It's two weeks before Christmas and I'm getting tired. It's been a long term and the students have had enough. I feel bad about foisting another assessment upon them But -them’s the breaks.
Sometimes you can only enjoy the pleasure after a little pain.
It's dark outside and we are in an old office building down the road from the main college. We have needed more room this year so some lessons have had to be taught here. It’s got a funny smell about it, echoing corridors and a strange sense of absence haunts the place. The toilet is always blocked and occasionally you can hear the ghost of other voices in rooms far away.
We have a section for our college but opposite us is a therapist who seems to do everything from NLP to Hypnotherapy. The other people in the building seem to be a bit grumpy with us. Lots of smelly teenagers traipsing through the building like livestock. It's hard to forget when you work with teenagers just how other people perceive them as something a bit frightening and hostile. They are pussy cats really.
They take it well, the news that they have to do an assessment. I put on some zen music and a quiet descending on the room like a parachute of creativity. The litany of literature being produced is astounding. They seem to be working hard. This is quite unusual for them, it's a late lesson and although they are a nice bunch they get tired and want to go home usually.
After a while I realise I need to go pee as the Yanks would say. That's OK though because Lara the LSA is here to help and she can look after them as I go. As I said though, the loo is broken and so I have to go up a flight of stairs to the next level. It's quiet up there. The place has had problems with the power cutting in and out recently and the lesson was nearly cancelled. It's been fine so far though. That's what I thought, anyway
The power flicked on and off and suddenly the lights went dark.
I felt around, cursing that I hadn’t bought my phone with me to the loo. I constantly tell the students not to take theirs on the off chance they are going off to look at social media on the bog rather than what they should be doing. I am in an unfamiliar place, and a toilet to boot and in the dark. I whisper a word that begins with F.
Then all is saved, The lights flicker back on and I make my way back downstairs sharpish. I’m a bit spooked and don't want to be caught short again.
When I get back in the classroom, however, there is a new surprise waiting for me.
The students and Lara the LSA are all jumping around the room on all fours and shouting ‘MIAOW’, several are on the tables knocking around a paper ball and one is curled up by the radiator. It's like I left a bunch of humans and returned to a bunch of felines.
‘What the F-’ I start to say, but the door closes behind me and there stands next door's hypnotherapist waving a watch in front of my face.
“Pussycats, eh?” She says. “Let’s see how you like them now, little mousie’.