Random thoughts

Judgement day

2009-10-16T20:57:30Z

Well is been a while since I’ve last posted... way too long to do a full recap as my memory is nowhere near that good. So, just keeping to the recent...

The last 2 weeks have been horrendous in work, but today brings that to an end. When you are training as a teacher there are a few things that you are warned might happen to you in your career, this is perhaps magnified as an RE teacher where you regularly talk about sensitive issues (such as Death, abortion etc.) I have had a few of these things happen already – pregnancy scares, a pupil breaking down over a parents terminal illness and there are systems and guidance to follow. (Though the fact that you can’t give them a hug is sometimes heartbreaking).

But a couple of weeks ago I had one of the things any teacher dreads happen to me. A pupil accused me of ‘Strangling him’ in class. Obviously, if true this would be bad for the career prospects, liberty prospects and a CRB check would be somewhat difficult. It is, needless to say, a Career Killer. Of course there is a system in place for allegations such as this, introduced recently to avoid the old method of suspending the teacher while the complaint is investigated with the implication of guilt that that implies.

So instead of the school itself investigating, it goes direct to a ‘focus group’ made up of a representative of the school (someone from senior management), the Police (it is assault), children’s services, a school governor and the Local Education Authority. This panel compares statements from the pupil and myself then one of these people takes charge of the subsequent investigation (so if minor, the school deals – if serious, the police).

This story has a twist though as our school, shiny and new, is fitted with CCTV. So the panel decide they will look at this before going any further. Two weeks of waiting for this to happen (for long and boring reasons) Where I have been worried that it wasn’t caught, that the incident was out of frame, that it was misleading and so on. Constantly thinking of what else I can do for a job? Could we deal with a drop in income? What would happen to my GCSE classes when there is no other specialist in the school... on and on.

Today was the meeting to be informed of what happens next. The CCTV is perfect – so good in fact that I have been praised by the panel for how I dealt with the situation. Massive relief, completely exonerated, need to decide if I want to sue the little git. (This was presented as an option.)

In other news, ended up stepping in to the Y11’s production of Romeo and Juliet as Montague after a drop out. I’m much more comfortable behind the scenes and had done the stage backdrop and some choreographing, However quite enjoyed it and the Kids excelled themselves, they were FANTASTIC! Juliet in particular.

I, and a bunch of other equally stupid staff, have been roped in to modelling some of the ‘creations’ of the Textiles students. This fills me with dread. Only increased by the knowledge that it is wedding wear (actually the phrase used was ‘bridal wear’ but I’m hoping there is groom type stuff as well, otherwise i will let you know when you can come and see me in a wig and attractive lacy number. Blingfolds provided on request.)

Okay, that’s enough for now – catharsis achieved.

Book Meme

2009-08-06T21:08:55Z

In a random stolen Meme, 15 memorable books...

· The Reality Dysfunction / The Neutronium Alchemist / The Naked God

· The Bible (new international version)

· Belgarath the Sorcerer

· The Republic

· A Game of Thrones

· Use of Weapons

· Excession

· The Northern Lights / The Subtle Knife / The Amber spyglass

· Anything in Discworld

· Last and First Men

· The Iliad

· The Sandman

· The God Delusion

· The Gap Sequence

· It

A Mini Update

2009-07-19T17:25:21Z

1- Ill.

2- Missed Matt’s party (due to ill), bit gutted but hope everyone had fun.

3- Going to Maelstrom next weekend – woot.

4- Writing a background for new SoS character, seems to have turned into something of a novel.... hmmm.... probably means I’ll be dead in 5 min’s of first playing him.

5- Katie Rennie is obviously evil and has addicted me to ‘A song of Ice and Fire’.

That is all.

Ups and Downs

2009-07-16T22:45:41Z

The Ski trip in January also marked the highest point I have ever stood on this fair planet of ours – 3126M (not including man made stuff like standing up on a plane). Today marked the lowest when i went caving. Now I should clarify that this was caving – not potholing, so quite safe... but quite an experience non the less.

