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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Oh, that computer!


My latest gadget is in danger of actually being something which can be justified in terms of its usefulness!

A strict following of the principles which underpin my electronic purchases would clearly indicate that mere ‘utility’ is one of the least convincing reasons for my acquisition of a battery driven little object of desire.

My mini computer’s use in full view of an envious staff was more than I could have hoped for.

My gloating was only limited by my stuttering attempts to be superior in Spanish which is something of a self limiting sort of affair.

Today has been an exhausting day, but one which I feel has been distinguished by a reasonable amount of real teaching. I have taken in some examples of pupils’ writing which I shall evaluate over the weekend. I must remember my old tried technique of forcing myself to mark over a weekend.

Traditionally Sunday afternoon is a time of misery for active teachers. In spite of the best intentions everything is left until the afternoon of Sunday, or even worse, Sunday evening.

From painful experience I found that if I managed to mark a single script on Friday evening before the weekend had properly started then I managed to get all my work done before Sunday evening. This meant that I could relax on Sunday evening with an easy conscience rather that relaxing anyway but with an element of guilt over unfinished business tainting the pleasure.

Given the fact that Friday afternoon is the time when I can legitimately leave school 45 minutes early there is the opportunity for me to look at one piece of work thus ensuring that all of it will inevitably be done.

Call it sympathetic magic or call it stupid tradition – it works for me!

The Grand Coalition of the Forces of Good against The School That Sacked Me continues to grow and I look forward to a physical manifestation of support for the campaign in the very near future. I know that it is stupid to expect justice after so many years of inaction on the part of the authorities, but blind optimism can make even the very, very unlikely seem as though it could happen in the next month.

Leave me with my delusions!

And my new computer!

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