Our Principal has been at our school for close to 3 years now and is not what you would call a people person. There are many and varied stories of her completely misreading or ignoring children's needs and many small incidents that lead to a general bad feeling around the place. The teachers are, thank goodness, wonderful.
The other day I was at school helping the librarian (who is so overloaded with duties, the school would collapse without her) and the Principal came in. She obviously had a bee in her bonnet about something and set about accusing the librarian of wasting school resources as well as teacher's time. When it was pointed out that parent helpers were actually doing the work, this did not improve the mood and other orders were snapped out to a very taken aback and angry librarian.
I was so disgusted at her treatment of the staff that i was compelled to send her an email pointing out that to gain the respect of staff and parents you first had to show them respect and wasn't this exactly what we were trying to teach the kids?
No reply was to be heard from said principal but I was at school again today helping move books out of the library for the refurbishment and the principal approached, hmm interesting I think to myself... But out came a "thank you so very much for helping, we really appreciate it, and Heather (the librarian who was standing with mouth agape at this stage) how many people do you want to help, please just ask, can't help too much etc etc."
Wow, a complete turn around, and so complaining does work in the short term anyway, hopefully some of the message will sink in.
ps- on a completely unrelated note Cadbury chocolates has recently become a certified fair trader of chocolate (ie no child/underpaid workers harvesting cocoa beans - a huge, huge issue) so we now have another excuse to indulge in chocolaty goodness - we are helping farmers in developing countries guilt free...
xx
2 comments:
Karen well done and said.....I recently read a report that children have no role models this day and age... gee I wonder why when? their own learning environment is hostile!
Well done Karen. One of the worst feelings in the world is when you're told off like that and you can't stand up for yourself, because you have to be 'professional' or the moment has passed before you can think of a suitable reply. I'm glad the principal had an attitude re-adjustment!
And genius comment about Cadbury's. I did not know this. I will eat completely guilt free. ;-D
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