This wasn't in the job description

Nothing to do with teaching, but yesterday was rather stressful in more ways than one!

Friday's lecture and tutorial were based round PSE / PSD (Social Education, as was), and stressed that we are teachers not of subjects but of children, and as such have a role to play in the personal and moral education of young people. I am happy with the concept of that (even if there are things I wouldn't be entirely comfortable talking about!), but was rather less happy to be placed in the role of counsellor yesterday at my work. Working in a bank, it wasn't the first time I had had to deal with a cutomer's tears, but usually when they cry it's because you won't give them money. I can cope with that, but had no idea how to react yesterday when an extremely drunk customer started telling me, through tears and snotters and while a long queue built up behind him, the sad tale of how his partner had dumped him after many years together. I really didn't know what to do; as a teacher, I would be quite happy to speak to my pupils about any personal problems they were having, but as a bank teller, I felt rather ill-equipped. My main emotion when the poor man finally weaved his way back out was relief, but I couldn't get him out of my mind all day. I hope he's OK!

The day's trauma wasn't over when I got out of work, as my friend had phoned me to ask if I wanted to help her buy a new pair of jeans. The honest answer would have been "No! Are you mad?", but I said I would meet her in the hell-on-earth that is the Buchanan Galleries, and several hours, many shops and much walking later, we finally emerged from the shop we first thought of, new jeans in hand, and limped back onto the train.

I had planned to read three texts before getting to school tomorrow; Inventing Elliot, Stone Cold and Julius Caesar, but I've only managed one and a half so far, so I had better get on with it. I'm not sure if I'm more or less nervous than I was before starting back at my last school. Less, in that I hadn't done any teaching the last time and had no clue whether I could even do it, but more, in that there's going to be more pressure on me this time. Right now though, I'm still feeling relatively calm...long may that last.