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Extracurricular disappointment

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    #32
    katydid
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,351 ✭✭✭katydid


    mirrorwall14 wrote: »
    That and the stopping of contact through the school is what I find most bizzarre in this case.

    I don't find that strange. The student is now part of an Irish team, representing the country, not the school. The contact should now be with the student as an individual, and with their parents if they are under 18. I'm sure the school will get a mention along the way.


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    #33
    linguist
    Registered Users Posts: 615 ✭✭✭linguist


    babybuilder: Absolutely no harm done, although perhaps best not to mention specific competitions in a critical thread. Former debaters often become top lawyers. Anyway, I'll leave that to the mods:)

    katydid: Again, thank you for your thoughts. They are helping me to frame a balanced response. I really appreciate all this from everyone since it really is the virtual staffroom I don't have at the moment as I said before. I suppose to an extent you've nailed your colours with regard to not doing extra-curricular - although you've said you did in the past. Also, I'm sure I'm not the only one who found your post about your Dad very moving. He was clearly a great man. But I digress.

    To an extent, that argument is to me quite nihilistic. Why would anyone want to be there for anything? Why should the coach be put out if management won't release him/her to go the match? Yes, I realise there is a bit of a difference between representing the school and representing the country. But our school regularly gets players to high levels in sport and I can assure you lots of us turn out, not just the sports coaches. Happy summer Sundays you wouldn't miss etc. Why would I want to be there? Because I care and that's how I'm made I suppose. I've always had it clear that as a coach I am not the talent but I am a facilitator of talent. I do take some pride in that and I couldn't do it if somewhere it didn't have meaning for me.


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    #34
    katydid
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,351 ✭✭✭katydid


    linguist wrote: »
    babybuilder: Absolutely no harm done, although perhaps best not to mention specific competitions in a critical thread. Former debaters often become top lawyers. Anyway, I'll leave that to the mods:)

    katydid: Again, thank you for your thoughts. They are helping me to frame a balanced response. I really appreciate all this from everyone since it really is the virtual staffroom I don't have at the moment as I said before. I suppose to an extent you've nailed your colours with regard to not doing extra-curricular - although you've said you did in the past. Also, I'm sure I'm not the only one who found your post about your Dad very moving. He was clearly a great man. But I digress.

    To an extent, that argument is to me quite nihilistic. Why would anyone want to be there for anything? Why should the coach be put out if management won't release him/her to go the match? Yes, I realise there is a bit of a difference between representing the school and representing the country. But our school regularly gets players to high levels in sport and I can assure you lots of us turn out, not just the sports coaches. Happy summer Sundays you wouldn't miss etc. Why would I want to be there? Because I care and that's how I'm made I suppose. I've always had it clear that as a coach I am not the talent but I am a facilitator of talent. I do take some pride in that and I couldn't do it if somewhere it didn't have meaning for me.
    I do understand where you're coming from, and I admire your commitment. Maybe if I worked at second level rather than FE I might find it harder to distance myself from extra-curricular activities. I still do a lot of extra work myself, in upskilling and in course development, but there isn't so much call for extra-curricular involvement with the students.

    But I do think that as teachers we have to put our collective foot down and refuse to do this kind of thing until some recognition is given, such as the withdrawal of Teachers' Detention, which is a slap in the face, given all the extra hours teachers do give. In most of the secondary schools where I live it has more or less stopped. Outsiders have to be paid to come in and do stuff like sports coaching or choir, because the teachers have withdrawn. Now that the parents have to fork out for these activities, they might just realise what was being done voluntarily all these years...

    As far as this competition is concerned, I still think that when you are dealing with an international level, and students from various schools making up the team, the individual school and their teachers are out of the picture. Especially with young people that old, some of whom are adults. It would be most unusual, in my opinion, for it to be otherwise. But, as you said, it would be worth finding out if it is a neutral person or a teacher from one of the other schools is going along. Just so you know what you're dealing with in future.

    One thing I would suggest; don't let it eat you away and spoil your well-deserved holidays. You need to go back after the summer refreshed and ready for another round. The weather might be awful but do something for yourself that has nothing to do with school. It might help you to get another perspective on this whole thing!


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