I just said "I don't like children"

That doesn't work when your PhD fieldwork has been done with groups of children in schools. The thing that a lot of people don't seem to understand is that the role of a researcher in a school is totally different to that of a teacher.

Yes, I can see how the two jobs might be just a tad different...

Teaching at a secondary school could potentially be a nightmare these days, I'd imagine, so the researcher role is probably a better bet

I dunno actually... there are large numbers of children who really don't like having strange extras in their classrooms. Some'll often suck up like mad to class teachers they like, and then act like real brats towards e.g. teaching assistants who they percieve to have no power! Other just act up for new people, or are disturbed by change, or...

Hang on, whats the odds Flossie knows far more about this than I do...


I think research requires very different skills to any other job I've done. I keep getting the urge to bang heads together of people that are obstructing my work with their own self importance! (And of course, my work is far more important than theirs! And they have so much free time! ) I've never had a job that required so much running around, negotiating, and... being nice to people? Even customer service didn't require so much tact!

Flossie has written about it, but won't pretend that she knows everything.

I tend to just get the urge to bang my own head... preferably on a wall of some sort.

Argggggghhhhhhh

My tutor hasn't answered my 'urgent' email... yet he's sending out stuff so he must be online. I sent it at 9am on monday morning and I said I needed to see him this week.

If I send it again it will look like I'm hassling him - or he already thinks I'm a pain and is avoiding me

Should I send it again? It's really important but he doesn't know that yet!

I don't know what you did in the end but I tell my students that if I haven't answered in 48 hours to send it again as it usually means either I haven't seen it at all (my anti-spam filter is sometimes "overactive") or I have read it, didn't reply immediately because I decided the answer needed a bit of thought and then forgot about it because it disappeared off the bottom of the screen.

Yes I did send it again and he replied within half-an-hour so he must have missed it first time round. *must learn to stop taking things so personally! *

Glad it's all sorted out
It was when I started getting students coming after classes and apologising for bothering me since I hadn't answered their e-mail and so perhaps didn't want to answer but they really did need an answer.... that I decided it would just be easier to tell them all to have no qualms about sending things several times.

It's not an AAAAAAHHHH moment

But it is a grouch, sulk, upset moment

There's a performance thing at school, and me and two friends were going to play Pachelbel's canon, we were going to play it as two flutes and a cello.

Now it turns out that is has to be FRENCH music.

And my friends have decided to do a song duet together from les choriste. "Vois sur ton chemin".

And I've been booted out They said I could join in, but although I used to have lessons, I'm not great at singing, they don't know that though because they've never heard me (mind you they're not much better than me... that's mean. But I'm allowed to, I'm annoyed).

So now I have to do a Fauré piece on my own when everyone else is in groups.

Try to be positive about this, bobziekins. It's a great opportunity to perform solo, and however good you are at performing, a bit more experience never hurts.

Also, you can choose whatever you fancy (provided it's French! ) without reference to anyone else.

You might even start to feel it will be good to be on your own this time, once you've stopped feeling hurt that they've decided to do a duet. I hope so, anyway.

Yeah, I'll try. I don't mind too much the performing on my own when it comes to it, but the fact that they abandoned me is annoying.

Haha, plus I'll have just playing Captain Hook in a French version of Peter Pan, and will still be in my costume, moustache and all!

It's took me 3 1/2 hours to get my computer going tonight, and it still keeps trying to crash...

The golf course next door is being strimmed, and it's driving me crazy

I'll have to listen to that awful whirring noise all day!

I've left my flute at home.

I have 40 minutes to go home and get it.

How long has that been going on? Any error messages?

argh[size=1]

I'm so annoyed! I've applied for Warwick university and got an offer..As part of their maths offer they request you take an additional exam. My school doesn't offer any support for said exam so Warwick off a 2 day course where they will proced basic support etc, one day in February and the other in June. There were a limited number of places on the course and you had to send of an application with a little personal statement etc. We were told that if we heard nothing then we didn't get a place on the course and if we did get on the course then thye would send us the details. I never received an e-mail so didn't get on to the course, however my friend did.

I received an e-mail this morning with an attatchment saying that I should look through these questions in preparation for the session on saturday. I replied explaining that there had been some mistake as I wasn't on the course and thought I had better let them know incase someone else was awaiting this e-mail... I then got a reply saying



Below was infact an e-mail confirming I had a place on the course which was sent in February....then i noticed who they had sent it to! They had sent it to ben-walker.... not ben_walker

I made it perfectly clear on the application form that it was an underscore, and had even received e-mails from them already giving me details about online resources, another thing that you had to apply for on the same application form!

I'm so annoyed because i've missed out on a great oppurtunity that would've potentially enabled me to get into my first choice university, and instead had no support for the extra exam...all because of what appears to be someone incompetence of identifying an underscore!

That's awful. Is there no way at all you can get there?

Ben, that's dreadful! It's a pity you missed the February day, but do go for this one - it must help a little.

