I spend a considerable part of my existence in the workplace. it has to be a longer debate how much of my actual life is devoted to my work, because as I grow older (and maybe a tad wiser), I have been finding myself particularly STRICT about expending extra time at work than what is officially expected.

it’s something I hold especially important. I am never frugal on effort, but I do resent it if work takes away time I should already have for myself or the people or activities that matter to me and my sanity. the corporate or professional slaves call it lack of commitment. I call it trying to strike a friggin’ balance. I am a teacher, so anyone who starts talking commitment with me better be ready for a spanking discussion.

so anyway, the workplace is always an interesting object of analysis. I could attempt to be highly cerebral and call it a paradigm of life itself. paradigm of life my ass. I am glad there’s a life outside of work. the hodgepodge of characters I have ever gotten to work with and/or still get to work with every day is enough to test one’s rationalization, patience and sense of humor. I am not complaining. I am just saying.

there are those who are a gift to work with. they are those who let you rave about the little achievements in the classroom. they are those who could listen to you rant a little every so often, because sometimes all you need is someone who really understands where you are coming from. they do not offer advice, until you ask for it. they do not rush to lecture you on their teaching philosophy, as if to illustrate that you had better adopt it to alleviate your classroom worries. they do not make you feel like your difficulties as a teacher are a mere result of your incompetence. they understand that it is one (beautiful) thing to share ideas, but it is another to encroach on another’s teaching style or approach. they allow you to say that you are tired and that there are students who deserve a little less tenderness. they know that ‘delegation of responsibility’ means doing your part of the job well and expecting others to do the same. they respect experience but welcome innovation. they understand that while we are here for the long haul, we aren’t here to make endless acts of charity – so that pay check better come on time OR OF COURSE, I SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RAISE HELL. or again, to just rant a little.

there are those who are either ass-kissers or just plain too forgiving. they are the ones who always have an excuse to offer for someone’s (or a department’s) incompetence. one can screw up on an important assignment but they would still give him credit – for at least finishing it. they let friendship cloud their judgment, so you end up having ineffective meetings because their friends just cannot stop trying to be funny nor take the darn thing seriously. I like them as my “boss” because I am pretty dedicated, but sometimes, I wish they could just see things as they actually are. and those friends? really. NOT FUNNY.

there are those that are either obscenely cheeky or just insensitive. they take up a lot of space and deprive others of theirs, and they think it’s fine because they were there first or they are used to having it that way. they think their troubles should be everyone else’s and their tasks are so darn important they take it as a license to bother or delay you while you attend to yours. oh the name is just rolling out of my fingers….

there are those who think competence comes with age and seniority. I respect my elders or my seniors. but when they act as much as they feel they are the boss of me, I have a problem with that. when they try to get away with irresponsibility or taking advantage of others just because they’ve been there longer than me, I go thinking. whatever it is they have to say to you, they do so in a manner that’s either condescending or awfully patronizing. whatever your problem is: they have been there and they have done that. but who is actually asking?

there are those who are just cloying. nauseatingly sweet. sickeningly upright. they never get angry. everything should be settled with kindness and calm. you raise your voice a little – are you angry? you speak in a pitch that’s higher than usual – are you angry again? you walk in not smiling – oh, are you in a bad mood? you tell a student off – you are just plain horrible. they think the less transparent you are with your emotions, the better a person you become. see, we are different from each other. but never try to convince me that by acknowledging my emotions and by losing my temper sometimes, I have to be sent to an asylum. CLOYING. you know, like chocolate. you think it’s all good and sweet. but it really can hurt you bad. rawr!

there are those whose memory is a little questionable. they REMEMBER you when it’s convenient. like when they need your editing skills. or your stuff. or when they need you to answer a question for them. give it a few minutes though, and you and they are back to being total strangers. the things we do to survive. it’s almost too predictable.

work is good. imagine life if we were all the same :)