Been a week, been a week, been a week....

Categories: and-another-thing, general-stuff

Tags: book, college

Date: 20 May 2009 07:53:18

Loooooooong time coming...

Ahem.

Said goodbye to one of my classes yesterday - the first of four groups I'll see off this academic year - I'm only taking one class into next year - and it was a sad day! Was surprised but they've been an interesting group :) Five more weeks and then it'll be head down planning the next lot.

Apart from that? Survived Ofsted :) College received a 2 overall, which is good, and our department was given a 3 which is satisfactory. They did say that if we had the results in and they were as projected we'd have had a 2.

Directly after my friday class ran off to get a train to Esher for the CBC show. Was good. Nice to see some old friends and some near neighbours. Had a lovely chat with someone who offered some very kind words on my writing (and to boot he had excellent taste in music too and beat me hands down for classic gigs attended...) so was glad to have been there. Dashed straight back to get to an exhibition of student artwork and then dashed from that to the pub where the tutors I work with were drinking the stress away. By this point it was about 6. They'd been in there an hour.

Oh boy.

Let's just say that it was messy from then and only got messier... Some lovely chats and conversations though. Was glad I didn't overimbibe though because we bumped into a number of students in the garden, one of whom had phoned in sick that day. Was glad to have the opportunity to stop by and say 'glad to see you looking better'...

Apart from that? Hmmm nothing springs to mind, although there's probably been loads. Big Buzz Out Loud fan so was amused to be namechecked twice in a week, sort of kind of. On monday I'd emailed in re: Chip and Pin. In Guildford a petrol station had moved the security cameras to film people putting in their pin numbers and been responsible for £1mill of fraud. To the best of my knowledge this doesn't seem to be a hugely unusual circumstance as there often seems to be a story about some sort of card fraud of some sort. Anyhow I emailed in to say I didn't really like Chip and Pin (for that reason) and they misread it and said one guy was paranoid about being filmed... ((I'm not paranoid... It's not parano...Hang on, did the light on my isight camera just flash? Is it on? Anyhow... where was I?)) So I re-explained with web link about specific and there you go. Listen to it for years and then twice in a week get a vague mention... Funny old world.

In terms of turbulence the trickiest part of the week was definitely youth group. Was not there because of the aforementioned teacher mash up but left the pub at midnight to find four texts I'd not noticed come in. Turns out a kid who'd been asked not to come back until asked had turned up with a friend (we have a closed register to try and keep a track on numbers at the mo'). They were asked to leave, left using some specific language and hand gestures before we could phone a parent to explain (it was raining so we try and offer kids the chance to get lifts back if they're not let in) and later the dad came round for a row. In fifteen years I can count the amount of times that his has happened on just over one hand but it always affects you when it does. So we'll be there on friday as normal and I'll be on door. I dare say it'll calm down - nearly always does - but shame to end the half term on a barny especially as the people he shouted at in no way deserved it.

So, um, yeah. Busy week. Onwards. Teaching twice today then sleep, glorious sleep :)

engage-band-small

((not that I often look back on these things but a band I wear bit the dust this week which made me sad for a couple of reasons. Again most know that I'm a huge fan of the wonderful band Onehundredhours. This band was one I picked up when they did a launch gig for my first book and has been worn ever since. In fact I've got an engage band on both wrists, one old and one new. Anyhow it snapped and has gone elsewhere... (Now I'm just down to five :( It's not an omen or something I'm superstitious about at all, but it did remind me about a good time in the past and remind me about how little energy I feel I have at the moment. Also: if you're looking for a charity to support, even if only for a while, I can recommend www.engagehivaids.com give 'em a look, throw 'em some love.))