Actual depth was about 95M underground, which doesn’t sound like much, but that particular cavern was nearly 4 miles from the surface going on the route we actually used. Due to the heavy rain of the last few days the river we followed was quite strong and there were two underground waterfalls that were both quite beautiful.

But the highpoint is that last cavern – abseiling down into the darkness then finding yourself in this huge space, full of columns and stalactites that fluoresce in UV light, the rock (limestone) looking distinctly organic due to the calcite deposits of the water, and knowing that some of the stalactites are older than recorded history is impressive to say the least.

The highlight for me however, was while there we turned all the lights off. You forget how rare it is to experience total darkness – no source of light within hundreds of meters and separated by millions of tonnes of stone. The dark seems to take on texture, becomes a thing in itself, wraps around you. It’s quite a feeling and a beautiful counterpoint to the bright mountaintop covered in snow with a view of all around in January during the Alps trip.

Meme

2009-06-16T07:53:49Z

Meme stolen from RennieK

The problem with Live Journal is that we all think we are so close, but really, we know nothing about each other. Hence, I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Then post this in your LJ and find out what people don’t know about you.

suspected insanity

2009-06-09T15:12:25Z

Okay – is it me or is it weird to try to fix a club that you don’t attend, haven’t attended for a while, and the only indication that there is a problem in the first place seems to come from someone else who does not attend, hasn’t attended for a while and would probably moan that the mana from heaven got sand on it anyway.

Or am I going mad?

Down with the sickness

2009-06-05T07:58:18Z

I am not very well at all. So much so that last night I unplugged the phone and went to bed… thus beginning 12 hours of uncomfortable not sleeping. Had it been any other day I would have called in to work sick – unfortunately there is on of my GCSE exams today, with a last minute revision session as well, so there is no way I’m staying off.

Also – SoS tonight – going to bed meant I haven’t finished the stuff I needed to do last night – so might be setting off late to get it done.

Bugger.

in memory of Grin...

2009-05-19T16:29:10Z

SoS update

Weekend fab – everyone really threw themselves in.

‘Bug’ masks, my most recent project, seem to have gone down well – roll on phase two with them.

Also actually felt hard playing Mal, which was nice.

The dungeons and tavern were ace and to approach professional for a moment - a really good start to the new campaigns year - long may it continue!

But most importantly, thanks to mistressp, my secret and nefarious plot that no one knows about has kicked off... and still no one knows about it. Excellent.

Job update

2009-04-02T21:49:30Z

I got it! I got it! I got it!

Thanks all for crossed fingers etc.

DFM

2009-04-02T16:50:00Z

Okay. I have been given three characters from Firefly to decide which gets the cold shoulder, whose for fun and whose for keeps. (Thanks renniek)

You want a go stick a reply on and I’ll give you three names. So without further ado,

Zoe – she’s tough, she knows what she wants and she’s gonna get it. All plus points, but when all’s said and done I’d rather share a foxhole with her than anything else. Plus – look what happened to the last husband. Dumped.

Kaylee – Very cute and cookie. Defiantly siding with jayne on this one – she could talk about battery relating things all she wants... but long term there might come a point where cookie develops into batshit crazy. An’ I aint much with the engines neither.

Inara - Spiritual, relaxing, intelligent, owns he own shuttle and drop dead gorgeous. Plus you would probably have a fair bit of free time while she was working for geeky pursuits.

So its nothing to do with professional sex training at all, see?

Yikes

2009-04-01T16:37:19Z

Job interview tomorrow.

Eeeek.

Thats about it.

Errr... Help!

2009-03-20T22:53:24Z

So the school i work in is closing at the end of the year to become a 'learning center' (don't ask) in a shiny new building with state of the art facilities yadda yadda.

So this week at parents evening the head comes over and asks if i am going to apply for the head of RE job, as the head of the new place had asked her if I was interested. Now usually its a good sign for the person who makes the decision to hint that they want you to apply, and the money would be nice... but its going to be weird enough getting my head around the new ways of doing things without having to run part of it!

