meeting with Ulk and our new team leader

Today I had a meeting with Ulk

First off she told me that my colleagues were a bit irritated with me due to my quiet unresponsive attitude during meetings. By colleagues I know she meant only Mrn. True, I have almost always kept quiet during these meetings as sometimes I find discussed subjects abject foolish while sometimes I consider how dangerous it could be to offer my ideas to a set of particular people like Mrn, Sbr or jn who tend to always rebuff me.

I felt glad for being asked to speak out! That gave me a kind of license to be able to speak and offer my suggestions.

Then she discussed how to implement my new concept of Nature and Culture studies. The last time I was on the verge of introducing this concept, I went on a month long holiday which not only stalled this project but also gave another project in somebody else's hand: the project of preschool group. I had wanted that so badly. And this time when I am again asked to start this project, I am going on a three week holiday to India again!
The preschool group I probably could be given from August onwards.

She also informed me that Jn would be our new team leader! Out of the fire straight into the frying pan! Jn is none other than that young German girl who claims she is a native English teacher because she visits England once or twice a year for a week or two. Her English grammar is often full of errors but no one dares tell her. But probably the worst part is, she already dislikes me enough to make me uncomfortable with the idea of having her as team leader.

Probably Mrn was still better....She let me do what I wanted not because she respected my capability but because this gave her free time for herself. Jn will not do this...

Mrn is Leaving!

Today as I entered the group, I met Jnn. She excitedly blurted that since Mrn was pregnant and physically not able to do much work (any work), the management has decided to send her on maternity leave for about a year or more. Her last working day would be my last day before going on a three week holiday.
"Are you leaving Mrn?" I asked her.
"Who told you?" She asked a bit miffed."I had planned to break this news to you personally. Well, now you know. Yes, I am leaving."

I don't know whether to be happy with this news or sad. To be sure it would indeed be relieving to get away from her dreadful shadow because she keeps me in something like a constant eclipse. She kind of smothers me. But this also means getting a new team leader and who would that be?

I went up to Ncl to talk to her if I could be given leadership. Nope. I can't be given because my qualifications no matter how high they are, are not recognized in Germany. She had sent my certificates to the authority but hasn't received any reply as yet.

A good and a bad news!

The good news is, that woman Shy has been probably rejected.

The bad news is both Jss and Gl are running from pillar to post to pitch Cris in!
Oh no...Oh no...Oh no.....

A disturbing news

I heard today from Mryl that Shy was here on hospitation yesterday! Shy was a dumb (and mute) middle aged Indian housewifely child carer in baby group in MM while I was there. In a particular meeting in MM, I remember her telling all of us that she was teaching ( or trying to) English opposites to babies under two years! Imagine babies not being able to tell their name or identify their belongings but smart on opposites!!

And she was sister in law of Rvn...

It would be scandalous to have her of all people be my colleague. I guess if that happens, the first thing I will need is to bury all the dead and start a new life afresh!

"Nowadays I have begun to think this place is after all no better than the MM;" Jss commented ruefully."they employ just about anyone, just like MM without any regard to qualification or standard."

Jss is fit to get murdered. This kindergarten offers a bonus of 200/- for introducing a new teacher. For the sake of these 200/- Euros she has until now introduced nearly 4-7 teachers from MM which includes me. So far so good, I only hope and pray that Cris does not come hurtling my way here.

 

Down with fever...and disappointment

Until Saturday afternoon I was in perfect health. The weather was fantastic with 23 degrees and completely sunny with sparkling blue skies. We went out to look for a new cycle for H and for myself, then had a bit of a lunch in a typical German farm house, then to the city center to buy somethings, then back home. And then suddenly within an hour I was down with fever and cold.

I was a bit disappointed to be unable to go to the kindergarten when I so much wanted to. I had to report to Mrn how wonderful and successful the whole week had been. I wanted to see how she and Jnn would react to this or what faults they would pick owing to their nature of fault finding.

I was aware of how I had been labelled by them as irresponsible for reporting about my absence at 8.30 instead of 7.00 or 7.30 (and I couldn't inform in time as I was under sedative meds)
In every other kindergarten where I have worked before, it was sufficient to call in the morning between 8-9 a.m. to report that I wasn't coming. In this kindergarten you are supposed to inform as early as 7.00 or 7.30 plus send an email to a bunch of people.

Not wanting to invite any further labels of irresponsibility, I Smsd Mrn on Sunday on her private cell, then mailed all the required people officially. Even after this, the next day Monday, I SMSd Mrn again in the morning at 7.30 on her private cell, then called Jnn on her private cell to inform that I wasn't coming.
Not sure what false allegations Jnn might find for the last week's activities, I also mailed to Mrn a concise report of last week about everything that had happened.

