in. Schools are regarded as businesses, students as clients and teachers as the sweat shop workers. This means that when changes occur it usually goes that like this:
There are a lot of changes happening in the Education industry that unfortunately reflect the times we now live in. Schools are regarded as businesses, students as clients and teachers as the sweat shop workers. This means that when changes occur it usually goes that like this:
You know that awesome program you were running?
Uh...yeah.
Well, we're going to cut all funding towards it.
But what about the kids?
Oh, the kids will still get the program. This is what's going to happen - you're still going to run the program.
But how?
You'll find a way.
This, oh e-friends, is what I am dealing with. My particular program (something I get extra time out of the classroom to do) is not being funded anymore. Of course, the program still *must* exist because it's curriculum, not "extra curricula". Why not fun curriculum? Who the fuck knows?
My first reaction was one of 'hands off'. I thought, oh well - less work for me. If I don't get the time then the job won't get done and that's not my problem. I only need to look out for me, not for any body else. Then I spoke to another teacher in the same position and she said that she was going to continue to do her role, in fact she saw it as a challenge to legitimize herself, particularly with upper management changing soon. She didn't want to leave any room for someone to be able to undermine her work by saying that she wasn't doing 'the job'. Since then I've received many pieces of advice which fall into two camps.
1. Fuck 'em. Look after yourself. You can only do what they pay you to do and if they don't pay you then you can't do it.
2. Prove to them that the program is invaluable. Work your guts out. Make it great - even if that means giving up weekends.
I'm not sure what is right and I'm not sure of what is right for me?
If your manager said that they were going to cut funding to part of your job but there was an underlying assumption that you should still continue to do that particular role and *squeeze* it into your life (even if that meant working longer hours) what would you say and do? Is this a reasonable request?
Labels: school, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, teaching, work
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Being lead.
I'm determined this year that I'm not going to let the stress of teaching affect all my moods all the time. Sounds piss easy, I hear you say but actually people like me find this quite difficult.
I have two moods: On holiday mood = happy and relaxed. Working mood = grumpy bitch from hell.
MVOR says that I give way too much of myself especially when it's apparent that the situation calls for me to just back away and let it go. So basically, if you hate and reject me I'm going to go right ahead and prove to you why you should love me even though there is no winning with you. There fore all my hard work goes unnoticed and I get further disgruntled which then self-affirms my feelings of being rejected and abandoned by everybody and I'm left there like a cartoon image of myself yelling "hey, what about me? WHAT about ME? I'm useful! Heyyy, ..anybody?". I'm ace, no really, so ace.
Work is a constant source of me not feeling good enough - this is despite the fact that (...and coming from a person with zero self esteem), I'm a really good teacher and operator. I just need to stop caring so much about what I can and can't achieve with other adults and just let the rest go. But I can't...
New manager is not a doer. As in... coasts along and waits for someone else to do it. Who am I? I'm a worrier and a pleaser. What do I do if I see a gaping hole? Why, I fill it of course. You can see where this is heading can't you? On the one hand I am so glad that I came to the decision to give up this leadership role because I *am* less stressed out - on the other I'm constantly in battle with myself to not to keep doing her job for her.
I find things difficult because:
* we haven't had one team meeting since the year started despite things that are in disarray.
* The team still comes to me with their work related issues and then get all defensive when I refer them to the new leader (ie: defensive because ...hey you shouldn't put all the pressure on the new leader!)
* New leader doesn't know the ropes... or anything resembling a rope and yet refuses to come to me for help despite me saying my door is open (like a million times) - now I'm getting other people coming to me saying that new team leader (NTL) is asking all these dodgy questions ..and shouldn't she be asking me instead?
* I'm still actually doing a chunk of her work because I can see that things need to be organised and yet they are NOT!
* NTL actively is using an effigy of me to stick needles into each night.
As a consequence of all this, despite goal not to let work affect my moods and health I look like a crazy lady who has been living in the forest for 2 years and forgotten what it's like to be human.
Does work give you woe? And if not, how did you achieve that kind of bliss?
I have two moods: On holiday mood = happy and relaxed. Working mood = grumpy bitch from hell.
MVOR says that I give way too much of myself especially when it's apparent that the situation calls for me to just back away and let it go. So basically, if you hate and reject me I'm going to go right ahead and prove to you why you should love me even though there is no winning with you. There fore all my hard work goes unnoticed and I get further disgruntled which then self-affirms my feelings of being rejected and abandoned by everybody and I'm left there like a cartoon image of myself yelling "hey, what about me? WHAT about ME? I'm useful! Heyyy, ..anybody?". I'm ace, no really, so ace.
Work is a constant source of me not feeling good enough - this is despite the fact that (...and coming from a person with zero self esteem), I'm a really good teacher and operator. I just need to stop caring so much about what I can and can't achieve with other adults and just let the rest go. But I can't...
New manager is not a doer. As in... coasts along and waits for someone else to do it. Who am I? I'm a worrier and a pleaser. What do I do if I see a gaping hole? Why, I fill it of course. You can see where this is heading can't you? On the one hand I am so glad that I came to the decision to give up this leadership role because I *am* less stressed out - on the other I'm constantly in battle with myself to not to keep doing her job for her.
I find things difficult because:
* we haven't had one team meeting since the year started despite things that are in disarray.
* The team still comes to me with their work related issues and then get all defensive when I refer them to the new leader (ie: defensive because ...hey you shouldn't put all the pressure on the new leader!)
* New leader doesn't know the ropes... or anything resembling a rope and yet refuses to come to me for help despite me saying my door is open (like a million times) - now I'm getting other people coming to me saying that new team leader (NTL) is asking all these dodgy questions ..and shouldn't she be asking me instead?
* I'm still actually doing a chunk of her work because I can see that things need to be organised and yet they are NOT!
* NTL actively is using an effigy of me to stick needles into each night.
As a consequence of all this, despite goal not to let work affect my moods and health I look like a crazy lady who has been living in the forest for 2 years and forgotten what it's like to be human.
Does work give you woe? And if not, how did you achieve that kind of bliss?
Labels: MVOR, new leader, rant, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, work
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
The Ferris Bueller way of Life
This morning, on the first day back at the salt mine I was 45 minutes late.
Yes, 45 minutes. It's very lucky indeed that it wasn't a teaching day, because I would have been, pardon my French: royally fucked (fucked royale?). As it was everyone was giving me that look when I finally wandered in.. you know, the "oops you fucked up BIG time sister" look. I know it well; I was raised on that look. Some even did the slit throat sign. I was expecting the boss to really have a go at me at morning tea break because she had written this email last week explicitly stating (that is bold AND underlined) that it was strictly an 8.15am start for all staff. Well oops.
Dearest reader... I may be reaching my twilight years (team Jasper!) but I still know how to sleep in like a teen who has been going bong hits all night. I haven't seen "morning" for the past 6 weeks. My morning, summer holiday style is 1pm. My bedtime is 5-6am. I'm not sleeping that many hours here. I'm just all topsy turvy like.. I cannot simply go cold turkey back into waking up at a normal adult hour. Hell, I don't want to wake at normal adult hours. Normal adult hours are ridiculous! It was futile from the beginning.
The funny thing is that the Boss, didn't reprimand me. She looked at me and smiled and asked me how I was. There were a few people she DID reprimand (people who were on time but were ALMOST late.. ie 8.14am) - they weren't happy. Go figure. I guess you never know how things will be - sometimes you just get lucky.
I'm a little confused about my life lesson here, but I did get a little taste of what it's like to be Ferris Bueller for a minute and I gotta tell you, it's a pretty sweet existence.
Meanwhile, tonight I set my alarm extra loud because girls like me are not this lucky two days in a row.
Yes, 45 minutes. It's very lucky indeed that it wasn't a teaching day, because I would have been, pardon my French: royally fucked (fucked royale?). As it was everyone was giving me that look when I finally wandered in.. you know, the "oops you fucked up BIG time sister" look. I know it well; I was raised on that look. Some even did the slit throat sign. I was expecting the boss to really have a go at me at morning tea break because she had written this email last week explicitly stating (that is bold AND underlined) that it was strictly an 8.15am start for all staff. Well oops.