I had not thought about running as i only qualified two years ago... but now i don't know, and there is always the chance that they employ a tool who I would then have to work for - and if there is going to be a tool it might as well be me.

So what do you reckon folks? Should I go for it?

New Year an' stuff.

2009-01-04T02:30:37Z

Happy New year to everyone - 'specially for those whose 2008 was a festering dung heap - hears hoping '09 pulls its socks up and improves on its predecessor.

Crimbo / new years was good, Eve picking up many new words and constructing sentences with wild abandon, and loving her presents. Caught up with family and friends and sorted Ski trip stuff. Major outlay has been upgrading the Computer ( Dual core 2.66 Ghz with 2GB RAM, if geek porn is your thing) so i can comfortably outperform a PS3. For some reason this makes me rather happy.

So off to Geneva in a few hours for Ski trip. The resort in in france, and the connection on a coach actually longer than the flight.. which sucks, so planning to sleep through that if possible. With luck there will be 'net access so i can diary the whole thing - and therefore keep Rach up to date better than the phone call in the free time between Skiing, confiscating booze and prying little benny out of the girls room.

this trip marks the longest time Rach and I will have spent apart in 9 years, I haven't even gone yet (just sitting up after her and Eve have gone to bed as I am at the airport at 4am) and I already miss both of them like crazy. Feck knows how i will be in a week.

Time will tell.

Where the hell have i been?

2008-11-27T18:58:58Z

Well. Since I last posted (sometime around the Pleistocene period apparently) some sort of minor deity with too much time on their hands seems to have taken hold of the word, turned it upside down and given it a ruddy good shaking. In short lots of changes. In long…

Now I have the best boss ever. Her name is Maggie, she is made of lovely and she has a voice that you could listen to for hours (this Irish lilt that is very soothing). She is also one smart cookie and as such was granted a fellowship and a grant to work on a research paper for the winter term (sept – xmas). So yours truly was put in charge of the department while she is away. Not too bad – just keeping things ticking over till she gets back.

So Maggie is off working at Liverpool hope Uni on her paper (its on community cohesion if your interested, and why wouldn’t you be?). but because of the aforementioned ‘smart cookieness’ she impressed them to the point that the’ve gone and given her a job. Excellent for Maggie, and I’m really happy for her. Sucks for me. So here I am, head of department. Or more accurately, doing the head of departments job – cue fighting for pay and recognition. Yesterday I found out I had got it and have been but on the management pay scale – yay me!

So this year I’ve been given another form class of Y11’s. I quite like them. I do. But man there are some characters in there. Now no details can be gone into for ethical (and legal) reasons, but suffice to say that one of these pupils is having a hard time at home. So they have come to me and told me and I’m giving advice and doing the things you do in this situation. Apparantly I’m quite good at it, and also apparently this is the sort of information that spreads as not only does there seem to be some sort of social network for people haveing a hard time that has resulted in quite a few people turning up after classes to talk, but I have been chosen to go on the school Ski trip as the ‘approachable one’ of the staff. (as apposed to ‘the organiser’, ‘the one who can ski’, ‘the scary one’ or the ‘I’m in the PE dept. dammit’). So Skiing in January. I’m gonna hit a tree.

Of course the best bit of the last few months has been Eve. She is now 22 months, and while I am sure that every parent must feel this way (or at least should!) she is obviously a genius with the best sense of humour and most beautiful child to have ever existed. I thought putting a list of her achievements would be boring to you lot. But then I thought screw you - its my blog and you didn’t have to read it anyway ;-)

She can…

Say loads of words and picks up new ones just about every day at the moment.

Count to 12 and read the numbers to 10.

Spell her name.

Use a computer mouse (my fault)

Identify 9 colours

Name all the characters from the ‘In the night garden’

And some other stuff (okay, I felt sorry for you)

SOS continues to be drama laden goodness, and I am enjoying it immensely, even if my last dungeon went a bit wrong. Probably need a weekend without writing but don’t know if that’s possible. Missing the Jan one due to Skiing so don’t really have the time to miss anyway.

