I'm her two penny prince and I give her hot love (T Rex)

Photo by Breather on Unsplash

"So, how are the hot desks and hot offices going," you ask? And, "How about that goal of getting out and about more, huh"?

Interesting you should ask. 

Even though I've been in to visit Year 3 a couple of times, I've yet to get into senior syndicate classrooms after three weeks. BUT! I have two formal observations of new staff to do in the coming week and this will spur me on to delay the administrivia that flows my way on a daily basis and shift myself to observe all teachers! Yes, indeedy.

As to the hot seat approach? Well, it appears, in Nu Zild offices at least, it's deemed not so hot!

Research indicates interesting types of archetypal behaviour:

Hot-desking tends to affect different employees in different ways. There is often a subtle division between those who can "settle" and reliably occupy the same desk every day, and those who cannot.

Settlers arrive first, choose their preferred desk, and by repeating their choice over time, establish this desk as "their" space. Settlers can secure the best desk space (often near the windows), can furnish their desks with all the materials and equipment needed for work, and can sit near their closest colleagues.

I've avoided becoming a settler by moving to a different office/desk each day (the one time I didn't, it was noticed and commented upon). Hence I've become a wandering hot-desker, even though I arrive at school first.

On one hand: without a base, a home, a place to lay my hat (and put up my Arsenal flag), at times, I've struggled a bit these first three weeks. Yes it is, it's true.

As a senior manager, for many years my English classes always fitted in around other staff timetables and I seldom had a room to call my own. Sad face!

It can be unsettling and destabilizing being always on the move. No roots get put down and no one knows where to find me on any given day.

On the other hand: the less is more, minimal approach makes me light on my feet; everything is reduced to essentials; goodbye clutter (apart from my stress ball) and the lack of ownership is a freedom feeling - no roots provides for a more altruistic existence.

And no one knows where to find me. Happy face.