School Policy

Screw Up

The secretary at the college scheduled me for an invigilation schedule at 4:00 today. Invigilation is sitting and watching students take a test. It's so amazingly boring that there is no good way to describe it. It's literally sitting watching people take a test. At the college, we are able to do something, like listen to the ipod or flip through a magazine. At the high school, we are completely unable to do anything. No talking, no reading, nothing. It's just an hour of scanning the room - left to right, right to left. It's an hour of that. It's painful. I asked a colleague, Sally, if I could knit. She made a face. I only asked because one of my favorite podcasters says he does it, and he's a teacher.

So Sally calls me at 3:50 this afternoon and says, "Are you on your way?"

It's Monday and I normally have class tonight, so I said, "Yeah."

So Sally says, "Well, your invigilation starts in ten minutes. Will you be late?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm just getting on the tram in The Hague. It'll be about two hours before I'm there."

Turns out that she could sit in for me. Two hours later, I showed up.

Fortunately, when I saw her and I was tripping over myself apologizing, Sally told me that she had not only double booked herself on Sunday evening, but that she had triple booked herself and had missed a dinner with a couple from church where they cooked a goose for her. So she was understanding about my having forgotten. She's a very understanding person. I don't want her to think that I'm a total dork.

Of course when I told her that I would not be here on Thursday and Friday because I was planning on taking vacation days, she said, "Oh yeah?" I didn't tell anyone because it was...I just didn't think of it. It was stupid. I think I can back pedal my way out of it. I hope.

And of course another of our office mates asked me if I had informed the students about when their presentations were. He was subtle, but he has a way about him. Sort of "Did you remember?" He's completely organized and has one of those computer brains.

So I have a lot of work to do. A lot.

posted by Philip @ 6:25 PM