And They're Off!
A new year begins.
The first day of school is almost always perfect. The kids are excited and happy. The teachers are full of good intentions and good humor. The school looks its best all shiny and clean. The brand new divisional director is off to a happy start and enjoying the honeymoon our parents afford a new person at the helm. (How long will it last? I hope really long. I can't take another tear down.)
Now we wait for the other shoe to drop. When will that happen and what will cause the drop? Hard to tell right now. Everything seems just right. Will a new onerous or controversial policy be announced? (That broadsided us last year.) Will the parents band together to change curriculum, methods, schedules, events? (It's not like that hasn't happened before.) Will someone get "laid-off" leaving the rest of us awash in a sea of unease?
Though I worked most of the summer, today it seemed worth it, because most things technological went smoothly. But I should have known some people would not be happy. You see, everyone at Burpie Cow-Wow School was not the recipient of a new computer. And you can believe I've heard from each and every one of them with their emergency sob stories.
My colleague, at the other building, starts every task I ask of him with a "can do" attitude, but then has a hard time following through to the finish so I find I am tying up an inordinate number of loose ends.
My e-mail box is full of the most maddening helpdesk questions ( didn't I show her this last week, last month, last year and the year before!!!) I still patiently answer these questions with detailed answers and pictures because these people really need the pictures.)
I, of course, never complain about helping the newbies or my good friends and I suppose that is really unkind and unfair of me to pick on the handful of entrenched Luddites.
And there's always this: I still can't seem to get out of this building until they're mopping the floor around my feet. After all these years you'd think I would have developed a system - a sense of balance. Ah...well.
A new year (already) begins (to fray around the edges.)
3 comments:
Ohhhhh... the Inept Colleagues.... my least favorite part of our school (or, I guess, any school). Remind me to tell the story of the Day of Four Emails (ie today), all on different, not-related-to-anything-that-needs-to-get-done-this-month subjects. I feel for you. I know that for all I go through, it's multiplied by about 30 for you. Or maybe 60. I remember what it was like - I used to be the supervisor of the tech folks. I used to be one of the people who got bitched at when it didn't work. It led me to the mental hospital. So yeah. Take super good care of yourself.
Um... but since you said you don't mind telling us, um, nice friendly people stuff... can you tell me how the apple educator discount works? Our school isn't listed on the apple educator store site, but it says to call. Will I just call and they'll trust me or do I have to do stuff? I'm in the market for OS X Tiger at home - all its cool tricks at work are making my home machine seems suddenly lame (plus my iTunes and iPod have stopped communicating with each other because they are too old). And it's half as much for educators. Which is awesome.
We're on the site but there's a trick. When prompted for the password use 11217 (Upper School address)
You are the first person (I think ever?) who has asked me for help ordering (thus paying for) an OS upgrade. Usually I'm asked if I could actually install the upgrade with school software on a personal laptop or home computer. "...I'll bring the computer to your lab. When will it be ready?"
This very fact inclines me towards going out of my way for you.
See me Monday before you order. Have a good weekend.
I am reminded of the tale my mother tells about her workplace computer. When the in house tech dude asked her what type it was she replied "sort of beige and shiny".
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