Mrs. Applebee wanted to thank the people who worked for her by treating them to lunch last week. Mrs. Applebee said she wanted everyone to come but bought food that several, because of dietary reasons, could not eat. (She was very aware of the special needs of her invited guests.)
Tim is one of the employees on a restricted diet. Mrs. Applebee, who never speaks to this man passed him in the hall, stopped in her tracks and said, "Were you able to find anything to eat?" When the man said, "No" Mrs. Applebee said, "Sorry." I don't know if Tim saw the smile on her lips and the laughter in her eyes when she said that word, but I did. Both of them continued walking in opposite directions.
I've been to many parties and luncheons in the past and the host or hostess always went out of his/her way to make sure every guest would be provided for. Not one ever displayed the look I saw on Mrs. Applebee's face. To add to her delight, Mrs. Applebee e-mailed everyone who worked for her with the message "I hope you all enjoyed the lunch I provided for you."
10 comments:
What is the point of having an 'appreciation lunch' for all the subordinates if not everyone can partake in the matter? It is a show just to act like they are doing the right thing, but trust me. I am sure no one is fooled.
The same thing occurred in my school. The administrators 'organized' a staff appreciation breakfast. The day before their breakfast I was told (by administrators) to make a mother's day breakfast for the parents in my class. (I spent $200 of my own money for all of this food because the administrators wanted a dog and pony show).
I had about 2 or 3 dozen bagels, fruit platter, pastries, juice, butter, cream cheese. Most were all bought at BJ's. I also had tons of left over bagels. Instead of shlepping the left over bagels on the train, I was nice and asked if they wanted my bagels for the staff breakfast the next day.
Of course they accepted. They put them in the refrigerator, took them out probably 20 minutes before it was about to be served and had very little beverages and fruit for the staff. I took a personal day for my brother's graduation weekend so I was not there. Accept my friend told me that a co-worker said, "This is absolutely ridiculous. They used Miss Elphaba's bagels from her parent breakfast and did not even bother to make a nice spread for their teachers. The bagels still had the refrigerator taste as they were on the table.
And we all know how this situation turned out because I was the next teacher to be harassed and bullied.
I was being courteous, professional and cooperative and they still screwed me over anyway.
It still pays to be nice though. They are the ones that look like the fools, not the others.
You were wrong to make a breakfast like that for parents. I don't know any teacher that would do that.
PO'd , Your blog is a good observation of what I see as the 'new' normal (actually the new insanity) these days. My principal actually counted the number of sandwiches that our union rep ate at a meeting. The food was used to entice teachers to an extra admin meeting. She pressed the rep to have more sandwiches; 2 months later she called him out about it in front of a full faculty meeting. Then the rep was harassed out of the school that June. It's sick!!!
Some of the people who work at your school must come straight from the asylum. If I were Tim, I would have made a very nice plate and shared it with the school aides or someone who did nice things for me.
Teachers do have "teas" for parents usually consisting of tea, coffee, juice and cookies.
But if a teacher is asked to make something special by an administrator, then you have to ask what the budget is because those receipts should be reimbursed.
$200!!! How many parents do you have in your class?? Next time Entermann's!
PO'd I had to make the breakfast for the students.
The principal said, "Do it. I want it done. The other teacher is making one so you must as well. I do not want to hear the parents complain that 1 class had a party and the other did not.". My mentor even said, "Do it or else.". I was new and probationary, what else would a probationary teacher to do?
If I said no, then maybe she would have told me to leave my first year instead of the second year.
and PO'd.. You are absolutely right. No teacher would do that for parents. There are many wonderful ways to involve parents, especially around Mother's Day. This was totally obscene.
It just shows to show you where the administrators priorities were in the school. Every day I am not in that building, I realize more and more that it is a blessing in disguise. The woman could be certifiably insane.
And I was specifically told, that I was to supply the ingredients for the 'class party'. The children's parents were not to help or contribute because the 'party was for them'.
I did make a very nice Mother's Day gift with the class which was also an engaging and integrated lesson. We made bath salts/soak scrub by scratch, then learned how to mix colors and chose fragrances as the scent. This was an extremely reasonable and cost efficient lesson/gift to do with the class.
I am also pretty sure she is afraid her school will be merged with the school, it shares space with. No, its not a charter school but another way that the DOE is wasting money.
2 small public schools that do the exact same thing in the same district co-share space. Money wasted on 4 administrators salaries. The other school's enrollment keeps on shrinking.
There have been talks about a merge due to the unnecessary resources being wasted.
She does all of this useless stuff in school because she thinks it will make her school look better.
No one should ever back you into a corner. If teachers on your grade were doing it, were you informed or left out of the loop? If so, a simple breakfast with an attractive table setting would have been fine. I'm surprised your mentor didn't suggest that to you.
But your mentor was correct, in telling you to do it. All your principal was really asking for was not to have any complaints from parents. Of course, there are nicer ways to inform you of that.
Did your principal even look in on your breakfast?? If anything, you learned a valuable (no pun intented)lesson--if an administrator doesn't like you, you can't buy repect. Next time spend that money on yourself.
It was as simple as it can get. They wanted a Mother's Day Breakfast Party, they got one. Bagels (regular and mini- for the little kiddies), cream cheese, butter, juice, pastries, fruit, nice paper plates, cups, napkins. I tried to find the cheapest stuff in BJ's. They wanted a party, they got a party. I had to make sure I had enough food for 18 children, and their 2 parents, or a grandparent.
Oh, and my former colleague on grade level was not the nicest and gracious person to work with. My mentor told me to be polite and professional but to try and stay away from colleague as much as possible. My mentor believed that the co-worker was jealous of me.
My mentor never directed do it or else this time. Months prior, she told me, to always do what the principal wants, because its a win-win situation. My mentor and I got along extremely well. She would have never said anything unkind to me.
Principal did look in at the party but that doesnt mean anything. She is really not the brightest tool in the shed and doesnt understand lower grade (pre-k -1) development. She is a prime example of 'lousy administrator who still reeks havoc in the system'.
They actually wanted me to make 1 or 2 fun dishes with the class which I did not have the time to do. The stupid administrator didn't understand that I actually was making my own pre-k curriculum and I wanted to teach, not to do crap.
They were kind enough to supply the coffee, coffeemaker and milk.
This had nothing to do with buying respect or whatever. This was basically a situation of being aware of the kind of place that you work in. I am way to progressive in my teaching style for that school. There was a major difference of creative opinion (that was not clearly directed by the administrator) between me and the administrator.
I had a mentor who specifically gave me feedback, directed me and LOVED everything that I did.
I was just in the wrong school starting out my teaching career. The only good that came out of it was that I had to develop everything on my own.
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