Dearest reader... I may be reaching my twilight years (team Jasper!) but I still know how to sleep in like a teen who has been going bong hits all night. I haven't seen "morning" for the past 6 weeks. My morning, summer holiday style is 1pm. My bedtime is 5-6am. I'm not sleeping that many hours here. I'm just all topsy turvy like.. I cannot simply go cold turkey back into waking up at a normal adult hour. Hell, I don't want to wake at normal adult hours. Normal adult hours are ridiculous! It was futile from the beginning.
The funny thing is that the Boss, didn't reprimand me. She looked at me and smiled and asked me how I was. There were a few people she DID reprimand (people who were on time but were ALMOST late.. ie 8.14am) - they weren't happy. Go figure. I guess you never know how things will be - sometimes you just get lucky.
I'm a little confused about my life lesson here, but I did get a little taste of what it's like to be Ferris Bueller for a minute and I gotta tell you, it's a pretty sweet existence.
Meanwhile, tonight I set my alarm extra loud because girls like me are not this lucky two days in a row.
Labels: endless summer lift the curse, ferris bueller method of living, life, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, teaching, work
Sunday, December 12, 2010
I'll be the fire in your flaming star
I'm having a difficult time trying to grasp my current work situation. I'm working with a new "manager" who pretty much does nothing but talks a good game in order to cover up. As a consequence she always comes up smelling like roses despite her shortcomings..
The new manager has come in following a decision I made not to renew my managerial role with my team. Why did I do that? I was getting sick of doing a lot of work that was way above the position I was being paid for. I was also tired of working with and basically trying to hold together a team that upper management knew didn't work well together. When I saw that upper management left the team as is, I knew I had to get out or go crazy! Upper management made a very bad decision as to who they brought in to replace me (against my advise actually). They needed someone dynamic, hard working, someone who has good ideas and is enthusiastic. We got the opposite - but she is the Prin's "golden girl".
My natural instinct when faced with incompetent people is to come in and mop up the mess. I'm a pleaser, you see. This time, with advise I've decided not to be the pleaser. I've decided to take a step back and be the selfish observer. If she comes to me for advise then I will gladly help her though. I want the team to run smoothly but I also don't want to be doing someone elses job.
Before our planning meeting I emailed new manager a list of what needs to be done, and she did not address any of the things on the list. In fact she spent the day (6 hours) filling in a student evaluation card. I'd imagine that if you were a manager you would want to get everything on track quickly - I'd also imagine that if you had 21 years in the industry and at least 10 of those years in senior management you would know how to chair a meeting. I get the feeling she is playing "funny buggers" and trying to trick everyone into doing the work for her.
I don't think I know how to handle this situation further.
Have you ever dealt with someone like this? What can I do? Heeeeeelp!
Meanwhile onto Musical Monday - Today: At First Sight - The Stems.
How I love this song! oh, it's glorious twangy guitar and smileworthy lyrics. So melodic! So beautiful. This song, like so many others has come right along and nestled right into my heart. I have to make a confession dear reader (how many are there left? Two? Three?) Every other day I thank my lucky stars (and I don't have that many believe me) that I can hear and listen and imagine and that is not a word of a lie. Scouts honour and all that. I just don't know what I'd do if I couldn't hear these little tunes that have somehow become the best kind of family a girl could have.
The new manager has come in following a decision I made not to renew my managerial role with my team. Why did I do that? I was getting sick of doing a lot of work that was way above the position I was being paid for. I was also tired of working with and basically trying to hold together a team that upper management knew didn't work well together. When I saw that upper management left the team as is, I knew I had to get out or go crazy! Upper management made a very bad decision as to who they brought in to replace me (against my advise actually). They needed someone dynamic, hard working, someone who has good ideas and is enthusiastic. We got the opposite - but she is the Prin's "golden girl".
My natural instinct when faced with incompetent people is to come in and mop up the mess. I'm a pleaser, you see. This time, with advise I've decided not to be the pleaser. I've decided to take a step back and be the selfish observer. If she comes to me for advise then I will gladly help her though. I want the team to run smoothly but I also don't want to be doing someone elses job.
Before our planning meeting I emailed new manager a list of what needs to be done, and she did not address any of the things on the list. In fact she spent the day (6 hours) filling in a student evaluation card. I'd imagine that if you were a manager you would want to get everything on track quickly - I'd also imagine that if you had 21 years in the industry and at least 10 of those years in senior management you would know how to chair a meeting. I get the feeling she is playing "funny buggers" and trying to trick everyone into doing the work for her.
I don't think I know how to handle this situation further.
Have you ever dealt with someone like this? What can I do? Heeeeeelp!
Meanwhile onto Musical Monday - Today: At First Sight - The Stems.
How I love this song! oh, it's glorious twangy guitar and smileworthy lyrics. So melodic! So beautiful. This song, like so many others has come right along and nestled right into my heart. I have to make a confession dear reader (how many are there left? Two? Three?) Every other day I thank my lucky stars (and I don't have that many believe me) that I can hear and listen and imagine and that is not a word of a lie. Scouts honour and all that. I just don't know what I'd do if I couldn't hear these little tunes that have somehow become the best kind of family a girl could have.
Labels: musical monday, rant, stressed teachers, stupid people, work
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Death Cloud
1) I started typing out my Musical Monday post last night
2) then I fell asleep in front of the computer half way through
3) then I had a DREAM that I finished the blog
4) then I woke up and turned off the computer satisfied in my great blogging feats.
5) NOW I've just logged in to find that clearly I have lost my mind. There was no blog. There was no Musical Monday.
Perhaps my life is being directed by David Lynch? I dunno.
I'm in a bit of a muddle at the moment. There are lots of muddles about... puddles of muddles in fact but this one is tiny, petty and probably blog friendly...
I made arrangements to go see an author speak about his work this week. A couple of us from school decided we would go, because clearly you're not a real teacher unless you do dorky things like go see authors speak.. Anyway the two people I planned to go with are people I'm friendly with. One other person has now been invited.
We hate each other.
I hate him. He hates me. It's mutual. I don't want to go into it but in the end I made a formal complaint about him to management. When it comes to me, he is not good people. I want to go to this event but I am far too exhausted to draw battle lines and build moats/stone walls in order to protect myself.
Mutual friend would not be happy if I didn't go, but I don't want to spend my personal time with this other guy. Hell, if he's in the staff room I make sure I am not! THAT'S how far I go to avoid him..
Is it immature of me to pike out on the night?
What would you do?
As for Musical Monday. I am LOVING this song:
Death Cloud - Cloud Control
Musical Monday
2) then I fell asleep in front of the computer half way through
3) then I had a DREAM that I finished the blog
4) then I woke up and turned off the computer satisfied in my great blogging feats.
5) NOW I've just logged in to find that clearly I have lost my mind. There was no blog. There was no Musical Monday.
Perhaps my life is being directed by David Lynch? I dunno.
I'm in a bit of a muddle at the moment. There are lots of muddles about... puddles of muddles in fact but this one is tiny, petty and probably blog friendly...
I made arrangements to go see an author speak about his work this week. A couple of us from school decided we would go, because clearly you're not a real teacher unless you do dorky things like go see authors speak.. Anyway the two people I planned to go with are people I'm friendly with. One other person has now been invited.
We hate each other.
I hate him. He hates me. It's mutual. I don't want to go into it but in the end I made a formal complaint about him to management. When it comes to me, he is not good people. I want to go to this event but I am far too exhausted to draw battle lines and build moats/stone walls in order to protect myself.
Mutual friend would not be happy if I didn't go, but I don't want to spend my personal time with this other guy. Hell, if he's in the staff room I make sure I am not! THAT'S how far I go to avoid him..
Is it immature of me to pike out on the night?
What would you do?
As for Musical Monday. I am LOVING this song:
Death Cloud - Cloud Control
Musical Monday
Labels: chicken, enemies, friends, musical monday, stressed teachers
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Breakthrough!