In the quite nice, if annoying, position of having two characters who I really need to play all the time, so between that and campaigns stuff it’s quite hectic at the mo. But defiantly fun hectic. Hey ho – campaigns meet at the weekend, and much time spent prodding the metaphysics of the world to see if stuff falls out – watch this space fae!

Work rant

2008-09-16T14:51:07Z

So I’m back at work again, and have been for a couple of weeks and I am forced to conclude that I have been mistaken for some sort of multi-tasking, hyper being with tentacles able to individually perform all the tasks required of me by my Orwellian overlords. Now I’ve good and lost you I should back up.

So the schools average A* - C pass rate is 37%. Pretty much what you would expect given its Geo – Social position, however, we in the R.E dept, divided between our three exams (R.E, Philosophy and Ethics, and Humanities) managed 67% on average and may get a bit more through remarks. Excellent, you might think – as did I. Unfortunately this has resulted in the notion that I might know what I am doing, so in addition to the usual round of planning / teaching / controlling the little darlings, the powers that be have decreed I am to teach ‘General Studies GCSE’. Something I have not done before. And I have to do it in 1 year. And it’s at the same time as Philosophy A level. In the Same room in fact. And I’m Teaching both. At the same time. And I have to write the Scheme of work. Hmmmm.

The reason for this particular example of SNAFU is that the management would rather the pupils who have already got a GCSE for Philosophy and ethics take a different GCSE, than go on to the A level. Many reasons are given for this (they will probably get a better mark etc.) but what it boils down to is that the School gets no points for the A level results – they go to the collage who enters them, not the school who teaches them.

Now personally I don’t care – the A level is more beneficial to the pupils when they leave school and go on to collage, and is a much more interesting course. But the school needs the points. Why? Because my ultimate boss – Ed Balls M.P., a man whose name could only be more fitting if he was called Thicko McSpackypants M.P. (thanks Zero Punctuation) has followed in the footsteps of Ruth Kelly (don’t get me started on that woman) in viewing that the purpose of all education is to get numbers on Excell documents. Thus what is best for the pupil is crushed under the colossal weight of Government targets, league tables and the ‘I don’t care if you have a passion for the subject – your only here to learn how to pass an exam cos we need to beat our target’ mindset.

Anywho, the addition of two new courses to my workload (bringing it to a total of 7) has resulted in me spending a lot of time researching precisely what is involved, either online or on documents 130 pages long with a typeset so small the full stops must have been added by coating individual photons with ink. The combination of VDU and fonts designed at the LHC mean I have been getting headaches, so a quick trip to the opticians later and I should be getting reading glasses this week to combat the eyestrain.

In much better news, Eve is learning a word every 3-4 days, which is Fab, and I’m finally happy with the overnighter dungeon for SoS. Just a few more things to sort and it will be good to go.

Musings

2008-08-27T16:23:31Z

It’s a funny thing - ethics. As you may (or may not) know, ethics is a bit of a specialty of mine - and its not surprising that after spending most of my adult life either learning about it or teaching it in all its varied forms, that I have come to have some views on ethics that I hold quite dear. As we are fortunate enough to live in a time and place of relative stability, we do not often have to make decisions that seriously challenge our own principles - or if we do it is usually a matter of personal preference, do I buy free range eggs? do I shop at stores that use Child and slave labour to produce their clothes (how did you think they were so cheap?) and so on.

So its not really surprising that when a situation that does bring your ethics into play, its to do with your interactions with other people. Obviously, these musings are provoked by a particular event - the details of which would probably help in the understanding of this particular ramble, however - and here is that ethics thing again - I don’t believe there is anything to be gained from spreading the details of this sort of unpleasantness around . Sadly I know that at least one of the other parties involved does not share this view, and doubtless therefore a one sided account of events will be circulating particular people…

This brings me to the first point - ethics are funny. My Ethical belief is that if you have a disagreement with someone (or a number of people) then you keep it between yourselves. I don’t like gossip as I can seen no purpose to it, other than ’its fun’ - and I derive no pleasure from the suffering and misery of others. (its worth noting that I’m not including the sharing of information that might be important in that - friends being concerned for each other for example)

