Category: Work

I’ve just got in from a retirementleaving dinner for a few colleagues and once again realised how lucky I am to work where I do. I kind of got into teaching by accident, just looking for something to do when I got back from backpacking and ended up with one great probationary school, another great school (with an awful boss) and finally on to the High School of Glasgow from where I just can’t imagine leaving.

I’ve been here for six and a half years, and I have not once woken up in the morning thinking “Oh, no – I don’t want to go in”. I’ve had three sick days in all that time, and two of them due to school regulations (48 hours after sickness and runny poops is mandatory downtime) even though I wanted to go in. The other was during activities week some years ago so I didn’t miss any lessons, though meant that someone else had to herd some younger pupils around a half-day trip on short notice.

Tonight’s shindig was great fun. A huge turnout for staff members who’d been with the school for between 4 and 27(!) years. And it was actually fun. I’m not sociable, many of you will know that, but I enjoyed. Because I work with brilliant, lovely people who I actually like to be around. Also the school’s head chef is a flipping genius so the food was great. *burp*

It’s been said that if you find a job you love then you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, they didn’t count on teaching, because it’s a ton of work. I do love it, though.

I can’t post a photo because “kids who aren’t mine”, but today’s highlight after a full-on day in the classroom was my 1-hour Kids Krav class after school (and the only Krav class I’ll be attending until next week due to other commitments). It was great to see a couple of students back after exam leave and getting right back into it.

I get paid to tutor, but some things mean a lot more than the cash at the end of the hour. The little gifts and the “thank yous” really mean something, though the icing on the cake is when (if!) the pupil manages to get the grade they were after. Fingers crossed for this one!

And that’s the last script marked. Just need to get these into big plastic bags and ship ’em back. Phew.

First pack ready to go back to the SQA. Only I don’t know where to take it as they’ve redesigned their website since the paper instructions were printed, so the page with the drop off points isn’t where it used to be. Because of course. I’m also trying to figure out why I was sent four large packs, but only been given three bags to send them back in…