It's been three weekends now that I've been at home writing my reports. Three excruciatingly long weeks, that is. I feel like I've been through hell and back with these things. Honestly, how much blood can one get from a stone?
Well I'm more than proud to say folks that after THREE WEEKENDS of doing nothing much but starting into a computer screen and countless weeknights of eating cereal for dinner because cooking means wasting precious "report writing time" I've finally done it.
I've finished ONE report!
ONE!
They're only a week late but 21 to go!
Let the floodgates open...
Clearly I am completely and utterly fucked. I've even broken out some Frank Stallone in order to conjure up the "Frank Effect" to get me moving.
But there are only so many times one can play this:
and this:
before your brain totally implodes.
Give me some truly motivational songs. I need all the help I can get.
Seriously.
Well I'm more than proud to say folks that after THREE WEEKENDS of doing nothing much but starting into a computer screen and countless weeknights of eating cereal for dinner because cooking means wasting precious "report writing time" I've finally done it.
I've finished ONE report!
ONE!
They're only a week late but 21 to go!
Let the floodgates open...
Clearly I am completely and utterly fucked. I've even broken out some Frank Stallone in order to conjure up the "Frank Effect" to get me moving.
'The Frank Effect': the feeling of elation and considerable physical boost one gets when listening to 'Far From Over' by Frank Stallone
But there are only so many times one can play this:
and this:
before your brain totally implodes.
Give me some truly motivational songs. I need all the help I can get.
Seriously.
Labels: frank effect, report writing, stressed teachers, wax on fuck off
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Id, Ego, Superego.
For the past three years at the school I've enjoyed a very nice relationship with the parent community. My name has been bandied around the local kindergartens as a 'great teacher' and people come to the school knowing who I am and/or wanting their child to be in my class. This is very flattering for someone who has the self esteem about the size of a kangaroo fetus and for the most part of her life has felt like the girl in your class who wears braces and eats clag.
Next year at the school my role is changing somewhat. I'm going to be teaching a level of children that is a "hard sell" to parents - mostly because it will be a standalone class - but for other reasons too... I'm finding now, for the first time, in a long time I'm not a popular choice. Parents who I don't doubt would have followed me up the school with their children, are saying a polite "no" to this class and then coming to see me to apologise because, they assure me, they love me but ...no, this class no. I know that if I was faced with putting Guappo my fake adopted Somalian baby into this class I'd struggle too, so I really can't blame them.
This is the first time in my life however that I've actually had to battle against my Ego. I never thought I had one, you see - and it's a bit of a shock to find out that yes, yes I do.
In a way it's good for me to have my Ego checked by this little life test. It's good to be humbled sometimes and to have the shoe on the other foot.
But I want to make this perfectly clear: I hate it.
Next year at the school my role is changing somewhat. I'm going to be teaching a level of children that is a "hard sell" to parents - mostly because it will be a standalone class - but for other reasons too... I'm finding now, for the first time, in a long time I'm not a popular choice. Parents who I don't doubt would have followed me up the school with their children, are saying a polite "no" to this class and then coming to see me to apologise because, they assure me, they love me but ...no, this class no. I know that if I was faced with putting Guappo my fake adopted Somalian baby into this class I'd struggle too, so I really can't blame them.
This is the first time in my life however that I've actually had to battle against my Ego. I never thought I had one, you see - and it's a bit of a shock to find out that yes, yes I do.
In a way it's good for me to have my Ego checked by this little life test. It's good to be humbled sometimes and to have the shoe on the other foot.
But I want to make this perfectly clear: I hate it.
Labels: ego, musings, obsessive parents, stressed teachers, teacher dramas, teaching
Sunday, August 30, 2009
chasing idealism
So... I'm thinking of not teaching any more.
I went into this job with high ideals that I haven't lost. Some of those ideals I understand are unreasonable. For instance, I understand that education is not exempt from the world of economics, even though I truly believe that money turns all good intentions bad. But that's not what I'm talking about. There are other ideals which are being compromised and I don't know that I can, philosophically speaking, continue down this path.
I honestly think
- We are making a big mistake from following ANY educational incentives that have originated in the US. ESPECIALLY those that have shown to be a waste of time and energy such as 'teach for America' - which coincidentally we are invoking here soon. Australia already has higher levels of literacy and numeracy than the US. They should be looking to us for the answers (not the other way round), WE should be looking to Finland who has shown to have one of the best educational systems in the world. Why aren't we? Well I think the general consensus is that teachers are treated like professionals and there is an emphasis on family responsibility in education too. Their tax system supports things like health care, child care and education - which feeds into their system of teaching and education in general. If we look to them then that assumes we are willing to change the way we live and function - that we feel that education is important. It's just easier to look at cost cutting measures that come out of the US and don't do a damn of good instead but look flashy to voters and parents who actually have no idea what really goes on inside a classroom.
- I really think that every single "new program" that I've seen introduced over the last 8 years has actually been detrimental to student learning.
- Private education does not need any more money pumped into it. End. Of. Story.
- I do more assessment on my 5 years olds now than I had done on me when I was IN YEAR 12. This is NOT an exaggeration. It's not needed. I don't understand on what planet that MORE assessment actually improves learning, especially when it comes at the expense of actually being able to teach the curriculum.
- new incentives come in. Teachers are asked to make time for them by "working smarter" which I think we can all agree is just a euphemism for 'we have no answers as to how you're going to do this, and we don't want to know how you're going to do it. Just get it done'.
- Parents are INSANE and I've seen less and less opposition to the crazy demands as the years go on. I can only imagine what will happen in 5 years.
- League tables to rank schools is the worst idea I've ever heard. Data proves nothing - and yet with this new development that's all we're going to be producing, schools will be run and exist only on data.
- Performance pay for teachers is BULLSHIT. We're not talking thousands and thousands of dollars for the extra work you do. We're talking - taking on major leading positions for an extra ONE thousand dollars. It's a load of shit. Pay teachers are real salary instead! God knows you ask enough of us - you want my liver?
And so I'm left in the unenviable position of knowing I'm a good teacher but knowing that being a good teacher has little to do with teaching. Either I leave or I try to change things. I don't know what to do.
Have you ever had your ideals completely challenged? What did you do?
I went into this job with high ideals that I haven't lost. Some of those ideals I understand are unreasonable. For instance, I understand that education is not exempt from the world of economics, even though I truly believe that money turns all good intentions bad. But that's not what I'm talking about. There are other ideals which are being compromised and I don't know that I can, philosophically speaking, continue down this path.
I honestly think
- We are making a big mistake from following ANY educational incentives that have originated in the US. ESPECIALLY those that have shown to be a waste of time and energy such as 'teach for America' - which coincidentally we are invoking here soon. Australia already has higher levels of literacy and numeracy than the US. They should be looking to us for the answers (not the other way round), WE should be looking to Finland who has shown to have one of the best educational systems in the world. Why aren't we? Well I think the general consensus is that teachers are treated like professionals and there is an emphasis on family responsibility in education too. Their tax system supports things like health care, child care and education - which feeds into their system of teaching and education in general. If we look to them then that assumes we are willing to change the way we live and function - that we feel that education is important. It's just easier to look at cost cutting measures that come out of the US and don't do a damn of good instead but look flashy to voters and parents who actually have no idea what really goes on inside a classroom.
- I really think that every single "new program" that I've seen introduced over the last 8 years has actually been detrimental to student learning.
- Private education does not need any more money pumped into it. End. Of. Story.
- I do more assessment on my 5 years olds now than I had done on me when I was IN YEAR 12. This is NOT an exaggeration. It's not needed. I don't understand on what planet that MORE assessment actually improves learning, especially when it comes at the expense of actually being able to teach the curriculum.
- new incentives come in. Teachers are asked to make time for them by "working smarter" which I think we can all agree is just a euphemism for 'we have no answers as to how you're going to do this, and we don't want to know how you're going to do it. Just get it done'.
- Parents are INSANE and I've seen less and less opposition to the crazy demands as the years go on. I can only imagine what will happen in 5 years.
