Monday 26 January 2009

I'm not listening!

Despite my apologetic e-mail grovelling for forgiveness at missing the Wednesday meeting, I had an extremely curt e-mail from the Head telling me off (again). Apparently, I should have known about it. It is clear to our Head (aka dictator) that I don't listen in briefing. Do I really have to defend myself against this accusation? Neither do I read my Bulletin, I'm told, and I am effectively a disgrace.

I grovelled some more and checked the Bulletin from last week. Notably it didn't mention the meeting at all, which doesn't surprise me, as I had read it at the time. I asked some others how they had known about the meeting, and it appeared that Word of Mouth had been the main communication route. Excellent. It's nice to see the school is running so efficiently!

So I got my diary out and checked that. No, the meeting wasn't mentioned there either. I checked my diary against my head of department's diary, and he had no mention of Wednesday night meetings either. Clearly, I am a disgrace because I had inadvertently missed out on the Chinese Whisper method of passing on vital information.

To make matters worse, my friend for whom I burnt the poisonous papers last week, has got herself signed off sick with stress for at least the next two weeks. I had a long conversation with her this evening, and she is at the point where she feels nauseous just checking her e-mails from work. It is a sad fact that she is not alone in suffering in this terrible establishment. We have made a pact to get out. We're swapping job info and vacancy hunting tips.

Finally, to finish off a dreadful day, some boys in the final class of the afternoon decided to be truly obnoxious. They spent the whole lesson giggling and coming out with obscene comments (about breasts, nipples, my clothes, etc). It was not until afterwards, having been ridiculed for an hour, that the Teaching Assistant overheard them laughing that they thought they could see through my top.

Now, I know what teenage boys are like, and I know they don't have X-ray vision, but I feel utterly abused. My top, I hasten to point out, is perfectly proper. I wore it in India last summer, in a society where wearing shorts or showing shoulders is considered indecent. Imagination is a wonderful thing, but maybe not when used to mentally undress your teacher during a lesson on photosynthesis.

I really hope they get suspended. I was quite upset by the whole thing. I get no respect from either management or children. Please tell me why I still get up and go to work at all?


I think I need to metaphorically stick my fingers in my ears and shut my eyes.

La, la, la, I can't hear you!

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