The Hell of Unusually Rowdy, Smelly, Draining Adolescent Youngsters

Otherwise known as T.H.U.R.S.D.A.Y.

Thursday is year 7 day for me, you see. That's the equivelent of 6th grade, Stateside. I always found 6th grade to be one of the harder age groups to work with, as they are still babies, yet stuck in a new school with more mature kids all around.

Year 7 in England is no different. Quite trying sometimes.

Today wasn't so bad, though. Even 7PMu3, a class from hell, sat quietly through their music assessment. I was astonished.

Now, I have just discovered that I need to change my hallway display by July 5. The Inspectors are a'calling that day. It's the third time they've come this year and all senior staff are begging and pleading with the teaching staff to pretend that this is a fantastic school, which it is not. That is what disillusions me most about working here--this attitude of sweep-the-dust-under-the-rug and kiss up to the inspectors.

The senior staff will be out in full force, monitoring the corridors, helping with discipline, observing lessons, schmoozing with the inspectors.

The minute they see the tail lights as the inspectors leave the school, those "caring, interested, motivated" senior members of staff will crawl back into their offices to drink tea and look important while doing absolutely nothing to help the front-line soldiers (teaching staff and support staff) run this place.

I remember with longing the superintendent of Elverta, Dianna, standing on the playground hi-fiving a group of children as they walked by. She and Liz, my other supervisor, were so involved in the running of the school, and they not only cared about the children, they knew names, families, what the kids were about.

Granted, Elverta's whole district was a third of the size of St. Peter's enrollment. But there is no real effort on the part of senior staff to really know what makes these kids tick.

Anyway...

My rant of the day. I'm just killing time now that school is out. I have to stay until 5:30 for year 8 Parents Evening. I don't have very many appointments, thankfully. Then I can go home and stick my nose in the very good book I'm reading. : )

More tomorrow.

Cheers,

Meg