- League tables to rank schools is the worst idea I've ever heard. Data proves nothing - and yet with this new development that's all we're going to be producing, schools will be run and exist only on data.
- Performance pay for teachers is BULLSHIT. We're not talking thousands and thousands of dollars for the extra work you do. We're talking - taking on major leading positions for an extra ONE thousand dollars. It's a load of shit. Pay teachers are real salary instead! God knows you ask enough of us - you want my liver?
And so I'm left in the unenviable position of knowing I'm a good teacher but knowing that being a good teacher has little to do with teaching. Either I leave or I try to change things. I don't know what to do.
Have you ever had your ideals completely challenged? What did you do?
Labels: questions, school, stressed teachers, teaching, wonderings
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Soap box: Rant #1 of 2009
I feel like teaching is making me bitter and twisted.
I'm finding myself judging people namely stay at home parents (mums - let's face it) who don't actually do anything with their children in an educational sense before they come to school. I realise running a household is a full time job, but shouldn't part of the criteria of that particular full time job be going through the alphabet with their child once or twice? I'm disgusted by parents who have had 6-10 years at home apparently raising a family and their child comes to school not even knowing what the first letter of their name is. Maybe I'm just too uppity but all I want to do is call human services and scream neglect!
The reason for this is that I completely idealise the role of the stay at home parent in rearing a child in the early years before schooling. I think it is, bar none, the most important job in the world. It pisses me off to see children who come to school unable to form sentences, speak in monosyllables, don't recognise the alphabet and who have never picked up a pencil to do anything more than pick their nose with it. Talk about lazy parenting! It drives me crazy to hear 'well that's your job' (to teach the alphabet). It's such a passive way to parent. Even dogs get more training via the family than kids these days. This year over half my class know less than 6 letters of the alphabet coming into school. I work in a middle class area of town and I think it is quite frankly unacceptable for families that can afford to have a parent at home not to have invested time in that child in a mildly educational way in the 5 years before they come to school.
For fucks sake people, is it any wonder I'm bitter and twisted?
I'm finding myself judging people namely stay at home parents (mums - let's face it) who don't actually do anything with their children in an educational sense before they come to school. I realise running a household is a full time job, but shouldn't part of the criteria of that particular full time job be going through the alphabet with their child once or twice? I'm disgusted by parents who have had 6-10 years at home apparently raising a family and their child comes to school not even knowing what the first letter of their name is. Maybe I'm just too uppity but all I want to do is call human services and scream neglect!
The reason for this is that I completely idealise the role of the stay at home parent in rearing a child in the early years before schooling. I think it is, bar none, the most important job in the world. It pisses me off to see children who come to school unable to form sentences, speak in monosyllables, don't recognise the alphabet and who have never picked up a pencil to do anything more than pick their nose with it. Talk about lazy parenting! It drives me crazy to hear 'well that's your job' (to teach the alphabet). It's such a passive way to parent. Even dogs get more training via the family than kids these days. This year over half my class know less than 6 letters of the alphabet coming into school. I work in a middle class area of town and I think it is quite frankly unacceptable for families that can afford to have a parent at home not to have invested time in that child in a mildly educational way in the 5 years before they come to school.
For fucks sake people, is it any wonder I'm bitter and twisted?
Labels: kids, school, soap box., stressed teachers
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Party in an Envelope
Dear Lady in the Next Cubicle,
You: Humming the tune to jaws.
Me: Listening to you, aghast that you are 1) humming in a public restroom 2) actually a GIRL, humming in a public restroom.
Love,
Surprised.
Dear World,
Everything at the moment points to me feeling sad, but it's just so much easier to just take it out on everyone else and be angry.
Forgive me, but you give the fucking shits.
Love,
Angry Girl.
Dear Parent of a child that will be in my grade next year,
When I say that your son was being silly and calling out (read: being a complete disruption to everyone, having no respect for authority and sometimes being dangerous) during our little orientation program I meant it in all seriousness. You looked surprised, don't worry, I'm used to that look from people like you - it's the "oh but they never act that way around me" look. Bullshit! I heard on the grapevine that you were in the yard complaining about me saying this to you and then laughing about it.
If you think you can try this shit out on me you've got another thing coming. You have met your match lady. This is my little promise to you: Every time your son fucks up I will be seeking YOU out to deal with it at home. If you don't deal with it then we're going to be having many, many after school meetings, behavioural plans, meetings with the principal etc. It's not going to be pretty. I have all night and I'm willing to spend it, with you, talking about the things you need to get sorted, because yes - it's your responsibility to meet me half way on this, not absolve responsibility just because they're at "school".
You think it's funny that your son is undisciplined? I don't. I think it's a reflection of your parenting. I'm not laughing.
Love,
Not Amused.
Dear Egan,
You want 3-5 things that women do/are, which keep them single? I'll take three from me and two from someone else.
According to Sam de Brito (renowned for writing and ill written, second rate Australian men's column usually agreed with by neanderthals with shit for brains, in The Age and SMH - but apparently these two traits are seen an universally true???)
1. not being young enough
2. not being hot enough.
And mine...
3. Being obsessive about spending time together and not letting their man have any time to himself. God goddsake just give the poor bloke a night or two off to watch porn or footy or to complain about you to all of his friends. He's earned it! Falling into this category is the old calling 5 times a day, just to see how he's going.
4. Making plans that are too far ahead, too soon. The second date is not a good time to plan a wedding - not in any culture. Scrap booking your future wedding/house/family is also not a good idea.
5. Only having one interest in life: him.
Love,
M.
Dear Random Reader,
You found my journal by searching "do men ever fake it?".
Do men ever fake it? pft. You know when you're talking about how your sister's best friend's hairdresser saw some D-grade movie actor at some incredible night spot and your boyfriend is all like "uh huh?" "sounds interesting" "mmmmm, wow" "yeppppppp"?
...he's totally faking it.
Love,
Boys just have a different way of doing it.
Dear Reports,
So I hear you're not going to write yourselves. Good one, but this means I'm still at square one.
Love,
Frustrated.
Dear Head Honchos at the Australian Football League,
You are shit.
Seriously, you are shit.
Ben Cousins is a drug fucked dickhead who is taking the piss out of everyone. He's had his chance and fucked up - BIG TIME and you are still going to let him play? I don't get it. The football world is not a good place for someone who can't handle the pressure. Any other athlete would be out on their arse by now and so should he.
Cut him loose - he needs to go find a real job and give a rookie a chance to get drafted instead.
Love,
Amazed.
Dear Tracie and Rich,
I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove pot psychology!
Do Guys Ever Taste Their Own Semen? from Pot Psychology on Vimeo.
You guys are so funny,
Love,
M.
PS: Hey boys, come (cum) clean (haha), have you ever eaten your own spunk? A lot? Regularly? Never but will do so now? Never and never want to? Cum on, answer!
You: Humming the tune to jaws.
Me: Listening to you, aghast that you are 1) humming in a public restroom 2) actually a GIRL, humming in a public restroom.
Love,
Surprised.
Dear World,
Everything at the moment points to me feeling sad, but it's just so much easier to just take it out on everyone else and be angry.
Forgive me, but you give the fucking shits.
Love,
Angry Girl.
Dear Parent of a child that will be in my grade next year,
When I say that your son was being silly and calling out (read: being a complete disruption to everyone, having no respect for authority and sometimes being dangerous) during our little orientation program I meant it in all seriousness. You looked surprised, don't worry, I'm used to that look from people like you - it's the "oh but they never act that way around me" look. Bullshit! I heard on the grapevine that you were in the yard complaining about me saying this to you and then laughing about it.
If you think you can try this shit out on me you've got another thing coming. You have met your match lady. This is my little promise to you: Every time your son fucks up I will be seeking YOU out to deal with it at home. If you don't deal with it then we're going to be having many, many after school meetings, behavioural plans, meetings with the principal etc. It's not going to be pretty. I have all night and I'm willing to spend it, with you, talking about the things you need to get sorted, because yes - it's your responsibility to meet me half way on this, not absolve responsibility just because they're at "school".