Any little tips you can pick up would be well worth the journey, and do make sure you let them know why you didn't attend the first session - otherwise they might think you just couldn't be bothered, which isn't the case at all.

I expect there are still a couple of weeks to go before the exam, so don't make the mistake of thinking it's too late now.

aRrrgggggggggggg

I've just dicovered I can't sightread alto clef to my exam standard!!!

And I have two weeks left. What was I thinking that I could learn a new language at my age

Argh - I can't get a single thing finished at work because there's so much going wrong

Oh dear. Little Jen has the lurgy now. She has a temperature and a vile headache. The dark bags under her eyes look like vampire eyes, and she is QUIET.
You know they are ill when they are quiet.
Won't be able to visit Mum

Get well soon, Jen.

Today was going to be a Good Day... No such luck - It's turned sour already, and there's only one person who can possibly be blamed, ie me. I wish there was a rewind button...

Get well soon Jen...



It can unsour itself Floss...hope the rest of the day improves...

My voice has gone

Well. It's going. I can't speak loudly without it hurting, and when I do talk, it changes pitch constantly, squeaks, splutters, and generally sounds like a growl mixed with an old woman's wheezing. I generally whisper at the moment.

And I had music today at school. We're meant to be writing a song composition in groups. And I couldn't help contribute with how it would sound at all. All I could do was squeak to catch their attention, offer a tune suggestion on the piano, or a suggestion of lyrics scribbled on paper, only for them to ignore it.

Then I had drama. And we had to adapt the piece we'd been briefly working on and were showing to the class, so that my character was losing their voice. I didn't have any lines whatsoever.

I couldn't voice my opinion, every time I attempted to answered the register, my friends, through fits of giggles, had to explain to the teacher that I'd lost my voice.

I couldn't chat. I can't sing (usually I sing to myself around the house). I can't even hum to myself. Whistling makes me cough.

Ok. Rant over. I just hope it decides to return soon.

Yep, I've been there this year. My voice got up and left at the end of January, and didn't return properly 'til the end of February (about 4 weeks)

Give your voice as much rest as you can, and I hope it returns soon.

I have a fairly talented pupil.... taught her for a few years.... but at the moment, she isn't practising. Unfortunately, her Grade 5 is in a few weeks. She was an only child, who was very precious. Her mum supervised every practise session. She was the centre of the entire family's universe. Then brother was born, when she was in Year 6... and guess what- the brother is now the centre of the universe. Lessons are regularly cancelled as the little brother will fall asleep in the car!!!!!! Mum does have health issues which might exacerbate the situation. The attention just went from eldest girl, to little boy as soon as he was born.
I have just rung her mum to tell her that Amy needs to practise or she'll not pass and could she please make an appointment with her accompanist to practise as I've asked the girl to do this a few times.
Mumsaid she was just going out. Couldn't deal with this til next week. She's had a few problems. She was going to give notice that Amy will be giving up but she wants her to pass her Grade 5 first. It just wasn't her problem.
I feel so sorry for this girl (now in year 8). She could really be quite good- but her mum cancels about 1 in 3 lessons for things to do with the little brother.
I am so frustrated. I nearly entered her for her Gr 5 for March- but she didn't know her scales. She knows no more scales now. AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH. I though entering her would focus her and she would begin practising.........but no...... but her mum just isn't supporting her.

Oh well..... you live and learn. In the past, this girl has been able to pull it off at the last minute as she does just understand music (she got a deserved 136 for her Gr 3- but pulled it all off at the end). Exam is July 1st.

4 weeks?! But I'm just about to start rehearsals for a play!!

Oh dear

It starts off fine in the morning, then deteriorates throughout the day until before I go to bed, all I can do is whisper. Plus I keep forgetting. Because it doesn't hurt, then I'll be quiet for a while, before someone says something to me, or the phone rings. And I speak and hardly anything comes out. Which means that with the phone, I have to run to another member of the family for them to take the phone and explain.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't so disparaging of some of the apathetic idiots I'm surrounded by. After all, how am I supposed to keep patience with people if they constantly reinforce my impression that they actually are incapable, lazy, wastes of my time and I in turn start to hold them in contempt.

I'm not sure who I'm more angry with, those trying my patience to its very limits, or myself for being so judgemental!



/rant

Are some people not pulling their weight in a group project or something?

lots of very long words there, I won't say much for fear of showing up my true intellect...

but still...

Oh, don't encourage me to whine further! I just really don't like the feeling when everyone is sitting around looking at me to either tell them what to do, or do it all for them.

Sorry for my long words Robyn, its helps relieve the frustration! I'd better make it clear that its lack of initiative and apathy I object to, rather than anything else. Things can be explained to someone who doesn't understand them, but you can't make someone do something if they can't be bothered.

I find a swift kick to the rear end often helps in situations like this

I was just about to say the same thing!

But using words related more to donkeys, if you get my drift.

I wish!

