It is only Tuesday, and I have three more days – and 7.5 hours of teaching – before the end of my contract (and my retirement begins) ... and things are rather boring. I have cleared my desk and work area of everything that I don't need, tidied up my teaching room, filled several recycling bins full of waste paper, and have marked all the work my students have handed in. Their marks have been added to the subject spreadsheet in the Faculty area on the computer system ... and I don't have much left to occupy me until my next lesson tomorrow morning.
If I could, I would go home and carry on with getting ready for COW2011 ... but I have to stay at work 'just in case'. I have even helped other staff to sort out their computer problems - something that the IT Support staff here would not be happy about if they knew ... but they won't know because they are all trying to get the new information management system to work.
I did get a letter from the Principal today explaining why my contract had been terminated and thanking me for all the work I have done over the past three years ... but the fact that I had to ask her to write it for me (a written explanation of the reasons why a contract is being terminated is one of the conditions in the contract, and this is supposed to be done within 48 hours of the verbal notice of termination being given) rather took the edge off the 'thanks' the letter contained.
So it looks as if my final few days in teaching are going to go out with a whimper and not a bang.
As T S Elliott writes in his poem, 'The Hollow Men':
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
If I could, I would go home and carry on with getting ready for COW2011 ... but I have to stay at work 'just in case'. I have even helped other staff to sort out their computer problems - something that the IT Support staff here would not be happy about if they knew ... but they won't know because they are all trying to get the new information management system to work.
I did get a letter from the Principal today explaining why my contract had been terminated and thanking me for all the work I have done over the past three years ... but the fact that I had to ask her to write it for me (a written explanation of the reasons why a contract is being terminated is one of the conditions in the contract, and this is supposed to be done within 48 hours of the verbal notice of termination being given) rather took the edge off the 'thanks' the letter contained.
So it looks as if my final few days in teaching are going to go out with a whimper and not a bang.
As T S Elliott writes in his poem, 'The Hollow Men':
Not with a bang but a whimper.
Bob
ReplyDeleteWhen we shuffle off this mortal coil we take nothing with us, but we sure can leave something behind.
Look to the legacy, not the gain, for our legacy is our gain.. Confucius wishes he said that!
Go watch "The Browning Version" and be inspired.
Regards
Arthur
"All manner of things will be well..."
ReplyDeleteJulian of Norwich
best wishes
Alan
Arthur,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thought-provoking words.
I wrote my blog entry in a state of acute boredom, brought on by having to listen to a long diatribe about the the 'action plan' that is going to be enacted next year in the school where I am currently working ... and where I will not be working next year!
Talk about a waste of time ...
All the best,
Bob
Tradgardmastare,
ReplyDeleteA very nice quote; very appropriate!
I do not cope well with being bored. ... especially if I have things that I could be doing but I am unable to do them. Now that I am home and can get on with preparing for COW, I am much happier and much more upbeat.
All the best,
Bob