You think it's funny that your son is undisciplined? I don't. I think it's a reflection of your parenting. I'm not laughing.
Love,
Not Amused.
Dear Egan,
You want 3-5 things that women do/are, which keep them single? I'll take three from me and two from someone else.
According to Sam de Brito (renowned for writing and ill written, second rate Australian men's column usually agreed with by neanderthals with shit for brains, in The Age and SMH - but apparently these two traits are seen an universally true???)
1. not being young enough
2. not being hot enough.
And mine...
3. Being obsessive about spending time together and not letting their man have any time to himself. God goddsake just give the poor bloke a night or two off to watch porn or footy or to complain about you to all of his friends. He's earned it! Falling into this category is the old calling 5 times a day, just to see how he's going.
4. Making plans that are too far ahead, too soon. The second date is not a good time to plan a wedding - not in any culture. Scrap booking your future wedding/house/family is also not a good idea.
5. Only having one interest in life: him.
Love,
M.
Dear Random Reader,
You found my journal by searching "do men ever fake it?".
Do men ever fake it? pft. You know when you're talking about how your sister's best friend's hairdresser saw some D-grade movie actor at some incredible night spot and your boyfriend is all like "uh huh?" "sounds interesting" "mmmmm, wow" "yeppppppp"?
...he's totally faking it.
Love,
Boys just have a different way of doing it.
Dear Reports,
So I hear you're not going to write yourselves. Good one, but this means I'm still at square one.
Love,
Frustrated.
Dear Head Honchos at the Australian Football League,
You are shit.
Seriously, you are shit.
Ben Cousins is a drug fucked dickhead who is taking the piss out of everyone. He's had his chance and fucked up - BIG TIME and you are still going to let him play? I don't get it. The football world is not a good place for someone who can't handle the pressure. Any other athlete would be out on their arse by now and so should he.
Cut him loose - he needs to go find a real job and give a rookie a chance to get drafted instead.
Love,
Amazed.
Dear Tracie and Rich,
I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove pot psychology!
Do Guys Ever Taste Their Own Semen? from Pot Psychology on Vimeo.
You guys are so funny,
Love,
M.
PS: Hey boys, come (cum) clean (haha), have you ever eaten your own spunk? A lot? Regularly? Never but will do so now? Never and never want to? Cum on, answer!
Labels: letters, rant, relationships, stressed teachers, weird things, what men want, what women want
Sunday, November 16, 2008
We Don't Get It.
I'm constantly amazed by the amount of people in "high places" that just DO. NOT. GET. IT.
A great example is the Education Department in Vic. Latest on the ever-increasing pile of crap that will eventually lead all teachers running from the profession is the banning of sugar from Victorian Schools. Now I don't actually have a problem with banning sugar from Victorian Schools. Whatever, good idea - I don't care. Hey I found a quote from Bronwyn Pike herself: "it is vital that we reinforce the healthy living message". Onya Bronny - true dat.
Oh but wait a sec, what's this? "Students will still be allowed to bring sweet treats to school in their lunchboxes". Ummm...what? So apparently this is yet another, let's put all the pressure on the schools to parade the old moral code and take all the pressure off the parents, trick. Great. Let's change things but not actually taking on the most important people in this equation (the parents, duh).
I don't understand why they bother regulating schools with spot checks for healthy food when apparently it doesn't matter what they bring from home in their lunch boxes anyway? I don't know how many times I've said it but the primary influence on young children is not school but their PARENTS. Is this such a difficult thing to understand? Why not do these so called "government spot checks" on student lunch boxes instead of on schools? I don't disagree with having a healthy eating policy in schools - just the opposite actually, but putting all the pressure on schools to enforce eating habits in children is completely missing the mark on promoting healthy eating. Bottom line, if parents can't do it their child isn't going to either. Target the parents. Target the fast food chains. Target advertising on the tele. Oh wait, this results in revenue lost? Ahhh..now we get to the bigger issue; Corruption. I'm sick of schools being a scape goat for problems that could easily be solved if the government/media/parents/workplaces were willing to lose some revenue doing it.
The other example of people in "high places" just NOT. GETTING. IT. comes again in the form of the government. Namely the Federal government and their new stance on internet filters.
Basically the proposal is that Australia will become the new China when it comes to internet filters. As in: all the good sites are banned. Why? Oh, a mixture of things including the internet being unsafe for children (porn, chat etc).
Here's an idea: How about parents control what their children can and can't do on the internet? I know, sounds like a radical idea - but it goes like this: When you have a child you commit to raising them. Raising them includes keeping them out of harms way. Keeping them out of harms way means that parents will actually have to be involved in their child's lives. And that means, less time on the xbox or with the mothers club and more time teaching your child about how to surf safely, be wary and be responsible. If that fails, ever heard of a Net Nanny? It was only invented about a million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, geniuses. Why punish those of us who are barren of children by reducing the best bits of the internet just so parents can keep NOT raising their children? Why on earth people have children when they just don't want to raise them properly is beyond me.
But I don't blame the parents entirely. I'm aware that we live in a society that promotes long working hours and discriminates against stay at home mothers (or fathers) from job sharing or getting back into the work place after a while. Maternity leave is a joke and paternity leave is virtually non-existent! A lot of parents can't afford to take the time to raise their children these days not only because it's too hard to make ends meet - but because we (the people who live in this society) are fucking GREEDY. People want it all. Having it all involves having children AND living the life you had before you had kids and that is actually impossible unless you give up one little thing: Actually raising them.
It's a messy old web we weave. No wonder we just don't get it.
A great example is the Education Department in Vic. Latest on the ever-increasing pile of crap that will eventually lead all teachers running from the profession is the banning of sugar from Victorian Schools. Now I don't actually have a problem with banning sugar from Victorian Schools. Whatever, good idea - I don't care. Hey I found a quote from Bronwyn Pike herself: "it is vital that we reinforce the healthy living message". Onya Bronny - true dat.
Oh but wait a sec, what's this? "Students will still be allowed to bring sweet treats to school in their lunchboxes". Ummm...what? So apparently this is yet another, let's put all the pressure on the schools to parade the old moral code and take all the pressure off the parents, trick. Great. Let's change things but not actually taking on the most important people in this equation (the parents, duh).
I don't understand why they bother regulating schools with spot checks for healthy food when apparently it doesn't matter what they bring from home in their lunch boxes anyway? I don't know how many times I've said it but the primary influence on young children is not school but their PARENTS. Is this such a difficult thing to understand? Why not do these so called "government spot checks" on student lunch boxes instead of on schools? I don't disagree with having a healthy eating policy in schools - just the opposite actually, but putting all the pressure on schools to enforce eating habits in children is completely missing the mark on promoting healthy eating. Bottom line, if parents can't do it their child isn't going to either. Target the parents. Target the fast food chains. Target advertising on the tele. Oh wait, this results in revenue lost? Ahhh..now we get to the bigger issue; Corruption. I'm sick of schools being a scape goat for problems that could easily be solved if the government/media/parents/workplaces were willing to lose some revenue doing it.
The other example of people in "high places" just NOT. GETTING. IT. comes again in the form of the government. Namely the Federal government and their new stance on internet filters.
Basically the proposal is that Australia will become the new China when it comes to internet filters. As in: all the good sites are banned. Why? Oh, a mixture of things including the internet being unsafe for children (porn, chat etc).
Here's an idea: How about parents control what their children can and can't do on the internet? I know, sounds like a radical idea - but it goes like this: When you have a child you commit to raising them. Raising them includes keeping them out of harms way. Keeping them out of harms way means that parents will actually have to be involved in their child's lives. And that means, less time on the xbox or with the mothers club and more time teaching your child about how to surf safely, be wary and be responsible. If that fails, ever heard of a Net Nanny? It was only invented about a million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, geniuses. Why punish those of us who are barren of children by reducing the best bits of the internet just so parents can keep NOT raising their children? Why on earth people have children when they just don't want to raise them properly is beyond me.
