Who Is It

Who is it?

We have a thief among us. It's only 3 weeks into the school term and already we are down to the last 4 forks in the entire staffroom. 

Beth, the science teacher, is carefully eating salad with a fork and I am sitting there eating 2 minute noodles with some disposable chopsticks I found in the second draw. Like a scene from 'Survivor', teachers are eagerly scanning the room to see if anyone is finishing their lunch to try and snaffle their fork (if they are using one) when they are done.

Each term the school supplied forks and then they go missing somewhere between the draw, dishwasher and staffroom. The admin team decided to stop providing forks after calculating they have replaced over 300 forks in two years and decided that money could be spent better elsewhere. We have never ran out of cups, bowls, plates and knives, but those forks decide to go on an adventure of no return.

However it's amazing what you can achieve when your desperate. After a busy day, when all you want to do is eat some slapped up last minute dish, brainpower can shift a gear. You start going Bear Grills to identify ways to eat that lunch. You scan your dish and what is left in the drawer, mostly spoons and knives. Problem solved. You see Rob with his 3 pieces of toast topped with lettuce, egg, beetroot and steak. He is going to struggle. Others, just go the fingers while muttering who is throwing out/taking the forks home. 

When Winter sets in, you get thinking about ways to make a profit. Supplying forks from home could net a return. Some people get desperate enough they would shout a chocolate from the vending machine. Maybe whoever is taking/throwing the forks out will want to go into business.

Another year, a new adventure

Schools back! However the teachers may not be. While all students should now have been at school for at least a week, many of teachers may still be waking up from their holiday slumber and preparing themselves for the new challenges facing them for 2015.

Sitting around tables in the staffroom, the sudden realisation that the holidays are over is finally sinking in. No more 9am coffees with friends. No more gym sessions after an 8 hour sleep (lets face it, no more 8 hour sleep ins!) and that feeling of being as light and happy as a butterfly will soon be over.

A colleague of mine, Rob from the Arts departments, shares his story about his family holiday to their beach home. I sit there looking at the chocolate box. Ah the sweet chocolate box. I wonder if I will be able to hold out and keep my goal of cutting out chocolate and soft drink binges? But then it hits me.

My first week so far has saw 20 eager parents waiting outside the classroom door, on day one. All wanting to talk to me about their child while I try and supervise 20 students running, crying and just staring around their new habitat. My once neat desk now has photocopied alphabet activities, shape sorting sheets and assessments which need filing, all creating a mini Mt Everest. Don't even ask me where I put keys. They are there somewhere.

It's now the last day of the week. Brand new photocopiers are jammed, whiteboard markers are mysteriously disappearing (They are probably under the paperwork somewhere), The lolly jar that was full is now empty and the instant coffee is near depleted in the staffroom. We have survived, the state of our survival however is another story.

The students have left for the weekend and teachers are not far behind, ready for hibernation. I know I will be checking emails and screaming at the clock to slow down while I eat my chocolate to get me through this adventure.