Anyhow, as the old saying goes - ‘know thyself’ and I reckon I know myself fairly well (mostly thanks too many years debating all those ethics, beliefs and principles). So I am confident when I say that I am a patient man, and not one who is quick to anger. This is not me trying to sound all virtuous, as these traits have occasionally led me to give too much leeway to people who might not deserve it - but on balance I think I would rather that than the opposite. I am also aware that I am a no second chances kind of man - if you manage to cross that line, there is no coming back, and to my small shame I’m one of those people who remembers all the things someone did that I didn’t like, but never mentioned at the time - it all goes on the bill!

So, sufficient time has passed since the aforementioned ‘event’ that I know I can analyze it rationally, without emotional response ( just afterwards a good friend of mine said that it was the first time in the 7 years he has known me that he had ever seen me angry) so I think I know why I got so annoyed. Its worth mentioning that these are generalisations, and do not apply to all involved.

Firstly, and least importantly, a personal bugbear of mine - inability to argue. If you are not going to listen to the other persons points and include this new information into your original premise, why are you bothering to have the conversation? If you just want to moan at someone… say so.

Second - major one. Rudeness. I can’t abide rudeness and I will not be associated with anyone who is. If you don’t like someone, fine. Say you don’t like them and that is that. To be calling people abusive names is just childish and pathetic. To do so to the person’s friends is just stupid. To be unable to differentiate between ‘your view’ and ‘fact’ is equally foolish.

Third - patience failure. Having faced the same issue - and been giving the same replies out for two months to have a social occasion hijacked to go over the same ground - but with added abuse - resulted in a failure of patience on my part - but as I said, once you cross the line…

So? Where do we go from here? Presumably we have the usual situation that results from these events where both ‘sides’ believe themselves to be right, and neither side is willing to compromise their principles. For my part I have no desire to associate with one party but the other I miss. I had honestly thought this person was closer to my way of thinking and just as disapproving of rudeness etc. Perhaps I was wrong, as it seems they have chosen who they want to be spending time with. I suppose if I have courage in my convictions I will just have to wait and if I am right they will see what I do. Time will tell.

part 2

2008-08-15T18:41:32Z

Alien - best haunted house film ever. Waiting on Pete to arrive, who, dispite knowing about the Lan for weeks ahs been unable to arrange getting his computer here. Duh.

Running tally

Drinks - 5

Smokes -3

People - 2

Computers - 3 (I refuse to class PS3 as a computer)

Film - Family Guy season 3

Game - SFC 3

weekend Diary

2008-08-15T16:36:06Z

Here begins what will be an account of the weekend - updated as we go along through a three day LAN event at Andy’s swanky city centre flat, with a small interuption to go drinking in Manchester with the SoS crew.

Hour 1

Went to Spar. Bought nibbles and Whiskey. Lan is set up (in record time! - as it usually involves trying to fix some but or other, but apparently not today).

Running tally

Drinks -1

Smokes -1

People - 2

Computers - 3 (I refuse to class PS3 as a computer)

Film - Alien

Game - Battle for middle Earth

Watch this space….

apollo5532 @ 2008-07-28T21:57:00

2008-07-28T21:06:44Z

Some pictures of the makeup done on kids for 'Arts week' at work. Not many pictures as for reasons that will be familiar to anyone who works with children - you don't put pic's of them on the internet where they can be recognised. Even if they are made up as Pennywise the clown.

trivial news

2008-07-28T12:49:43Z

Well in comparison to other people’s weeks I really have nothing that will strike anyone as important, but I’m going to babble anyway on the theory that if you don’t like trivial crap why you reading anyway?! So without further ado…

The first week of the holidays has gone – and despite being rather busy I don’t feel like I have done much. This is probably as I have done no work off my list and have rather been having family time (WIN) and been back in work to mutilate some kids.

Not as illegal as you might think, in trying to convince new pupils to come to our ‘fabulous’ school we run an arts week where staff volunteer to do something creative with primary school pupils who might come to our school, so yours truly does a stage make-up workshop… mainly focusing on blood and gore. Kids will be kids. if i work out how i will post some piccies for your amusement.