But I don't blame the parents entirely. I'm aware that we live in a society that promotes long working hours and discriminates against stay at home mothers (or fathers) from job sharing or getting back into the work place after a while. Maternity leave is a joke and paternity leave is virtually non-existent! A lot of parents can't afford to take the time to raise their children these days not only because it's too hard to make ends meet - but because we (the people who live in this society) are fucking GREEDY. People want it all. Having it all involves having children AND living the life you had before you had kids and that is actually impossible unless you give up one little thing: Actually raising them.
It's a messy old web we weave. No wonder we just don't get it.
Labels: fake mad but not really, kids, obsessive parents, rant, school, stressed teachers
Friday, October 10, 2008
the dot point brigade
* Whenever I come back from holidays I look magnificent. I'm rested. I'm manicured and I'm stress free. Give me three days and I'm back to being an old hag with chipped nails and crazy eyes. What is it about work that just does your head in? I mean why can't we all just have jobs where you get to work, swan around, drink your coffee and then spend the rest of the day on facebook/blogger/email/whatever else peeps do these days and then leave right on the dot and arrive home with your lipstick still on? My lipstick lasts literally 30 minutes.
* I've been getting a few misdirected emails lately. There was the one about pet sitting - it was a couple of emails actually. Can you sit with the pet for the first one and the second email was sort of like "great job but we found the door unlocked, please don't leave the door unlocked". I've also had a couple of specific party invitations to people I don't know, FROM people I don't know. Is this happening to anyone else? At first I thought it was a spam thing but the emails are really quite specific and personal. Are spammers getting cleverer or am I getting dumber?
* Am back on the house hunting bandwagon. Great time to be out on the lookout eh? FINANCIAL CRISIS - MARKET CRASH - RECORD BANKRUPTCY. Ooohh, how 'bout I get out there and look for a house? yeah.
I'm already in the email wars with this estate agent. He's such a smarmy bastard. God, why are they so inhuman? Why can't they just be normal people? We had an argument about the price of an apartment. I thought it was unrealistic and told him straight out. Smarmy bastards hate it when girls have figured out they are idiots and let them know about it. Personally I think more girls should let smarmy bastards know that they think they are idiots, it would make them rethink their smarmyness if all girls kept knocking them down. I feel like I'm providing a service to everyone else out there. I really am. Ego stroking is so fucking 1980. We're already into 90s retro - time to get real! His next clients are going to be treated so nicely, mark my words. Aaaaanyway. So we disagreed on this price. He went to the trouble of conjuring up some auction results list which supposedly proved his point - which actually had no apartments on it, just houses. I mean, who the hell do these people think they are? You can't compare a house and an apartment and say that "therefore these prices are on par". I let him have it. He rang me recently saying that the "owners" had rethought their unrealistically high expectations. I hate saying I told you so - but you smarmy bastard - I told you so.
* I hear the first couple of episodes of Kath and Kim US season has debuted. Has anyone seen these? Kath and Kim (Oz) is a parody on suburban Melbourne life. The ladies who write and act the lead roles are brave performers. They take their normal middle aged bodies and make fun of them all the time. This is something that women on television do not normally do. This is something that women on American TV don't even contemplate. American TV is not about making women ugly. It's about making women who WATCH the shows FEEL ugly within themselves. Hence Kim being a chunky girl who thinks she's a hornbag (which is how it's supposed to be played) is not going to be played that way. Selma Blair is gorgeous and probably suffering an eating disorder (let's face it). In this day and age she IS a hornbag - she can't be walking around complaining that she's fat and being rejected by men all over the place. I mean it just doesn't work. It's not funny. It's not funny when an anorexic looking chick talks about weight. It's just not. It's just a psychologists appointment waiting to happen.
Therefore I have to ask. Why can't they just import the show and play the original on their tele? I mean, is American humour so unique and American culture so like a vacuum that they can't listen to other accents/learn about other cultures? Every other nation in the world just watches other shows from other nations, accents and all. We got no issue with it. Why should they? Why "Americanise" everything? Haven't they worked out that Americanising *anything* is just very, very bad?
* S was telling me about her guardian angels (spirit guides, whatever you call them) the other day. I dunno - do you believe you have a guardian angel of some kind? That is a specific "person" assigned to help you out in your life? If it's true I sort of feel sorry for mine. I mean, how boring for them.
* I checked my stats for the first time in about a million years. One of my referrals was "I'd love to fuck Kerri Anne Kennerly". Folks I feel so proud, you just have no idea. I'm having about a million pop-cultural orgasms at once.
* I think I'm going through a bit of a life transformation. Things are getting a bit weird. I don't know what to say about it, but things are shifting - not really forwards but sideways.
* I've been getting a few misdirected emails lately. There was the one about pet sitting - it was a couple of emails actually. Can you sit with the pet for the first one and the second email was sort of like "great job but we found the door unlocked, please don't leave the door unlocked". I've also had a couple of specific party invitations to people I don't know, FROM people I don't know. Is this happening to anyone else? At first I thought it was a spam thing but the emails are really quite specific and personal. Are spammers getting cleverer or am I getting dumber?
* Am back on the house hunting bandwagon. Great time to be out on the lookout eh? FINANCIAL CRISIS - MARKET CRASH - RECORD BANKRUPTCY. Ooohh, how 'bout I get out there and look for a house? yeah.
I'm already in the email wars with this estate agent. He's such a smarmy bastard. God, why are they so inhuman? Why can't they just be normal people? We had an argument about the price of an apartment. I thought it was unrealistic and told him straight out. Smarmy bastards hate it when girls have figured out they are idiots and let them know about it. Personally I think more girls should let smarmy bastards know that they think they are idiots, it would make them rethink their smarmyness if all girls kept knocking them down. I feel like I'm providing a service to everyone else out there. I really am. Ego stroking is so fucking 1980. We're already into 90s retro - time to get real! His next clients are going to be treated so nicely, mark my words. Aaaaanyway. So we disagreed on this price. He went to the trouble of conjuring up some auction results list which supposedly proved his point - which actually had no apartments on it, just houses. I mean, who the hell do these people think they are? You can't compare a house and an apartment and say that "therefore these prices are on par". I let him have it. He rang me recently saying that the "owners" had rethought their unrealistically high expectations. I hate saying I told you so - but you smarmy bastard - I told you so.
* I hear the first couple of episodes of Kath and Kim US season has debuted. Has anyone seen these? Kath and Kim (Oz) is a parody on suburban Melbourne life. The ladies who write and act the lead roles are brave performers. They take their normal middle aged bodies and make fun of them all the time. This is something that women on television do not normally do. This is something that women on American TV don't even contemplate. American TV is not about making women ugly. It's about making women who WATCH the shows FEEL ugly within themselves. Hence Kim being a chunky girl who thinks she's a hornbag (which is how it's supposed to be played) is not going to be played that way. Selma Blair is gorgeous and probably suffering an eating disorder (let's face it). In this day and age she IS a hornbag - she can't be walking around complaining that she's fat and being rejected by men all over the place. I mean it just doesn't work. It's not funny. It's not funny when an anorexic looking chick talks about weight. It's just not. It's just a psychologists appointment waiting to happen.
Therefore I have to ask. Why can't they just import the show and play the original on their tele? I mean, is American humour so unique and American culture so like a vacuum that they can't listen to other accents/learn about other cultures? Every other nation in the world just watches other shows from other nations, accents and all. We got no issue with it. Why should they? Why "Americanise" everything? Haven't they worked out that Americanising *anything* is just very, very bad?
* S was telling me about her guardian angels (spirit guides, whatever you call them) the other day. I dunno - do you believe you have a guardian angel of some kind? That is a specific "person" assigned to help you out in your life? If it's true I sort of feel sorry for mine. I mean, how boring for them.
* I checked my stats for the first time in about a million years. One of my referrals was "I'd love to fuck Kerri Anne Kennerly". Folks I feel so proud, you just have no idea. I'm having about a million pop-cultural orgasms at once.
* I think I'm going through a bit of a life transformation. Things are getting a bit weird. I don't know what to say about it, but things are shifting - not really forwards but sideways.
Labels: about me, house, houses, stressed teachers, weird little happenings, weird things
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Stupid computer stuff and rant.
