Thankfully it was much cooler today - low 20s and overcast. Shelley and Paul left first thing this morning for New Zealand, and I worked again this afternoon. Today I had to help collect the 30 kids from school and accompany them to the Community Centre on the bus. It was totally exhausting. At one stage I had two five year olds actually running rings around me. After 'afternoon tea', which, is, frankly, a nightmare, as it is every day apparently, the older 8-9 year olds had an 'African drumming session'. As usual my job was 'behavioural management'. This was made easier by the girls who were either good at it and focused or patted their drums quietly and looked bewildered, which meant I was able to focus on the boys and stop them from climbing the walls, throwing the drums, hitting each other's drums, hitting each other, etc.
The four staff who work there are nice people, the facilities are excellent and the programme is varied, educational and good for the kids. The kids don't know it, but at the end of term those who have been the best behaved and tried the most will get a free bike.
The trouble is, all I get to do is move furniture and act as the policeman, which, every day, is not quite so fun. Anyone who has worked in a school know that kids in the afternoon can be really tough to teach as many can't concentrate, they're tired or they've just had enough. Well, it's even worse after school.
The woman in charge encouraged me to apply for a permanent position with the Council- they are clearly very short of staff - saying that the Council would send me on the various courses etc. Whilst that was quite flattering I could also think of few things worse. So I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I'm still holding out for some school teaching, but am prepared to do the odd casual work at this place if I'm definitely not needed for a school.
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