Hey Friend!
How are you doing? January passed in a blur and February seems to want to follow suit in a week of grey skies and pouring rain. Welcome, New Month. But hope springs forth – daffodil shoots are poking up all over the place and it gives me a quiet joy.
I, for one am glad half term has arrived, especially when I‘ve had to deal with utter nonsense this past week. Like a child coming to the office with a drawing pin stuck in her thumb…
The conversation went like this:
Student: Miss, I’ve got a drawing pin stuck in my thumb!
Me: …What?! How?
Student: I don’t know. Can you help me pull it out please?
I told her to come round to the medical room, convinced blood was going to spurt out as soon as I released the pin. As we walked to the medical room, she asked, ‘Miss, what’s this called?’
‘Stupidity.’ I replied. She nodded and apologised. She squealed when I pulled the pin out but I was in no mood to coddle. I was just thankful she’d put it between the skin layers so there was no blood.
As she left the room, she asked my name and said I’m her favourite adult at school. I don’t know whether to be flattered or a little scared…
As we edged closer to the end of term, each day was a little slower, a little harder to deal with. And with it, my patience wore a little thinner.
Last week I had been on the receiving end of a few irate parents’ tirades.
One woman received a text saying her child wasn’t at school. Of course, its understandable that you’d get worried to receive that message when you believe your child has gone to school. But when you’re child is a serial truant? Why are you getting annoyed at me for not knowing where your child is when your child’s teachers have barely seen her all term?
Another parent turned up at school in the middle of the day, asking to speak to the Head of Year. I explained that he was teaching. The parent asked ‘Can’t he come out for five minutes?’ I looked at him for a moment – a look of disbelief mixed with a touch of ‘are you okay?’ before replying, ‘No. He’s teaching.’ The parent nodded and said they’d return later.
Unfortunately, the nonsense didn’t stop with children and parents but filtered through to staff too.
I had one staff member call me after an email I’d sent passing on a message.
Teacher: Hi, I’ve just read your email. What time did they call?
Me: Around the time that I sent the email.
Teacher: So this morning then.. And they asked for me?
Me: Yes (hence why I sent you the email and not someone else!).
Teacher: Are you sure?
(Am I sure?? As sure as I am that one of us isn’t all there and that person is not me!)
Me: Yes.
Teacher: Hmmm… I just don’t know why they’d want to speak to me. You’re sure they said my name?
Me: …
Teacher: Okay. Not to worry. Thanks.
In the words of Older Miss: FREE ME!!!
As I said, half term couldn’t come soon enough.
It will be a week of relaxing, recharging and catching up with friends – a complete nonsense-free zone.
Speak soon xx
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