Introduction


Welcome to my Blog which combines the unlikely topics of supply teaching with progressive rock. Here you will find my ongoing 'Diary of a Surviving Supply Teacher' and a variety of lists/ timelines/ articles on progressive rock.



Tuesday 26 April 2011

Diary of a Surviving Supply Teacher: How We Treat People

Unqualified Support Staff, Monday 25th April 2011

A
t its annual conference in Glasgow, the NASUWT raised the point about schools increasingly using unqualified support staff to teach lessons on a regular basis. This is likely to occur more frequently as the government’s policy of free schools and academies advances. The question is what is the union doing about it?



Five Lessons About How We Treat People, Tuesday 26th April 2011

The first three of the following five paragraphs made me think about the way agencies and schools treat supply teachers.


 1.  The Cleaning Lady

D
uring my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one, ‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’ Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say, "Hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Grace.



2. Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30, an elderly African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. Several passed by, and finally a young white man stopped to help her--unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a fantastic present - a giant console colour TV (again, not at all common in the 1960's) was delivered to his home. A note was attached.

‘Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away.  God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.’

Yours sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole


3.  Always Remember Those Who Serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less than it does today, a 10-year-old boy entered a coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
 

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied, feeling frustrated with this child. The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away, paying no more attention to him.   The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.

He couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4.  The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. 

Later, a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!   Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition. While it isn't likely that a king would do such a thing today, the lesson is still clear:  every challenge is an opportunity. 
 


5.  Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and very serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.  

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

The little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. 

What an amazing gift from the child.  We could learn many lessons from the children around us - before they've been taught to hate, before they've been taught our own prejudices and hatreds.  Greet each new day as a special gift of love!
 


From: http://www.eurekaspringsfumc.org/stories/five_lessons.htm

First posted on Tuesday, 26th April 2011



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