Reflection

Tuesday 21st December, 2021

Read, write and reflect.

Can`t recall which numpty came up with that bit of teacherspeak. The reflect bit` s okay, I guess, but the very thought of engaging in the banal activities of reading and/or writing (is it even possible to do both together?) puts me in the mood for draining the dregs from my early-morning empties.

When one first wakes up (or is woken up), the first thing one does is reflect.

The first thing I do is reflect …

Why, I reflect?

Why is my head not quite as it should be?

Is my brain about to release yet another piece of extraordinary ingenuity, in the form of some snazzy new initiative?

I do hope not.

Initiatives, in general, don` t have a habit of equating particularly well with inaction.

And there` s less than a week to go until Christmas Day, so why put myself out?

Why even get myself out?

Any reflecting that` s to be done, can be done right here. Right where I am.

In bed. In comfort.

Reflection time.

First reflection. Probably was not the best of ideas, on reflection, to have closed everything down a week before the official end of term date. Sure, it saved on the agency fees for supply teachers – what with most of the regulars being off sick with Miss Twala ` s virus – but it did nothing for me. What use has the extra week in bed been, for me, with all the ladies I` ve ever known being out of action? It` s alright for Boris. When he shuts things down early, for him, everything opens up. Like myself, he does not have to do any serious office work, but unlike myself, even when tucked up in his bed, Boris is still surrounded by (and served by) all the ladies who just so happen to be in permanent residence at 10/11 Downing Street.

Second reflection. Banning my teaching staff from wearing face masks was not one of my better ideas either. Okay, so the majority of teachers went off sick – so far, so good. A potential saving; the longer they stayed off, the more their sick pay would, and did, dwindle. All might have been well and good, but I hadn ` t banked upon any interference from government and I couldn ` t believe it when that ****, Nadim Sahawi, insisted I haul a shoal of supply teachers to keep my school open. So much for the freedoms of Academy status! And, just to top it all off, when I saw the foul looks given out – here, there and everywhere (even at me) – by the supply ladies, I couldn ` t help but note, that they would all look far more attractive with their masks on than off!

Third reflection. To be fair, this one` s more of a prediction than a reflection. That *******, Nadim Sahawi, has just gone one step further. Not only is he insisting that I keep on last term` s supply ladies, he ` s intent upon sending me a whole load more, come January! And not only will the new lot be ugly, they will also be wrinkly!

What is he thinking of, in sending in an army of the recently, and even anciently, retired?

Fourth reflection. I ` m tired. All this reflection is too much. All that one can hope for is that Christmas lasts forever and that the New Year never arrives.

Still, at least this reflection thing ` s put me in the frame of mind to come up with my best new initiative for professional development yet. Must incorporate this one into my New Year ` s motivational speech to the staff.

“From the start of 2022, the Read, Write and Reflect initiative, will be superceded by the Reflect, Reconsider and Relaunch initiative.

Ladies, take your pick …”

Final word(s).

Face masks – welcome back!

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, December 21st, 2021

Please check out the previous post, Bursted.