In the red corner....

It has been a bit like a boxing match at school this week!
Round 1 started when I attended the Curriculum meeting to show my interest and committment to the Alternative Year 9 program for 2006, where I watched the proposal, and those who had proposed it, get ripped to shreds by over-protective, closed-minded KLA territory minders who just don't get the bigger picture of Learning Centre projects! I was appalled to watch German staff demand their extra 1 period a week back, and technology staff demand their double lessons back all whilst the shoulders of interested parties and the proposal team slink further and further to the ground. I went home very annoyed, frustrated and disheartened, only to be met by a convoluted detour because a gas tanker had tipped. By the time I got to the third dead end of the detour, in the pouring rain and pitch black night I felt like crying. Instead I asked the nearest safety marshall how to get home and he pointed me down this little dirt road of salvation!

Round 2 continued in my office this morning when the German teachers were still going on about how the proposal was so flawed and one in particular kept pushing his argument until everyone agreed with him- he is very manipulative like this. But I decided not to stand for that and told him I disagreed and that the proposal was good, but it was simply that- a proposal. With much work still to be done on it, and consultation, all of which is not normally done in the first stages of a proposal- WHAT PART OF PROPOSAL DON'T PEOPLE GET! So then in my mind I decided that if I was to ever teach in another school I would teach where the LOTE is Spanish, Jamaican, Italian or a derivative of a relaxed, laid back country- NOT STUCK UP, STOIC, AGGRESSIVE, DEFENSIVE, CHIP-ON-SHOULDER GERMAN!! Deep breath! Then I just went silent and he stopped talking about it- I think he got the message that just because he had spoken to the curriculum committee chairperson (in a very undermining fashion, mind you) it was the decision of many others whether this project would go ahead.

Round 3 and by this time my wrists were firmly strapped, I had steel meshed into my gloves and I was ready to throw some punches- at the staff meeting. Going in I told the AP who is in charge of curriculum that he was the boss of this show and that I think he should just make the decision to run the program. He smiled and said that it is going ahead anyway. Especially if the Leading Schools Fund application is sucessful. So I felt happier and thought stuff you German teacher who knows nothing. I also gave the AP some feedback on how the revised proposal handout was clearer and less suggestive of anything set in place (something that the staff at my school don't deal with too well). Anyway, just as I was starting to smile again and see myself at CSC for another year we were split into groups. And I copped the negative group! The group who wanted "Clarification" and "answers to all these endless questions". They wanted to argue about losing sex ed at Year 9 and theory in all subjects because six periods were being taken up in the Learning Centre! OPEN YOUR MINDS PEOPLE! There are endless possibilities for rich tasks here that would incorporate Sex ed seamlessly. Can't we just show them a video (Ouch!)
In the end, after debating back and forth and getting nowhere, I said to the Year 8 co-ordinator (another German teacher) verbatim: "All I know is that I would rather come back to a school that is running this program than what is happeneing here at the moment- ESPECIALLY AT YEAR 8!!" And said my goodbyes and left! I know this is melodramatic and not the best way to handle things but I am sick of criticism, I am sick of people who won't try things and I am sick of having to defend good ideas.

To take this forward...as part of my boxing training regime I plan to:
1. Associate only with positive like minded teachers
2. Join a group (suggest a change to the assigned groups) so that I am with people who are in favour of this alternative program
3. Trial team teaching in Terms 3 and 4 to show an active and considered interest in the program.
4. Ignore German teachers until after the holidays and then even a little bit longer- like until they leave...I'm still angry about this point...can you tell?!
5. Maybe work on a proposal where each KLA can have their own input into the program- like a chart where they fill in their own KLA specific possible topics so that everyone feels like they have been consulted and asked for ideas. Ultimately it comes down to how secure people feel their position is (especially short contract teachers) so KLA v's KLA is bound to happen. Learning Centres need to ensure that this is addressed in the planning stages so that everybody is happy or at least part of the decision making processes.
6. Have the last week of each term off- when people are at their wits end.
7. Take up smoking- which ML has offered to fully support me in when I voiced my idea today- at least I would have an outlet for relaxation. :)

And another thing I would host a PD for people correcting my reports on how 'present' can be used as a verb!! SO TAKE YOUR GODDAMN WRONG COMMENTS BACK!! NO I WILL NOT REPRINT!

That's my blog for today. I'm so glad that is off my mind.

Bye for now,
M x