5°C, heavy showers
One week to go, the workload fails to abate. There was a time when school prep used to decline in the last part of term, a wind-down. Not any more. This is why I dream of a mid-winter holiday that is not spoilt by a commercial spend-orgy. Christmas spoils a perfectly good holiday.
Dogs’ Diner: This cheered me up yesterday in the middle of a three-hour marking binge.
6°C, clear & calm.
Entrance exam at work. Lots of anxious 10 year olds, and even more 40 something olds (parents). The kids sit an IQ test after their parents have dropped them off. By the time they have finished, the sun is down. At 3.30, I was sitting at my desk invigilating my room of 24. The blinds were open to a view of the main car-park. As dusk drew in, the colour drained out of everything, the air became slightly misty and all contrast & textures were gone. But then I noticed something. The car park has a large metal gate which was open and a couple of figures had appeared. They stood there, gazing in our direction, unmoving, waiting. Later, others appeared, in small groups, or maybe one by one. Eventually, they formed a continuous outline of heads and shoulders, all in silhouette, all gazing in our direction.
It was pure Hitchcock. The parents had arrived.
6°C, clear sky, winds W.
Today, I’m on strike for the first time in my life. The big multi-union campaign is against the government breaking their side of the Teachers’ Pensions agreement. They are in breach of contract, so most teachers are on strike. I voted Yes mainly because of other campaigns listed on the ballot paper, most notably- workload.
The bottom line is that if I want union support then I must, by obligation, support them. I will need this support quite soon.
14°C, S winds, CA:20 miles
This counts as the strangest thing I have ever confiscated at work.
The Year 11 girls were waggling it around at the end of a lesson. The gales of laughter were obvious enough to attract attention. They laughed even more when I told them I really didn’t know what it is. It’s the oddest thing, rather like a warm semi-transparent fillet of fish. I held it by the end and waggled it with some caution. It’s as dense as meat and about 4″ long.
The women in the reception were kind & worldly enough to tell me of its true identity. My incredulity increased, why, just why? Is some kid going through the school day somewhat asymmetrical? Perhaps they can be spotted unconsciously walking with a slight curve to one side with her balance thrown out.
It’s in Lost Property now, will anyone ever pick it up?
Surveys and data analysis can sometimes be sullied by dirty data.
“It’s not what you think girls”, but actually- what do they think it is? Why do they snigger, these 13 year olds? It’s not as if they expect to open a spreadsheet and find the number 69!
Windy & cooler, CR:25 miles
Rode after work today, the shower has been cleaned of legionnaires, but is has to be tested before I am allowed to use it. Early evening light is fading fast now it’s September, but at least I could ride the ‘best’ bike and choose my route. A real feature of holiday rides is the effect of proper rest. Real athletes must benefit so much from deep rest, the effect on your energy levels is so strong.
Missing a day’s ride in the holidays feels just like stress, by the end of the six weeks, you need to ride.
17C , some rain
I am forbidden to use the shower at work. Legionellosis has been detected in the showerhead, the boss told me I couldn’t ride in tomorrow because of it. There must be a way around this, maybe wash in a sink for just one day- it depends how long it takes to sterilise it. I have to wonder about the shower here at home- perhaps I should remove the head and leave it in a bucket of bleach overnight. It’s maybe worse here because I only shower at home once a week (the mostly shower at work). Is this why some people leave the showerhead lying on the shower floor to let the water drain?
19C, rain early & late. CR:57 miles
Well, is that all there is? All there is to a summer holiday? Work tomorrow & today’s ride has removed fizzy-legs that has bugged me so much while doing that damned marking. Sad that I didn’t make it to Scotland this year.
Next year is my 10th in this school; so what do you get for 10 years service? A: a stomach ulcer? Maybe this academic year will a bit better than last.
11C, rain. CR:60
Only to echo last week, the GCSE results are out today, likely to be the 24th consecutive year of higher results. The changed course structure will get some of the credit this time, it’s more modular now, so girls will probably do better. This story is worn out.
BBC The Education minister wants to end modularity, so perhaps we’ll see the boys catch up from nest year. The Daily Mail report was interesting, in almost every respect, they got their fact diametrically opposite to the truth. They said boys were closing the gap (the gap has widened), that the yearly grade inflation (which they blamed on Labour) had finished (the increase is about the same as last year). They couldn’t have got it more wrong. Why do people buy this newspaper, everything they print is wrong?
Later: Sunshine after an afternoon decorating. Rode for 60 miles and felt really strong. No aches, stiffness or discomfort, the ride simply flowed nicely. The end of the summer holidays is often like this.
16C, clearing up, still windy.
Been away: on work’s DofE trip. Now I’m sleep deprived, the first walk didn’t finish until 8pm so the kids were still cooking at 10pm. Other teachers didn’t eat until after that. Such an arrangement doesn’t work for me.
Film:Breaking The Waves– Lars Von Trier. A difficult film this one, but somehow compelling. Not one to watch with your folks I found. Stark and a test of stamina, you need to cope with the mental illness theme; if you can, there is a reward despite the feeling that you’re being tested.
Micycle 