Wednesdays suck

Another cold wet day in this South Pacific paradise.

It reminds me so much about Scotland that I am beginning to feel depressed. Even a glass or more of whisky does no more than produce a slight internal warmth.

If I'd wanted cold rain, grey skies, bolshy kids and writing reports, I could have stayed teaching in Haggis Land, at least over there we actually know how to heat and insulate our dwellings, and I would be paid considerably more than the peanuts the give teachers here.

An experienced teacher in Scotland would be getting about 35,000 sterling, about $80,000, and a HOF about 45,000 sterling, about$98,000.

But what makes Wednesdays really suck is the subtle torture called Professional Development.

Every Wednesday morning, 10 minutes before our normal start in Nuova Lazio High we all meet to be harangued about the latest teaching methodologies, research driven pedagogies and other unattractive piles of pseudo-educational crap.

Most of us just want to slowly awaken with a cup of coffee and a pleasant chat to a colleague, maybe even about teaching.

But no, we have to sit there and take it, even show some sort of enthusiasm. The levels of hypocrisy reach world record concentrations, while we sit there and mumble appropriate comments like;

Never thought of that

Brilliant research

That would fit in with my research driven teaching in 9NL

Useful Literacy strategy.

But what we're really thinking is;

What a load of tosh

God, I wish she'd shut up and let me finish my reports

Hmmm, Miss Chocolate Sauce is wearing a very tight T-shirt

and other normal reactions.

Occasionally a gem appears amongst the pedagogical swill, but rarely. It doesn't make up for the pure intellectual drudgery.

Ah well, back to the report writing, only 2 days left and then I've got to print the things, then proof-read them.

Yes we can't trust our colleagues.

Here at Stalag Luft Nuova Lazio,

all of the professional comments, written by qualified teachers, all with degrees, diplomas and doctorates have to be checked that spelling and grammar are correct.

What's really depressing is that the checking is needed. Some of my colleagues couldn't spell their way out of a paper bag, even using electronic report system with built in spellchecking. It's mostly the younger teachers, but many older ones as well.

Back to the chalkface, if it hasn't been washed away with this bloody rain.