Can't Wait To See What They "Give" For A Christmas Treat
In honor of National Boss's Day, I have been authorized to relate the following from Charles, Principal Extraordinaire. (You know: The boss of the school.)
Driving home in the car last night, he tells me of the treat that awaits him for National Boss's Day from the school board. The treat he just found out about that day.
Not flowers. Not a gift certificate for McD's. Not the afternoon off (sheesh, what the hell were you thinking?) or chocolates. Not a cheesy mug or a figurine of a guy behind the desk with the obligatory "World's Best Boss" blazoned across it.
The board wants all the school administrators to assemble at Wednesday's school board meeting to be "recognized".
Sounds like a lovely thought, yes? I thought so, too, for that fraction of a nanosecond before the next neuron fired.
What that really entails is that he "gets" to stay late another couple of hours (they meet at 7 pm), eat dinner from plastic and stay in his tie, for 5 minutes of "Thank you, oh you district administrators." Only then can he get in his car and drive home.
Instead of eating dinner with his family at 6 pm, putting his feet up or chasing the kids or throwing the ball with the dog, he gets to come home around 8 pm. The kids will be in bed. The dinner, in the fridge. The dog curled by a chair.
Yeah, that's really going to raise morale and boost job satisfaction. He is really going to feel appreciated after that.
And don't even think the question, "So, it's optional, right?"
Now, we both knew that he'd have his share of late nights with this job. Hell, he's been doing this for several years. What puts our skivs in a twist is having a late night for no good reason. This does not help kids. It is not a parents' night or even the dreaded Family Fun Night. It is not even hours to be spent this Saturday canvassing the area to get folks to fill out a survey regarding their perceptions about the district. (Never mind that it is his son's last soccer game of the season or that family will be in town. An entire Saturday morning.) That, at least, has some pretense of use.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Driving home in the car last night, he tells me of the treat that awaits him for National Boss's Day from the school board. The treat he just found out about that day.
Not flowers. Not a gift certificate for McD's. Not the afternoon off (sheesh, what the hell were you thinking?) or chocolates. Not a cheesy mug or a figurine of a guy behind the desk with the obligatory "World's Best Boss" blazoned across it.
The board wants all the school administrators to assemble at Wednesday's school board meeting to be "recognized".
Sounds like a lovely thought, yes? I thought so, too, for that fraction of a nanosecond before the next neuron fired.
What that really entails is that he "gets" to stay late another couple of hours (they meet at 7 pm), eat dinner from plastic and stay in his tie, for 5 minutes of "Thank you, oh you district administrators." Only then can he get in his car and drive home.
Instead of eating dinner with his family at 6 pm, putting his feet up or chasing the kids or throwing the ball with the dog, he gets to come home around 8 pm. The kids will be in bed. The dinner, in the fridge. The dog curled by a chair.
Yeah, that's really going to raise morale and boost job satisfaction. He is really going to feel appreciated after that.
And don't even think the question, "So, it's optional, right?"
Now, we both knew that he'd have his share of late nights with this job. Hell, he's been doing this for several years. What puts our skivs in a twist is having a late night for no good reason. This does not help kids. It is not a parents' night or even the dreaded Family Fun Night. It is not even hours to be spent this Saturday canvassing the area to get folks to fill out a survey regarding their perceptions about the district. (Never mind that it is his son's last soccer game of the season or that family will be in town. An entire Saturday morning.) That, at least, has some pretense of use.
Thanks, but no thanks.
posted by Diana at 8:20 AM
9 Comments:
I remember a saying we had in the Air Force: "All vacations are cancelled until morale improves."
A fellow teacher, in protest of hall monitor duty during final exams, drew a wonderful portrait of himself and placed it behind the monitor's desk and then spent the period doing important things in his classroom.
Ooops!!! The previous comment was by The Ole RF-er. (Sorry 'bout that.)
Employers or people in authority should realize that schmoozing with them is not a "gift"- if you want to make your employee feel recognized- a thoughtful gift, money or time off are the only acceptable alternatives.
Let Charles know my husband's coping mechanicism for such events is to imagine the main participants making Godzilla noises, and imagining them as Rodan, Mothra, etc. according to their looks and characteristics. Justin finds this diverting exercise has helped through many a "team building" or forced-fun dinner at his workplace.
My way of getting through stupid meetings? Having a trusted friend nudge me whenever I start falling asleep. And they count it. Apparently the last quarterly meeting, I dozed off twenty times.
This is such a stupid, stupid thing. Poor Charles.
I am putting them on my list for people to smite when my title is official.
oh, oh, oh! I know, I know! (Waves hands enthusiatically). For a Christmas Treat he'll give to hold parent conferences with the worst trouble-makers in the school!
p.s. That whole recognition ceremony thing? It sucks. Blech.
I agree. This is a crock. There had better be a surprise recognition gift, e.g., a week in the Bahamas for two.
As if.
Dad- Don't think we didn't consider sending a "standie".
Stacy- Heh, heh. I like the Godzilla coping mechanism. I count chocolate as another acceptable gift option. 2 of the secretaries gave him chocolate cookies. He shared.
Dana- 20 times! That takes talent. I truly thank you in advance for the smiting.
Teri- (snort) Yeah, and he'll have to bake the refreshments.
Jamie- If they did the Bahamas, they probably would have sent them this week, in the midst of the hurricaine.
Gawd. That's completely ridiculous.
Yep. That's all I got.
I must need more tea or something.
Babs- Naw, I used up all the flabbergast for this one. None left to go around.
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