It would be, it would be so nice (M.L. Ciccone)

Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash

Last week of term before a well earned break!

As a positive close at our daily briefing LEAN meeting last week I used song lyrics for each day of the week (Monday was Monday Monday, Tuesday was Tuesday Afternoon etc).

Ten weeks of intense concentration can be exhausting and teachers need to refresh and recharge and then review.

I know I'm looking forward to Friday! Four more sleeps!

This week I'm using holiday songs to get in the mood, starting with Madonna, of course!

If we took a holiday
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice

I've got Friday on my mind (The Easybeats)

Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

Yes, it's Friyay.

This has been a looooong week for me. Monday morning: I drove the four hours to my Gisborne campus for two great days there. Tuesday afternoon: I drove the four hours back home to Takapau. Hump Wednesday at my Hawke's Bay campus: tough getting back into stride (I kept thinking it was Monday all day). Thursday was great - refreshed and on top of things.

And now it's Friday. I tell my students: it's a rule. Gotta be happy on a Friday. The end of the working week.

I note the following in passing:

• In astrology, Friday is connected with the planet Venus and is symbolized by that planet's symbol ♀. Friday is also associated with the astrological signs Libra and Taurus. I'm a Libra and mum was a Taurus.
• Though Friday has always been held an unlucky day in many Christian countries, still in the Hebrides it is supposed that it is a lucky day for sowing the seed. 
• In Islam, Friday corresponds as a holy day to Sunday in Christianity. Friday observance includes attendance at a mosque for congregation prayer or Salat AlJumu'ah. It is considered a day of peace and mercy as well as a day of rest.
• Black Friday refers to any one of several historical disasters that happened on Fridays, and, in a general sense, to any Friday the thirteenth. 
• Casual Friday (also called Dress-down, Aloha or Country and Western Friday) is a relaxation of the formal dress code employed by some corporations for the last day of the working week.
• Good Friday is the Friday before Easter in the Christian calendar. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
• POETS Day is a term used by workers in the United Kingdom and Australia to refer to Friday, the last day of the work week. It commonly stands for "Piss Off Early; Tomorrow's Saturday".

Listen, do you want to know a secret? (The Beatles)

Photo by James Haworth on Unsplash

The secret to managing is to be transparent, just, and above all, fair; the best way to handle challenging situations is to understand others along with their emotions and reasoning. 

(Venerable master Hsing Yun)

Nothing succeeds (sucks seeds) like a budgerigar

This is an excellent message for students everyone!

Persistence pays off. Never give up, never surrender!

I need to remember Thomas Edison's message when I'm dealing with Spark over a broadband/ internet issue.

It's easy to give up when the chatbot leads you down a blind alley. It's easy to give up when 'book a call' freezes. It's easy to give up when no one answers the phone at the local Spark office and you have to leave a message and no one gets back to you and you feel like bashing your head against the desk in frustration.

But, then I remember Thomas' message. 

I haven't failed. I'm not discouraged. The failures are a series of steps forward.