Saturday 7 November 2009

Day One. The start of a bold experiment

This is the place where I can and will be totally honest. Don't laugh! I know you've heard it all before, but this time I will be honest. I have in the past been tempted to be less than honest at times, but it has usually been so that people don't think badly of me. I have my appearance and air of authority to maintain. Admitting that someone else has had a good idea, and acknowledging that has not been my way. In the past I have taken other people's ideas and then introduced them as my own. Unless of course if they didn't work out, in that case I have been more than ready to dump the person who thought of the idea very firmly in the mire. I know that people think I am fickle and false, and I suppose I am, but pressure of work has made me that way. I don't know how other people have kept their integrity in high posts. Must be very strong characters indeed. I have even heard of some who have admitted that they were wrong, when something has gone badly wrong, rather than pass the buck. In my mind it undermines their authority. Although I have heard some of my past staff say that you should never ask someone to do a job you aren't prepared to tackle yourself. I don't see the point in that. Why do the graft, when you can get someone lower than you to do it, and then bask in the glory when things go right?
Anyway, on to this bold experiment I have been personally selected to take part in. Obviously they thought I was the best man for the job, although I did apply for it several times over before I got the appointment. For some reason they weren't ready to appoint on several occasions. Anyhow, now the time is right, and I have been appointed as Principle, or Head of the Floating Academy on board the Cinanit. She's a beautifully appointed liner, four huge funnels, she puts in me mind of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I have hand picked most of the staff for the academy myself, however, once I had appointed the Human Resource Manager, I was so impressed I left her to the appointments. Why waste my valuable teaching expertise on sifting through applicants? The select committee did appoint some of the non teaching staff.
The pupils will be taken from all over the UK, specially selected I have been told for this bold venture. I have cast my eyes over the register and they just seem to be a mixed bunch of misfits, the same as you would get at any school. I look forward to the challenge. All the pupils are on board now and we are to set sail at the next high tide, as provisions are still currently being loaded. The experiment, as far as I understand it, is just to have a floating academy where the pupils are supervised by teaching staff throughout their whole high school career. There is a small sixth form element who have personally chosen to take part after interviews with their careers advisors at their individual high schools.
I predict great things will happen, and we will all have a jolly time.

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