Moving on

  

27 May 2013

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of an up and down affair to be honest.
A great day at school for the year 11 leavers events followed by finding out that the Siemens pension Duncan always talked about doesnt exist.

 Which means I need to earn more than I expected, that's ok, I have a full time job as Head of department to return to...........................or I did until last week

 The meeting at school was another ambush with 2 managers and the head, having detailed my shortcomings, dismissed my request for support, he made it clear that I wasnt going to be head of department...Having had my request to work part time refused a couple of weeks ago I was a bit confused at this point.
  Turns out giving up my job as head of department and working part time was what he wanted me to offer to do, bearing in mind this was exactly what I said a week ago, he could have avoided all the need to make me feel worthless by just saying "You told Bob last week you wanted to give up your responsibility and work part time, is that still what you want?" . In teaching you expect to be beaten to the floor, management demonstrate their superiority by being a better manipulator of people (and the facts!) than the poor victim the other side of the desk.

The head still wants to berate me some more before I return to work so I gave a return to work date of 14 July, agreed to resign and to work part time and that's it all over I hope.
 I am quite happy to have a new head of department, someone else between me and SMT someone else to go to the meetings and the dreadful presentation evening, someone else to have to deal with the lack of information, yes, for the £6 a day after tax someone else can do it! I first started thinking about working part time the year Sharon retired so its long overdue really.


The good news:

• I managed to mend the mower after I ran over the lead
• I bought a new strimmer to tidy the lawn 
• I have nearly finished tidying the patio
• My petunias arrived at last
• We cut through the climbing Hydrangea so it dies and stops eating the wall 
• I met up with a friend from years ago, she had made a little picnic and we had a fab time eating it in my garden with the chickens and catching up with each other
• I looked at a student house to buy in Hatfield to rent out- havent heard from them though
• The agents that deal with my fathers house are happy to manage another house if I buy one there to rent out.
• Since I cant decide where to move to, I am going to stay here for a bit and see what happens, its not convenient for anything but at least its paid for .
• Not going back to work until the 12 July means there may be time for a little "flit" somewhere 
• Working part time shifts the crucial balance of work/home to 4 days at home 3 days at work which is an entirely new perspective on life.