Carnival always takes place on the same day at the same time each year, but in my school it always seems to bring with its advent total surprise.
This theme for virtually everything linked to the outside world in our place is in some way associated with Biodiversity. In an astonishing display of lack of comprehension about what teachers would do a sheaf of photocopied pictures of various examples of wildlife were placed on the staffroom table with self adhesive stickers and the indication that it might be a good idea for members of staff to cut out the animals they liked and stick them to their clothing!
One member of staff brought in a Rasta wig to which she attached, at the end of each lock, one of the photocopied pictures! She looked, as it were, striking.
My concession to the gaiety of the day was to wear a tie which featured penguins in Bermuda shorts. More than appropriate, I considered.
My lower sixth also entered into the spirit of the day and turned up for school (boys and girls) sporting ties. When asked what they were dressed up as they replied, “Stephen!” It is always difficult to work out whether something that our kids do is either an elegant tribute or a self assertive piece of condescension, but for the sake of my own arrogance I will assume the former!
The secondary children generally did little, while the primary kids adopted a whole range of costumes so that when I went to an early lunch the bizarre scene of an army of midget mannequins was like, as a colleague pointed out, walking into a late sixties film by Fellini after taking a generous number of mind altering drugs!
The things that ‘had’ to be done for school were most emphatically not done as I not only lost a free period but also had to take candidates in my lunchtime for a practice for their upcoming oral examination in an exam next month.
Today was one of those totally unsatisfactory days in school when nothing really went well. A planned essay writing period which had been prepared for by an introductory lesson yesterday was completely disrupted by the whole class having to go for a medical check up. The school has a computer system to facilitate internal communication but . . .
The Carnival gymkhana was distractedly chaotic with teachers standing outside staffing various stations. I, unashamedly followed the sun and unconcernedly left the management of the station to two delinquent boys (one recently returned from an expulsion for putative drinking) who had been gifted to me to ‘help.’ This help was not disinterested as they were trying to boost their Citizenship mark by being responsible. Which they achieved. Up to a point.
Now home and relaxing into a book – not necessarily a good book as it is one which appeared mysteriously in my pigeon hole and presumably was something which I thought would be a good idea to read at the recommendation of the bookseller who sometimes visits the school. I assume.
What the hell, it’s a book and I’m half way through. And it’s about vampires. Read on.
This theme for virtually everything linked to the outside world in our place is in some way associated with Biodiversity. In an astonishing display of lack of comprehension about what teachers would do a sheaf of photocopied pictures of various examples of wildlife were placed on the staffroom table with self adhesive stickers and the indication that it might be a good idea for members of staff to cut out the animals they liked and stick them to their clothing!
One member of staff brought in a Rasta wig to which she attached, at the end of each lock, one of the photocopied pictures! She looked, as it were, striking.
My concession to the gaiety of the day was to wear a tie which featured penguins in Bermuda shorts. More than appropriate, I considered.
My lower sixth also entered into the spirit of the day and turned up for school (boys and girls) sporting ties. When asked what they were dressed up as they replied, “Stephen!” It is always difficult to work out whether something that our kids do is either an elegant tribute or a self assertive piece of condescension, but for the sake of my own arrogance I will assume the former!
The secondary children generally did little, while the primary kids adopted a whole range of costumes so that when I went to an early lunch the bizarre scene of an army of midget mannequins was like, as a colleague pointed out, walking into a late sixties film by Fellini after taking a generous number of mind altering drugs!
The things that ‘had’ to be done for school were most emphatically not done as I not only lost a free period but also had to take candidates in my lunchtime for a practice for their upcoming oral examination in an exam next month.
Today was one of those totally unsatisfactory days in school when nothing really went well. A planned essay writing period which had been prepared for by an introductory lesson yesterday was completely disrupted by the whole class having to go for a medical check up. The school has a computer system to facilitate internal communication but . . .
The Carnival gymkhana was distractedly chaotic with teachers standing outside staffing various stations. I, unashamedly followed the sun and unconcernedly left the management of the station to two delinquent boys (one recently returned from an expulsion for putative drinking) who had been gifted to me to ‘help.’ This help was not disinterested as they were trying to boost their Citizenship mark by being responsible. Which they achieved. Up to a point.
Now home and relaxing into a book – not necessarily a good book as it is one which appeared mysteriously in my pigeon hole and presumably was something which I thought would be a good idea to read at the recommendation of the bookseller who sometimes visits the school. I assume.
What the hell, it’s a book and I’m half way through. And it’s about vampires. Read on.
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