Trying to juggle the two responsibilities I now have – Head of Languages and Assistant Head Teacher – is certainly making me earn my money. I have just worked two consecutive 60-hour weeks and it’s the main excuse for not having written anything on here since the end of October! I need to learn the art of saying “well, actually, no I can’t”. The worst aspect of the whole thing is that I never get to a point when I feel that I have done everything. There is always some task / job / bit of silly bureaucracy that needs doing even when you sit back and think you have ticked every box on the list. And whoever it is who has allocated you the task / job / bit of silly bureaucracy thinks that you are sitting on your arse procrastinating and not pulling your finger out. I should employ someone to follow me around with a camera between 6.30am (when I arrive at work) and 6.30pm (when I generally leave, sometimes later), speed the whole thing up by 12 times and then produce an hour-long documentary about the life of a teacher / juggler. But then I would get prosecuted for employing someone without giving them a break.

Mind you, I do enjoy it. If I didn’t there would be some excuse for finding a position elsewhere. I have lots of flexibility to set my own daily agenda and just get on with it…. And there are the holidays of course (go on, be honest, that’s what you all thought when I started whingeing about the long hours in the teaching profession). And this weekend. I stayed in the office at school yesterday until nearly 7pm finishing off and sorting out the urgent bits and pieces for Monday morning. Today and tomorrow, I am going to do bugger all for school and find something to do for me. I’ll hopefully have something to write about by Sunday evening. Perhaps I should teach my self to juggle, balls. Watch this space.