Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Star Q

i.  What Group Ethos?

ii.  Parmesan Zucchini Chips

iii.  Writing - A Suggestion on Differentiation

The long and scathing content of the short message sent to me via my mobile phone was the work of a very dissatisfied and grumpy person, who obviously thinks that every thing that I am doing is adding more burden onto his already sagging shoulders.

I would have been more receptive if the person had been more subtle with his words or even his excuses in trying to avoid from being visited.  But he must remember, that it is the nature of my work to visit him when he is teaching and consequently offer any suggestions to better improve his lesson for the benefit of his students.

However, he did not like the idea of me entering his class when he is teaching, or even before.  He went on ranting that he had a lot of administrative work to do, a whole slew of assessments to attend to and other things he succeeded to highlight but failed to mention.  He fumed that he did not understand the purpose of my visits or in fact, why I chose to visit him in the first place.  He continued to confess that he did not trust me and had no more respect for me.  All this because a week earlier I had sent a schedule to let him (and a list of other teachers, who unlike him, did not make any noise of disapproval at all!)  know I was coming and for him to make changes if my request did not fit his schedule.

All the teacher should have done was to reschedule (which other teachers happily did!) or politely told me of his heavy work load (as if other teachers did not have any work to do!) or suggested that I visit his colleagues' classes instead of his (again, as if his colleagues did not have any work to do!)

I have naively considered everyone within this education community as my friends.  Sadly, some of them, including this very unfortunate chap, have decided to make me their enemies behind my back.  Or as one of my ex-students put it, frenemies!