Yesterday in an effort to navigate the old key in the lock while simultaneously holding a rather too full handbag, a basket full of heavy folders and ....my lunch (why humans don't have three arms is beyond me. Obviously we need them!). I found myself in staring in full horror as my lovely external hard drive went from balancing rather perilously atop of my handbag to floating through the air to dropping SMACK onto hard concrete floor at my feet. I'm sure I heard it scream on the way down.
Just to clarify, that would be the hard drive that contains all of my weekly planners, photographs, music, REPORTS, learning plans, reviews and other official professional development files, resume and other documents of that ilk, planners I've been given (or outright stolen) from other teachers over the years... not to mention my own personal writing. Or to put it another way, every single file I have which is not yet backed up onto any other computer. Or ANOTHER way - my life.
Now when I plug in my HD it goes crunch, crunch, crunch, wiz, sad sound... device not recognised by computer on the Mac and on PC comes up on devise list but has a location of "0". How can it be there and NOT be there at the same time? I ask myself. I'm unable to actually access through Mac HD or My Computer though it's detected as "working properly".
oy dear. I've finally rendered an inanimate object as confused as I am. What an accomplishment!
I remain optimistic that putting it into the freezer will miraculously cure everything and it will work, right as rain in a few hours.
Just out of interest on a scale of 1-10 what are my chances of getting my data back via this method?
----
In other news, I need to get something off my chest re work and there seems to be noone about I can offload onto. Luckily I have my trusty blog to spew forth my petty grievances.
I happen to have that cough that has been going around lately. Much of my grade has come down with it, with a couple coming down with pneumonia. I've only had one sick day this year so I decided to take another today and due to cough getting worse, tomorrow too. This is all good, I have a certificate. I'm really sick! When a teacher gets sick they call an emergency in to cover for you.
Of course, prin decided that she wouldn't use my emergency teacher tomorrow to cover my grade. Oh no. Instead my grade is going to be split between the other classes and MY emergency teacher will be used as extra staff on a sports day.
I'm so angry because I'm OWED an emergency teacher. Why should my grade be split up - which causes an inconvenience to not only my children but also to the other teachers in the school? Why should other teachers be punished by having extra children in their classes all day? Why should I lose a sick day when in reality my grade doesn't even see the benefit of it? It's ludicrous! So what am I going to do? Well I'm going to pack a packet of butter menthols and turn up at school tomorrow, that's what. I'm just fuming about having to do so when it's my right to be sick when I'm sick instead of being put in this position. I'm angry because there is no way that I can phone the prin now and say that I've heard that she's splitting my grade and therefore I'm coming in. No, I'm going to have to call prin and pretend that I'm all better.
Yesterday I was telling a friend of mine that teachers are chickenshit because we care about others. That has cost us not only a decent wage but everyday rights as workers. As VP says "we are the ultimate service industry". Indeed, I've just proven him right. I'd love to say a big fuck you to everyone, but in the end my children suffer and I'll get the brunt of the bad vibes because - wow I'm sick and everyone else has to suffer because of it. No thanks. :(
Just to clarify, that would be the hard drive that contains all of my weekly planners, photographs, music, REPORTS, learning plans, reviews and other official professional development files, resume and other documents of that ilk, planners I've been given (or outright stolen) from other teachers over the years... not to mention my own personal writing. Or to put it another way, every single file I have which is not yet backed up onto any other computer. Or ANOTHER way - my life.
Now when I plug in my HD it goes crunch, crunch, crunch, wiz, sad sound... device not recognised by computer on the Mac and on PC comes up on devise list but has a location of "0". How can it be there and NOT be there at the same time? I ask myself. I'm unable to actually access through Mac HD or My Computer though it's detected as "working properly".
oy dear. I've finally rendered an inanimate object as confused as I am. What an accomplishment!
I remain optimistic that putting it into the freezer will miraculously cure everything and it will work, right as rain in a few hours.
Just out of interest on a scale of 1-10 what are my chances of getting my data back via this method?
----
In other news, I need to get something off my chest re work and there seems to be noone about I can offload onto. Luckily I have my trusty blog to spew forth my petty grievances.
I happen to have that cough that has been going around lately. Much of my grade has come down with it, with a couple coming down with pneumonia. I've only had one sick day this year so I decided to take another today and due to cough getting worse, tomorrow too. This is all good, I have a certificate. I'm really sick! When a teacher gets sick they call an emergency in to cover for you.
Of course, prin decided that she wouldn't use my emergency teacher tomorrow to cover my grade. Oh no. Instead my grade is going to be split between the other classes and MY emergency teacher will be used as extra staff on a sports day.
I'm so angry because I'm OWED an emergency teacher. Why should my grade be split up - which causes an inconvenience to not only my children but also to the other teachers in the school? Why should other teachers be punished by having extra children in their classes all day? Why should I lose a sick day when in reality my grade doesn't even see the benefit of it? It's ludicrous! So what am I going to do? Well I'm going to pack a packet of butter menthols and turn up at school tomorrow, that's what. I'm just fuming about having to do so when it's my right to be sick when I'm sick instead of being put in this position. I'm angry because there is no way that I can phone the prin now and say that I've heard that she's splitting my grade and therefore I'm coming in. No, I'm going to have to call prin and pretend that I'm all better.
Yesterday I was telling a friend of mine that teachers are chickenshit because we care about others. That has cost us not only a decent wage but everyday rights as workers. As VP says "we are the ultimate service industry". Indeed, I've just proven him right. I'd love to say a big fuck you to everyone, but in the end my children suffer and I'll get the brunt of the bad vibes because - wow I'm sick and everyone else has to suffer because of it. No thanks. :(
Labels: computer stuff, geeks, humans are dumb because we don't have three arms even though necessity clearly dictates that we should, rant, school, stressed teachers
Thursday, April 17, 2008
shorter than it was...
I was going to write a zillion word rant but I'll keep it short and simple.
My team leader talks a lot but doesn't actually know very much - she's good at organising meetings but not actually contributing. I think that if you're a team leader then you should know the most, work the hardest and pick up the slack. That's what you get paid for, after all.
Today out of 7 hours of planning our team leader contributed very little. In fact. Nothing - though she did a lot of photocopying. If I worked in the corporate world I'd enjoy sitting back and watching the car crash but I don't. I work in an industry where actually, contrary to popular belief 90% of us do it because we really care about children - so if someone fucks up it's not the leader who crashes and burns but instead the rest of us and the kids.
This means that today I picked up the slack and am STILL continuing to contribute all alone when I really should be saying flush off flushles and not caring about it. I hate caring that it even gets done. I'm really pissed off that I'm doing the work and not getting paid for it. I'm sick of working really hard only to find more work to do on the other side. I'm angry with myself for feeling accountable to the children.
My team leader talks a lot but doesn't actually know very much - she's good at organising meetings but not actually contributing. I think that if you're a team leader then you should know the most, work the hardest and pick up the slack. That's what you get paid for, after all.
Today out of 7 hours of planning our team leader contributed very little. In fact. Nothing - though she did a lot of photocopying. If I worked in the corporate world I'd enjoy sitting back and watching the car crash but I don't. I work in an industry where actually, contrary to popular belief 90% of us do it because we really care about children - so if someone fucks up it's not the leader who crashes and burns but instead the rest of us and the kids.
This means that today I picked up the slack and am STILL continuing to contribute all alone when I really should be saying flush off flushles and not caring about it. I hate caring that it even gets done. I'm really pissed off that I'm doing the work and not getting paid for it. I'm sick of working really hard only to find more work to do on the other side. I'm angry with myself for feeling accountable to the children.
Labels: rant, school, stressed teachers, work
Sunday, March 09, 2008
The Sundays on Sunday ... for Monday.
Finally. FINALLY a politician has come out and said what needed to be said re: education. It's so simple and full of common sense that I'm surprised it isn't said more often, or quite frankly done more often.
Barak Obama would have my vote (if it counted), based only on this speech, if nothing else. Surely a man who is so practical in this area must be practical in other areas too.