Unfortunately there are some people I can't afford to mortally offend: Future colleagues and housemates being the group in question. My last email to them expressed my frustration in the mildest manner I could contrive, and I've still got some awfully sniffy responses! Honestly, I wonder what might have happened if I'd sent my first draft...

Thanks for making it all seem less dire though.

My sister just told me to shut the **** up, as I was singing in my bedroom because it was driving her friends mad!
No one in our house is asleep yet or anything, we have no neighbours, and goodness knows last time those children were here they had a "band rehearsal" that would hurt anyone's ears. In addition to this, my sister woke me up at eight this morning, practising her grade three songs for ACOUSTIC guitar, on her ELECTRIC guitar, with the amp turned fully up.

I do not like being at home.

Argle, I can't find this TV program I used to love watching.

It was about parents who went on holiday for a week, while their kids stayed at home and "decorated" the house, how they wanted. It was great, I loved it!

There was one where they turned the parents' bedroom into a giant hamster cage, with huge faces with bars painted over them on the walls, and a big sawdust bed, and a giant wheel.

Then one where they made the living room completely out of sweets and chocolate, with chocolate coated walls, and giant chocolate dispensers.

And a kitchen with a spaceship theme, where there was a chute in the wall which went outside into the dog's bowl, for one of the fussy eating sons to throw their veggies into, because the dog liked them. And gas masks that came down from the ceiling (like in an aeroplane) when you pressed a button, because apparently the dad always made smells during dinner

Then there was one where there were 3 kids, and 2 of them had really cool things in their rooms. Then one boy "only wanted a wardrobe", so his parents came back, and in his room, the only change was a new wardrobe. But "secretly" the wardrobe was a little door, into this really amazingly cool den for the kids, with playstations, dvds, flatscreen tvs, loads of sweets, beanbags to sit on etc etc.




I wish I knew what it was called, so that I could search it Anyone else remember this at all? It used to be on at exactly the same time as the Simpsons, at 6pm, possibly on Channel 4 (because the simpsons was channel 2 back then)... I used to have to sacrifice watching the simpsons with my family and this in my parents rooms upstairs.

I remember watching it, but can't remember what it was called- sorry! It was very good; a really original idea for a makeover show, and what they did to the houses was so fun and imaginative.

Neither can I, and I remember the show. Can't even remember who presented it, which would help in finding a show title...

Does anyone know how to defeat the gremlins? Particularly those that get you at the last minute. This time last year a week before exams and two weeks before our end of year concert, the piano blew up.

Yesterday, on the anniversary of the blowing up of the piano, my printer died of heat stroke. I have umpteen documents to print this week - notices, , programmes, instructions, lists etc. etc.

I have managed to connect a borrowed printer but spent all yesterday evening doing that instead oçf practising the accompaniments. SCREA EA EA EA EA EA M !!!!!

Aaarrrgghhh! Sympathies to you Aquarelle.

This promises not to be a good week.
Car needs to go to the menders (but I need to pluck up courage to do battle over the phone with them about it).
Buzzing sound from fire place, and a wasp in evidence in the room. Nasty feeling I'm going to have to phone the pest control lot.
Daughter a long way away keeps phoning up, she's doing A levels and is a bit stressed.
Sonny Jim at home, doing a couple of GCSE exams, and teacher in school is being a bit unreasonable so he's stressed too.
Piano pupil this afternoon had forgotten EVERYTHING, or so it seemed.
Folk in choir at church being a bit Awkward (to say the least)

Feel a bit better now I've made that list. Just waiting for the next thing to crop up.

I'm not entirely convinced that I haven't made a mistake by going back to work earlier than recommended.

You probably have (gone back too early). Can't you go back and see your doctor and get your sick leave extended?

I'm a bit overworked on a number of fronts at the moment - I thought I'd use this thread to say sorry to anyone who's awaiting an email/PM, and I'll try and catch up over the next few days

Not having a great few days...

Any ideas on how to resolve major arguments with housemates? Over, get this, the state of the kitchen... (which is currently as clean as its been all year)!

I'm starting to not want to be in the house at the same time as this person, because such an atmosphere is being created. I'm tired of being kept up all hours of the night as the person in question bangs around taking out their temper. I'm very close to spectacularly loosing mine... but at the same time am too sleepy to have my wits abouts me to reason with them.

I feel suspiciously like I'm being bullied by this person, which isn't something I allow to happen to myself anymore. How do I explain that their behaviour and manner of speaking to me is totally unacceptable, without loosing my temper or being just as bad back!? We're supposed to be 'talking' about things when I get in from work today but all I want to do is catch up on the sleep I'm missing. I don't want to go home.

Grr... my piano exam date for my local centre clashes with my holiday, which of course wasn't the week we asked for (we asked for the last week in the session). I might have to go all the way to Norwich instead to do my exam, which may mean an earlier date...

Hopefully the AB will be able to change/sort it out. But if I have to go to Norwich or even Great Yarmouth, Dereham or King's Lynn, oh well...

Car Expert