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My recollection of school principals and deputies is mixed. I endured at least one principal who was useless. He had no idea of what it meant to be a leader. The staff were let do their own thing. There was no accountability. Teachers paired off or small groups of teachers formed along social lines. Staff spent time commenting on what other teachers did or didn't do. The principal was often absent at meetings or functions. He seemed more interested in his standing within the department & his future career. He was a great net-worker, with an eye on the latest trend or fashion in education & no capacity, or worse, no interest in considering the demands each new program makes on the existing curriculum. On top of these flaws, his biggest offence was that he didn't really care about kids and their education. This meant he had no real knowledge or interest in what his staff did in their classrooms day to day. The result was a school where teaching was an isolated and isolating experience. No one was encouraged to talk about their difficult kids, or their struggles with special needs kids, or the fact that they had no idea how to deal with spoiled kids, kids with poor discipline, bullies, or the bright sparks that were constantly searching for more stimulation, not to mention the kids that you just didn't like.
Why did we put up with this goose?
I also had a boss who was the complete opposite. More on him later.
Herman Goering reminds us.
ReplyDeleteWhy of course the people don’t want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don’t want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.