I'm totally chised off at work.
We had SMC meeting today and right towards the end of the meeting, the bomb was dropped.
"Ok look at this list here and take out your diaries. This is just tentative and you have to let us know if you're not available for any these dates"
And she flashes a list of dates for meetings and work activities that takes us through to 31 Dec 2006. We look at all the meetings and staff ranking and SEM discussions and strategic planning discussions and etc that will be coming our way.
My first thought was : So where's the time for teaching?
Then another bomb was dropped.
"We are trying to release all SMC members by 28 Nov so that you can go for a longer break. But the tentative date of release of the N level results are on 15 Dec so we all have to be back by that. Remember, this is your only holiday until Dec 2007. For March holidays next year, we will not have any holiday as we have the EV team to evaluate our school in that week. And we're moving in June so you can forget about holidays in June as well."
WTF?!?!
Count. 29 Nov - 14 Dec. 16 days. Only. I only have these 16 days to rest. To take a short trip. Put my feet up. And its not like you will immediately put your feet up from Day 1. I foresee that there will be things I need to do in school even in those 16 days. Prepare for 2007? Plans for student leadership for 2007? When am I going to have time to do all that?
This is crazy. It's so shitty!!!
It's not like I'm not enthusastic about work. I do find the new things coming up very interesting and very challenging. Lots to learn and to do. I am interested in it all. But the notion of not having much of a break from work at all really really puts me off.
I feel like a puppet. My time is not within my control. My schedule is subject to change, even at the last minute. People just come in and take away my time so conveniently. And it's not like I can say no. These are official meetings. I'm already thinking of using Saturdays to complete my work. My marking is so behind time. My students' exams are coming and I haven't officially started intensive revision for them yet. My band needs activities and I want so much to do things for the band too. All these are put on hold because....what do I have? That's right! Meetings.
Sigh....
After today's meeting, I was so moody. I feel like a puppet. I like doing the things I have to do but the thought of not having any break at all....just.... sigh.... sucks.
Suddenly, I feel so tired.
I have a work review session with the VP this Friday. I need to complete the work review document before I see her and pass her my record book as well. I'm in such deep shit. I've already chosen the very last slot to see her and still I do not have time to do these 2 items for her. I'm so screwed. I think I won't be able to sleep tonight. Got to do the work review and stuff. Can't use tomorrow because there are other things to do in school.
I've been so busy doing little things here and there. Little because these items do not really contribute to the big picture that I want the school to have as a leadership structure. I jsut haven't had the time to sit and put my thoughts into pen and paper. My thoughts about the leadership structure. Oh yes, I've thought about them. They're all in my head. *point* I just haven't had the time to WRITE them out.
Things are feeling a little hot at my ass. I hope I'm not going to get my ass burnt. *look*
HOW?!?!?
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
It hurts.
I've never had to face something like that before in my life.
5 students from my class got themselves into trouble on Saturday. After they served their community service selling flags, they decided to take a free-ride home on a taxi. Only that the taxi driver was not aware that the ride was going to be for free.
They did it. They stopped the taxi where they wanted to and they ran off from the taxi in different directions so that the poor driver had no way to give chase to any of them. That's it. Scam, they call it.
I was horrified when I found out. Dumbfounded. Shocked. Disappointed. Hurt. Angry. Sad. Disgusted.
How could you??? Whatever happened to integrity and honesty? Doing something like that is equivalent to robbing the poor taxi driver. Do you know that his meter readings are all computerized and recorded by the company and they track how much he earns? That's how they are able to tell if the taxi drivers are for real when they are unable to pay up their daily rental. During my dad's time as a taxi driver in the 1980's-1990's, a taxi driver's daily rental for his cab was about $80.00 PER DAY. This means he had to make $80 per day to cover the cost of renting the cab, before he begins hs real earnings after the costs are covered. This is only the cost of the cab. What about the diesel?? Diesel may be cheaper than petrol but do you realise that the taxi's are on the road all the time so their diesel runs out fast and they need to top up every day?? (sometimes even more than once a day) How often do your fathers top of the petrol in their cars? Once a week? If the rental cost of a taxi was $80 in the 1980's, how much do you think it is today? It's year 2006. You think it's cheaper?
