The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
All work and no play doesn’t sound like an in-service day
Learning to waltzer and teeing up a good pint all help enhance a teacher’s career
JONATHAN M LEWIS, LOCAL HEAD TEACHER
It’s been a wonderful week for all members of the Garioch Academy community. Monday’s public holiday brought some well-earned rest for staff and pupils alike, while Tuesday’s in-service day provided teachers with some much-needed reinvigoration and recalibration.
As ever, a vocal minority of the parent body have expressed their (completely unfounded) doubt in the validity of in-service days, but I will defend to the utmost the benefits of meaningful professional development.
On Tuesday, staff were invited to join in some ad-hoc learning breakout sessions co-ordinated by some of our most respected colleagues. The day began with Mr Stevenson’s very popular group work on outdoor learning, which took place at Kemnay Golf Club, and continued with Mr Gordon’s afternoon symposium on the use of new technologies in teaching, which took place at Codona’s.
This was followed by Mr Braithwaite’s “pedagogy, pork scratchings and pints” discussion group: a profound meeting of minds, addressing the philosophy of education, conducted in the beer garden of the Kintore Arms Hotel.
The depth of knowledge presented by the staff in that forum was astonishing. I passed by around teatime, walking my schnauzer, and I must admit, I couldn’t understand what anyone was talking about! I am told the discussions were so enthralling that several of the group were still there well into the early hours of the morning.
The summer term also brings study leave for our senior pupils. It is surely the highlight of every teacher’s year, when previously indolent and recalcitrant pupils suddenly discover a thirst for knowledge – turning up at your door 20 minutes before the exam to ask pointed questions such as: “Can you tell me about history?”
“Yes, of course!” We eagerly reply, “Which topic?” To which the pupil almost invariably replies: “All of it.”
Again, the vocal minority among the parent body have falsely suggested that teachers view study leave as a jamboree, where a previously replete timetable is pared down to something more resembling the diary of a regency fop.
But, I can assure you, teachers take no pleasure from cleared schedules and quiet corridors, and miss their pupils terribly during study leave. What else could explain our very, very subdued staff room on Wednesday morning?
TANYA SOUTER, LIFESTYLE CORRESPONDENT
I da ken aboot youse, but I wiz raging fan I heard there’s a club in London that has only jist voted tae allow women in it after 193 years. It’s cried the Garrick Club, and has been “mannies only” since it first opened in 1831. At is jist unasseptable, ‘at. Far div they think they are, The Grill?
It was nae jist ony mannies, but politicians, judges, lawyers, top figures fae the arts, and even the King.
The dancefloor in there must be a sicht tae see, eh? It wis weird enough seeing Ed Balls daen Gangnam Style on Strictly. Imagine fit it’s like fan half the cabinet, twa thirds o’ the Supreme Court and Melvyn Bragg a’ launch intae the Macarena.
Onywye, ye widna catch me gan intae a club like ‘at, full o’ doddery auld mannies. If I wis interested in ‘at kind o’ thing, I’d just ging tae The Albyn.
But it is disgusting in this day and age that women wiz banned, and I am affa pleased tae see that 60% o’ the Garrick membership hiv at last voted on ending this exclusion. Apparently, a’ the famous fowk, like Sting, Stephen Fry and Benedict Cucumberpatch wiz ayewiz in favour o’ women jinin’ but jist hidna hid time tae mention it tae naeb’dy afore the newspapers sterted banging on aboot it.
Ken ‘is? Even noo it’s allowed, I still widnae jine the Garrick Club. As Groucho Marx nearly said: “I da wint tae belong tae ony club fit has Michael Gove as a member.” I still get flashbacks tae ‘at dunce aff we hid yon nicht at O’Neill’s.
But even if I did wint tae jine, it’s an absolute palaver tae actually become a member. Ye’d think they’d be keen tae get fowk in, but apparently the Garrick Club maks ye sign a massive, reed leather-bound book, and ye then need pages o’ signatures and hiv tae hae a meal there and get discussed by ither members. And, then, efter a’ that, there’s something tae dae wi’ black bas fit I dinna wint tae ken aboot.
Mintil, is it? Yon time me and my pal Big Sonja jined the casino at the Castlegate, a’ we hid tae dae wis sign a bittie o’ paper. And, seeing as we wis baith bleezing at the time, we didna even sign wir right names. They tak yer picter for the membership card, though. So, funnily enough, Ivanna Tinkle and Emma Royds hiv niver been back.
Teachers miss their pupils terribly during study leave