Earache

And not because I have a cold...

My ear seems to be permanently attached to the phone at the moment. At school, its to one particular parent, who's son is quite possibly the laziest boy I have ever taught - but his mother thinks that we aren't doing enough for him (don't get me started....) 3 phone calls in three days, with emails and her phoning other staff as well (I'm trying to 'gatekeep' and protect the rest of the staff from her - she's irritating in the extreme). The extent of her son's laziness can be exemplified from his two ICT lessons so far this week - no work completed or printed, head on desk clearly couldn't be bothered, and even when I stood behind him for 20 minutes yesterday, he made excuse after excuse about why he wasn't doing anything. Today I sat with him, when through his network user space, organised his work into folders, printed out the few bits of work that he had attempted (after I typed his name, title and date into every single piece!) and then put all of his work into his portfolio in order, gave him an examplar piece to work from and said "Ok now?" "Yes Miss" - 30 minutes later .....NO WORK! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

His mum is coming in to see me tomorrow - its going to be interesting methinks.

Then after a long day teaching and trying to get my marking up to date (as it is a key assessment week so I have to enter updated grades into our ICT system), we had Senior Team meeting. That was fine - in fact it was quite entertaining, particularly as the boss and myself were enjoying ranting and raving about our "National Challenge" consultant who keeps writing bloody plans for improvement for the school, which when they are presented on paper are full of errors and incorrect information - despite agreements at previous meetings (she keeps reducing the 'target' figures for the consultant who is working in school - so its OK for us to have unrealistic targets, but as far as the people who are 'flown in' to help us are concerned its super soft all the way!!!!!)

Got in at just after 6. Put the oven on and put a nice piece of fresh Pacific Cod in the oven in foil with butter and lemon and let that steam in its own juices for an hour whilst I started marking coursework.

Had tea at 7. Sat back down to mark more work at 7.45.

Then Grandma rang.

OH MY GOD can my Nana talk. The conversation started like this

"Oh hello love. I have I disturbed you in the middle of something?"

"I'm in the middle of marking coursework Nana actually"

"Oh right, well I won't keep you then ..."

...... she then proceeded to tell me what I am doing on Saturday 25th October (meeting her, my aunty Rose and my Mum at the big Tesco in Warrington, because apparently I WILL be at the climbing wall just next to it when they are there, so I can pop over and see them ....I did point out it was four weeks away and that I was impressed that she knew where I would be and what I would be doing - CHEERS MUM! - I'm surprised I wasn't given a time check - "At 2.32pm you will exit the climbing wall and walk to tesco in order to meet us at 2.35 in the cafe!)

25 minutes later, when my cup of tea had gone cold and my will to live had been destroyed (conversations about cracked vertabrae, delays at the airport, how much my Uncle Lenny charges to drive her around in his taxi, what the best painkillers are, how she eats really badly because she can't be bothered anymore since Grandad died..............and then conversations about how pleased she was that James had settled into his new routine and what a positive thing it was - which just got right on my nerves given that she has spent 12 months having a go at me about letting James stay at his dads during the week and that a change of school would be a dreadful thing to put him through) she said

"right love, best let you get on with your marking" (it was 9.30 by this time!)


Don't get me wrong, I love my Grandma dearly - but she doesn't half pick her moments!!!!

And how do you explain to a 78 year old woman who is significantly overweight and who has osteoporosis and poor bone density, that the lieklihood of her having surgery on her back to 'cement' the two broken vertabrae is SLIM at best? Tact is not my strong point - I was gentle though!!!

Its now 10.43. I've finished the coursework but still have a pile of stuff to do for tomorrow morning - so I best get on with it.

Woohoo!