Here's the taped footage..
But for those of you unwilling to watch (oh it's an eye opener alright) - he hits gold at about the 3 minute mark with this gem:
HELL YES! FINALLY the truth is out. Parents, need to parent. Weird idea I know, but the way I see it is if you have them, then you should raise them. Education doesn't stop and start at the school gate.
I can't remember any time when any politician has made such a statement about individual responsibility - that is, even though it's true. The students I see succeeding are students who:
1) come from money (I don't necessarily mean rich but I do mean they don't have many worries about money for instance; they DO NOT have to worry about the basics, food, water, shelter - and by extension emotional support - yes it's related)
2) come from families that INSIST, hard line, on all those things Obama talks about in his speech.
It's not about catering for gifted and talented children. Or blaming teachers for not teaching properly and thus creating a panic about our test results (for the record Australia has one of the BEST education systems in the world, backed up by world data (OECD - PISA). However the way the media carries on you'd think we were failing). Bottom line is that we need to start being practical about this stuff.
How do we expect kids to learn, if they aren't getting any support at home? Any teacher in the world will tell you that it is a FACT that children who don't get home support by and large struggle. If they don't then they are doing so against the odds. We see exactly how home life helps and hinders children in the classroom. Thinking a child turns the home switch off when they enter a classroom is a mistake politicians have made for far too long when it comes to making policies about in classroom curriculum. This is not the way to improve the way kids learn. We can't ignore the influence of the most important people in a child's life: their parents! It's time a mirror was held up. I'm glad the day has come.
------
Enough ranting, onto Musical Monday - which takes me back to the early 90s waiting for the school bus on windy spring afternoons with my friend Gil. The bus stop was in front of this charming, well maintained art deco house inhabited by a lovely elderly gent who would always wander outside to chat to the youngsters stepping all over his roses with scruffy black shoes and socks that just wouldn't stay up. One day - and I remember it well for some reason - Gil told me about this band she'd heard about called The Sundays - and they, along with Ratcat were her new favourite bands. I thought it sounded like a whimsical name for a band and later discovered they really were rather whimsical sounding in music as well.
Whenever I hear The Sundays I think of Gil and springtime and how we impatiently waited for the bus every afternoon, and how often I'd just pack it in and walk home instead - stopping every few meters to pull up my socks and adjust the volume on my walkman.
I heard the old guy died not too long after I finished high school. I drove past that art deco house the other day but it was graffitied and condemned. I wonder why no one has bought and renovated it? It's a sad sight and a ghostly remainder from a more glorious time.
Here's Where the Story Ends - The Sundays
Barak Obama would have my vote (if it counted), based only on this speech, if nothing else. Surely a man who is so practical in this area must be practical in other areas too.
Here's the taped footage..
But for those of you unwilling to watch (oh it's an eye opener alright) - he hits gold at about the 3 minute mark with this gem:
“It’s not good enough for you to say to your child, ‘Do good in school,’ and then when that child comes home, you’ve got the TV set on,”
“You’ve got the radio on. You don’t check their homework. There’s not a book in the house. You’ve got the video game playing.”
“So turn off the TV set. Put the video game away. Buy a little desk. Or put that child at the kitchen table. Watch them do their homework. If they don’t know how to do it, give ‘em help. If you don’t know how to do it, call the teacher.”
“Make ‘em go to bed at a reasonable time! Keep ‘em off the streets! Give ‘em some breakfast! Come on! Can I get an amen here?”
“You know I’m right,”
“And, since I’m on a roll, if your child misbehaves in school, don’t cuss out the teacher! You know I’m right about that! Don’t cuss out the teacher! Do something with your child!”
HELL YES! FINALLY the truth is out. Parents, need to parent. Weird idea I know, but the way I see it is if you have them, then you should raise them. Education doesn't stop and start at the school gate.
I can't remember any time when any politician has made such a statement about individual responsibility - that is, even though it's true. The students I see succeeding are students who:
1) come from money (I don't necessarily mean rich but I do mean they don't have many worries about money for instance; they DO NOT have to worry about the basics, food, water, shelter - and by extension emotional support - yes it's related)
2) come from families that INSIST, hard line, on all those things Obama talks about in his speech.
It's not about catering for gifted and talented children. Or blaming teachers for not teaching properly and thus creating a panic about our test results (for the record Australia has one of the BEST education systems in the world, backed up by world data (OECD - PISA). However the way the media carries on you'd think we were failing). Bottom line is that we need to start being practical about this stuff.
How do we expect kids to learn, if they aren't getting any support at home? Any teacher in the world will tell you that it is a FACT that children who don't get home support by and large struggle. If they don't then they are doing so against the odds. We see exactly how home life helps and hinders children in the classroom. Thinking a child turns the home switch off when they enter a classroom is a mistake politicians have made for far too long when it comes to making policies about in classroom curriculum. This is not the way to improve the way kids learn. We can't ignore the influence of the most important people in a child's life: their parents! It's time a mirror was held up. I'm glad the day has come.
------
Enough ranting, onto Musical Monday - which takes me back to the early 90s waiting for the school bus on windy spring afternoons with my friend Gil. The bus stop was in front of this charming, well maintained art deco house inhabited by a lovely elderly gent who would always wander outside to chat to the youngsters stepping all over his roses with scruffy black shoes and socks that just wouldn't stay up. One day - and I remember it well for some reason - Gil told me about this band she'd heard about called The Sundays - and they, along with Ratcat were her new favourite bands. I thought it sounded like a whimsical name for a band and later discovered they really were rather whimsical sounding in music as well.
Whenever I hear The Sundays I think of Gil and springtime and how we impatiently waited for the bus every afternoon, and how often I'd just pack it in and walk home instead - stopping every few meters to pull up my socks and adjust the volume on my walkman.
I heard the old guy died not too long after I finished high school. I drove past that art deco house the other day but it was graffitied and condemned. I wonder why no one has bought and renovated it? It's a sad sight and a ghostly remainder from a more glorious time.
Here's Where the Story Ends - The Sundays
Labels: memories, money, musical monday, nostalgia, political musings, school, stressed teachers, yes I am taking politics
Monday, March 03, 2008
Prince Charming meets Georgie Porgie!
me: J if you keep kissing the girls you're going to make them cry!
J: *grinning*
me: no, I'm serious. You're not allowed to do this anymore or I'm going to make you marry the very next girl you kiss and you're going to have to go straight out to get a job so you can support her.
J: *looking a little worried*.
The thing is I've got this little Don Juan in my grade. He's all of 5 and has all the charm in the world nestled in his pinky finger and has used this to great advantage in order to erm...go through many girls in my grade. He has also been caught kissing with girls twice his age and flirting with anyone who will pay him attention.
Many years ago now I taught his brother and let me tell you - his brother had none of this special charm. There was no kissing of girls with him. In fact, as I remember girls were pretty much only just a mouth on legs that used the "other" toilets - nothing interesting in them at all. Meanwhile, Prince Charming 2008 is wowing them left right and center. I find the whole business fascinating.
Is charm something in the gene or something learned? There are some people that seem to naturally possess a certain kind of charm. It's just in their manner, the way that they seem to put everyone at ease, not just the target of their fancy. I maintain that charming people are utterly charming to everyone, the other kind (charming only to those you want to impress) of person is smarmy, not charming. The other kind has a little bit of Georgie Porgie about him.
Somehow J has inherited this special charm quality while his older brother did not. I feel that J will have a better time of it somehow...well that is until the inevitable happens: the backlash. Already there are niggles of it. One girl has said that she is J's girlfriend and another retorted that "no, *I'M* his girlfriend!!". Uh oh, this could get ugly - girls are into commitment and they're not going to be nice about it when things go wrong.
Do you think charm is born or learned?
Know any Prince Charmings? Do you fall easily for that - is it impossible not to?
How about Georgie Porgie? Was he a man misunderstood or simply a sleaze bag?
Is there a fine line between Prince Charming and Georgie Porgie? Is it all in the eyes of the beholder?
Labels: school, stressed teachers, talking about being a gentleman
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