There's No Help For You People

A few years ago I went with some friends to New York.  What a place!  Anyway one of the tourist things we did was the Empire State Building – it’s odd I don’t really like heights but because New York is so massive it didn’t feel that high.  Anyway once you come out of the lift, sorry, elevator, before you walk up and onto the viewing platform they try a big sell to get you to buy, hire a audioguide.  I’m a cheapskate and will avoid spending money if I can.  But? These are Americans, these are New Yorkers and they can sell.  The spiel basically went; ‘This is your last chance! There is no help out there for you people! Sure you can see a bridge but you have no idea which bridge? Once you go past there is no help for you people’ and so on.  Nevertheless I resisted and managed to avoid the photo as well in a very British style. ‘Sorry I’m English, I’m afraid I can’t understand a word you are saying.  Thank you! Thank you very much. No! Sorry haven’t a clue what you are saying!’  Trust me it works, especially on Americans, just be extra polite and put a posh accent on or broad London one.  Sounded like Vinnie Jones!

But it has stayed with me.  And that’s what happens with lesson observations.  There is no help for you people.  That’s the judgment – deal with it! 

There’s no one there to say ‘Are you okay? I hear it didn’t go well, do you want to talk?’ No, you just have to deal with it. So last thing on Friday you are basically told ‘You’re crap!’ and that’s your weekend gone.  You don’t sleep properly, you worry, you keep going over it in your head and you tell yourself that it’s all true and that’s who you are!  Well, that’s what happens to me! And when you ask for help – you are told that there is no help. Then on Monday you are asked if you can do extra and you are not even sure if you can do the basic job.  Because all your confidence has gone been destroyed in two words. 

I have said it before but that’s the problem with observation.  It is subjective! No matter what the framework says.  It’s not science; it’s not objective.  It’s one person’s opinion and basically it hurts and no one cares. And you end up hating yourself and hating your job and you can’t see how you will face going in to work the next time.  And you’ve been finding that hard for a long time.

There’s no help for you people!