School grumpiness - as always!

Catalan women speak on the in-breath.

I write this as my nerves are stretched to twanging point by the continuous parallel “conversations” of two of my colleagues who speak with that unendingly penetrating drone which makes all other work and thought impossible.  They have now gone outside the staffroom and still their voices wash over me like a tide of stinging nettles – and they have been joined by a third so now there is a on-going, three-way, simultaneous conversation.  Dear god!

However, the sun is shining and, even though I am incarcerated here for the day, it cheers the spirits.

However (Part II) my second “gained” free period from the disappearance of my second year sixth has been taken in examination supervision.  Admittedly this has taken the form of a “real” free period being taken for the supervision, with the understanding that I am “compensated” for this loss by the period with the sixth which is “free”.  Therefore I gain “nothing.”  So far 100% loss.

In secondary education the myth of the “easy summer” is the only thing that keeps us going.  The loss of classes and the consequent gain of non-contact periods that allow development of resources and sleeping etc. never really occur.  Every year something or other turns up to fill the space and the spacious expectations are always frustrated.  But just as surely, like devout Jews saying, “Next year in Jerusalem!” we teachers say, “Next year The Spaciousness!”

 

At least in Spain I do not have to kid myself that “This summer is going to be a repeat of the Summer of 1976” as we do have a reasonable chance of a sunny summer in Catalonia.  I still talk about the summer of ’76 - which is an astonishing 35 years ago!  Just goes to show the quality of August in the UK!

The next examination season is upon us.  Again.  The second year sixth have taken a risible examination the results of which will bear little relationship to their final grade.  I no longer question the ways of education in this country.  That way lies madness!

A colleague and I have to write an examination paper in the next couple of days and I think that we have both effectively put it to the back of our minds – and we can’t afford to do that as I have just realized.  Ah well, something to do in my “gained” free period tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Toni’s mum’s birthday so it is yet another trip up to Terrassa and this time the return will be on the new route but turning off before we get to Barcelona city.  I hope.  This time.

The evenings are getting longer and I was able to go to the Third Floor to catch some evening rays.  Delightful.

 

As opposed, of course to the scandal surrounding (yet again) the allegedly corrupt group of scoundrels who comprise the governing junta of FIFA.  The latest scandal would seem to indicate that over a quarter of the group of all too fallible humans who “gave” the World Cup to the mighty football nation of Qatar might have been persuaded to honour this somewhat surprising choice by very tangible inducements.

I do not see how, with honour, Sepp Blatter can refrain from doing the decent thing and resigning.  He has promised to do what he has never done in the past with other allegations, and that is investigate thoroughly and fearlessly.  Someone suggested that this could be FIFA’s Salt Lake City moment when a generally perceived to be blatantly corrupt organization has to do something to regain public confidence.  But this is the same Blatter in charge who has done little to nothing to in response to many other allegations about past snouts in the bucket, and the same Blatter who is (amazingly) not merely not resigning, but is also standing for re-election presumably to continue his, at best complacent and at worst connivingly corrupt administration. 

And look, his opponent for the capo di capo situation is none other than Mohamed Bin Hammam from, you’ve guessed it, the oil rich, dripping in money state of, gasp! Qatar!  It makes you sick.

This topic leads on nicely to a future innovation in our school: teacher evaluation.  There is a meeting on Monday to discuss a document that we have not yet been given.  Presumably it will be published on Friday so we will have the weekend to consider and digest it.  All teacher evaluation, without exception, is a managerial tool to attack teachers.  The more the rhetoric is geared towards support for teachers the more you know the knives are out!

A system whose heart was probably in the right place had been instituted in my last British school but the reality, that is the allocation of time and resources to complete the evaluation were always the sticking point.

I shouldn’t pre-judge what might be suggested in the document that we do not have but it is almost irresistible and I can feel the arguments in response bubbling up from an indignant sense of betrayal.

I have undergone trial by General Inspection three times; departmental inspections innumerable; teacher appraisal ad nauseum and I am disinclined to take any more.

Mischievous voices have been raised suggesting that in the plan there will be a part where pupils will be given a voice to evaluate their teachers.

 

I wish that my response to any Catalan form of appraisal or evaluation could be like that of Spenser Tracy to the suggestion that he should take up method acting, “I’m too old, I’m too tired and I’m too talented to care.”  Two out of three of Mr Tracy’s assertions in my case are not quite enough to be completely dismissive, but, like Melville’s Bartleby, “I would prefer not to.” 

 

I do hope the text of the plan is in English.  I have every reason to suppose that it will be because I was asked for a suitable English translation of a Spanish phrase in the text.  The translation I suggested may give you some idea of the present status of the thing: “The process is on-going and has not yet completed its first cycle.”  A colleague overheard just my translation and laughed saying, “You are describing a plan which hasn’t happened aren’t you!” 

Weasel words are not as convincing as they used to be!