Other than that, lots of quality time with Rach and Eve – hoping to go to the aquarium this week, partly for eve, and partly so I can play with the eagle rays again.

In SOS related news, I have been musing on a couple of OC issues after conversations with various people. The first is on ‘plot ownership’ for want of a better term. This has come up concerning the overnighter, although it has not been an issue with the overnighter itself – but basically the situation is this – when you start a plotline, people get involved. They invest their characters in it and quite reasonably they want to continue to be involved in ‘solving’ the plot. This is what I mean by ownership. Now the issue for me is the idea that these characters who have been involved from the start should be prioritized in future missions so as they can continue following the plot – a reasonable standpoint.

However, another way of wording it would be ‘if you were not on the first dungeon, you’re fucked. Especially if you only just joined the club.’ The Idea of Plot ownership is to me a major stumbling block in retaining players, and in my opinion, horribly cliquey. Hopefully, good writing should get around it – the current plotline has a number of different strands, with different people following them up (or not yet realizing they are there *evil grin*) and some of then haven’t started yet – giving others a chance to get involved in various areas. I know this is not a view everyone agrees with (the phrase that comes to mind was “stealing my plot” as if I was only writing for a small group, not the club as a whole) and the quite depressing speed which some people jump too to see OOC motivation for IC actions. Obviously no details but I’m sure you know the sort of thing I mean.

On the plus side, got the use of my mum’s house in Ormskirk at the weekend so myself, Slim and Nikki can start building some Props for the overnighter – not the really important ones… but hopefully ones that will go to a memorable encounter for the party.

apollo5532 @ 2008-07-21T12:42:00

2008-07-21T11:48:39Z

Well, here we are then. As its the blessed summer holidays (primary reason for becoming a teacher... and the only reason there are not a lot of 'teacher guns down pupil' news headlines) I’ve gone and signed on to this so as I can moan and randomly post things that amuse me.

So I suppose I had better start with my plans for the summer

So in September I have the joy of being head of department while the acual HOD is on sabbatical. This means lots more work but no more money. This sucks. More so when I recently had to apply for my own job (well, everyone did - bloody ‘building schools for the future’). I was told the interview went really well - so I’m in a very strong place to get the job - if the job exists! Seems that when they are amalgamating schools the first departments to suffer are MFL and Humanities. This despite the fact that in the two years I’ve been there we have gone from offering 1 GCSE in RE to GCSE Humanities, GCSE RE, GCSE Philosophy and Ethics and AS Philosophy and Ethics. Wont find out until September either because they haven’t decided what the curriculum will be yet - though all the management positions have been filled, of course, with accompanying pay rises.

Anyway, the upshot is over the summer I have a couple of schemes of work to write and I’ve yoinked the staff shared drive so I can reorganise it. I foresee booking myself into St. D’s for a few days.

And the other major thing I will be occupying myself with, SOS.

As anyone who goes will (hopefully) know, the September event hosting an overnighter for my plot, so writing and building props / costume for that is occupying my chill out activity slot for the summer. Sadly didn’t get as much budget as I was hoping for, so have had to abandon some ideas (and they would have been well good!) but there you go. The team seems to be shaping up well, though there will defiantly not be a Rydia, so the survivability factor dropped a bit there.

Currently having a wail of a time with downtimes, and just generally observing how people are approaching stuff, particularly how people are trying to work out the Nephalims motives / agenda etc. Also had the first big fight with a nephalim at the last event (as in one that wasn’t trying to leave given the chance) - Sad to see Harold killed, but I am amazed (to put it politely) that he was the only one, shall we say I personally will be suspicious of some people in a tavern situation regarding hits, as the list of people I am aware of who can take multiple spirit 7’s is a lot smaller that that encounter would make out.

The overnighter is going to be a logistical nightmare, and I’m a stress head when running stuff anyway, so god knows what I’ll be fit for come Saturday, if anything - but it should be fun!