Later in the day, Mrn sent me a curt almost to the point of rude email that next time when I have to report sick I have to do it ONLY on the group cell phone and NEVER on private phone. Furthermore, in one of her messages she said that even though I had mailed everyone it was important that I ring personally and inform as "one doesn't often check one's mailbox." Imagine this coming from her who told me I could have checked my official mail at home.

 Yes, I do understand that official reportings have to be made officially which I did and in time. But if you have to inform someone on a weekend then how do you do it other than smsing on private cell number? And besides, she always did say to all of us that she was reachable on her private phone at all times even when she was on sick leave or a holiday.

Her rude email has left me with a bitter sour taste in my heart. She just doesn't like me and anything and everything good that I happen to do just heightens her displeasure with me. Not a nice situation to be in for sure...

Loz's Birthday

Yesterday was Loz's birthday. Neither of us were in a position to do do much as regards celebration because of being just two in the group. We just sang birthday song for him and in the afternoon I made his birthday crown with the help of other children. He had baked muffins in his baking workshop which served as the  birthday snack.

Mrn called to wish him happy birthday which was obviously diplomatic of her. Jnn didn't bother to do any such thing.

This whole week the group has done extremely well. No mishaps...no complaints...not even those tit bits of accidents that punctuate a kindergarten life such as, falling, hurting, fighting or wetting.

There's a girl in our group who is since three months on potty training. She forgets to go to toilet and wets herself - sometimes three or four or more times a day. Jnn has professionally learnt health education but is totally void of basics such as these. Yes, of course, ignorance is not a crime, but if one is ignorant and brags of being an expert it certainly is a bit of a crime; even more so when such a person even starts accusing other better workers of being something like fools. Jnn had never been able to devise a solution for this situation on her own, her greatest feat being correctly dressing or changing the children. She would grow irritated but still change them a hundred times if needed, without trying to solve the situation. This is hardly the way to train a child.

When left on my own in the group, I just took simple steps to ensure that she didn't forget to go to toilet and devised a reward program which was just drawing a star on the back of her palm. In the last five days this girl hasn't wet herself a single time. Today her parents came to me and were so happy with this. They have started a similar program with her elder brother (in yellow group) who is on potty training since more than a year and a half and still regularly wets himself leading his teachers to believe that he must be lacking sensation in his lower body. Talk about experts!!!

And soon the last day of the week drew to its end too. This was, without a doubt, my happiest week in this kindergarten. And not surprisingly for Loz too. He too admitted that he has been very happy this week, the way he hadn't been since a long long time. "I actually enjoyed myself so much this week; I worked totally carefree and happy without any stress or tensions even though we were just two in the group."

I have warned him to take care of certain things when he is around Jnn or Mrn, for example not lingering extra on his breaks tidying up the room properly and especially noting down his activities or other self related information in our daily register so no one, not even Jnn could say he didn't do so and so thing.

Mrn and Jnn both will be back on Monday. Loz himself will be on leave on Monday and Tuesday and will be back on Wednesday.
How I'm dreading Jnn's and Mrn's return! They both are such big 'kill-joys', such wet blankets....

An unbelievably nice day today

Mrn was supposed to be absent just for two days but today she rang to tell us that she won't be coming the whole week due to still being ill.
And what a nice day it was without Mrn the morbid or Jnn the dreadful.

In the morning Jnt from the yellow group came to help us out. She is a good jolly natured person who doesn't seem to mind smiling affably at others. She stayed with me till Loz arrived and after that Loz and I were alone with nine children and the whole day passed with touch-wood no mishap and no fear and restraint in our hearts.

In the afternoon, after nap time, the green group had to go for meeting. So their group of 16-20 children were split between our group and the yellow group and we managed together with no problem at all.
Loz commented that he felt very happy and relaxed after having talked to me yesterday. Just like me, he noticed too that despite just the two of us with nine kids that later became fifteen kids which is more than we had ever had in this group before, we hadn't experienced any tension, stress or even difficulty in managing the day - something which is impossible to imagine with Jnn who constantly complains of stress, stress stress and tensions and difficulties even when there are just five kids with four teachers.
If she were present today she would have died with her stress..!

Long after I had returned home from the kindergarten, I received a call from him informing me about the transport strike tomorrow. Although this time I had received ample warning from all quarters through mails and messages, I must say I rather liked this kindly and helpful gesture of his; so unlike the previous incident last week when Jnn and Mrn both proved to be so brutally unhelpful.