Do you have any idea how hard a taxi driver has to work? He's on the road the whole day. Rain or shine. If he needs the toilet, he has to park his car at the petrol kiosk to use the dirty ones they have there. Or he needs to park his taxi near some coffee shop to use the toilets there. Parking either means tearing coupons for parking time, or illegal 5-min parking of the taxi which puts him in danger of risking a $30-$70 fine for a mere pee. How stressful is that?? A taxi driver has to have enough sleep everyday in order to be alert on the roads. He can only drive for a certain amount of time. He cannot drive his cab for more than 12hours as it would be dangerous. So within that short few hours, he has to make money to put bread on the table for his family.
In that brief 20min-30min ride, he could have made a few dollars from you, to cover rental cost for the day, or to give to his children as pocket money for the week.
A brief moment of fun for you.... 20min of wasted time, diesel and earnings for him.
How could you??
I feel this even more as my own father was a taxi driver. Mum always told us how hard he works just to pay for our piano lessons and swimming lessons. If something like that happened to my dad, I'd be cursing and swearing at those inconsiderate culprits.
****************************
Suddenly as I am typing all this out, I begin to feel like I'm wasting my own time, energy on it. I've said what I want to say. I wish I could put this behind me. But somehow it comes back to haunt me when I think I've managed to push it away. It's just.....disturbing...
I really dread having to deal with this issue in school. It's so hard. I want to run away from it and pretend I never knew about it. I truly dread it. Because it hurts.
5 students from my class got themselves into trouble on Saturday. After they served their community service selling flags, they decided to take a free-ride home on a taxi. Only that the taxi driver was not aware that the ride was going to be for free.
They did it. They stopped the taxi where they wanted to and they ran off from the taxi in different directions so that the poor driver had no way to give chase to any of them. That's it. Scam, they call it.
I was horrified when I found out. Dumbfounded. Shocked. Disappointed. Hurt. Angry. Sad. Disgusted.
How could you??? Whatever happened to integrity and honesty? Doing something like that is equivalent to robbing the poor taxi driver. Do you know that his meter readings are all computerized and recorded by the company and they track how much he earns? That's how they are able to tell if the taxi drivers are for real when they are unable to pay up their daily rental. During my dad's time as a taxi driver in the 1980's-1990's, a taxi driver's daily rental for his cab was about $80.00 PER DAY. This means he had to make $80 per day to cover the cost of renting the cab, before he begins hs real earnings after the costs are covered. This is only the cost of the cab. What about the diesel?? Diesel may be cheaper than petrol but do you realise that the taxi's are on the road all the time so their diesel runs out fast and they need to top up every day?? (sometimes even more than once a day) How often do your fathers top of the petrol in their cars? Once a week? If the rental cost of a taxi was $80 in the 1980's, how much do you think it is today? It's year 2006. You think it's cheaper?
Do you have any idea how hard a taxi driver has to work? He's on the road the whole day. Rain or shine. If he needs the toilet, he has to park his car at the petrol kiosk to use the dirty ones they have there. Or he needs to park his taxi near some coffee shop to use the toilets there. Parking either means tearing coupons for parking time, or illegal 5-min parking of the taxi which puts him in danger of risking a $30-$70 fine for a mere pee. How stressful is that?? A taxi driver has to have enough sleep everyday in order to be alert on the roads. He can only drive for a certain amount of time. He cannot drive his cab for more than 12hours as it would be dangerous. So within that short few hours, he has to make money to put bread on the table for his family.
In that brief 20min-30min ride, he could have made a few dollars from you, to cover rental cost for the day, or to give to his children as pocket money for the week.
A brief moment of fun for you.... 20min of wasted time, diesel and earnings for him.
How could you??
I feel this even more as my own father was a taxi driver. Mum always told us how hard he works just to pay for our piano lessons and swimming lessons. If something like that happened to my dad, I'd be cursing and swearing at those inconsiderate culprits.
****************************
Suddenly as I am typing all this out, I begin to feel like I'm wasting my own time, energy on it. I've said what I want to say. I wish I could put this behind me. But somehow it comes back to haunt me when I think I've managed to push it away. It's just.....disturbing...
I really dread having to deal with this issue in school. It's so hard. I want to run away from it and pretend I never knew about it. I truly dread it. Because it hurts.
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