Not on my number!

Since the beginning of the year, my school has issued each teacher their own photocopier code number in order to keep track of the number of copies we use. I have no problem with that, as it’s done by many schools and companies to help control costs.

The school also has a standardised lesson plan form that all teachers must fill in prior to each lesson. I have no problem with that either, as it’s a way for the admin to know that we are actually planning lessons.

The standardised lesson plan forms are kept in the teachers’ room, and until we started using photocopier code numbers, when we were running low on lesson plan forms, we’d just pop one into the photocopier and make one hundred or so.

Smileroid was talked to on Tuesday about the number of photocopies he’s made since the beginning of the year, so we know that Bossman is keeping track. When we were almost out of lesson plan forms yesterday, I told Pompous Ponce that I wasn’t going to use my photocopy allotment for a form that our administrative staff should provide for us, and that I was going to the office to use their photocopier to make copies of it.

After starting one hundred photocopies, Secretary from Hell asked me if the photocopier in the teachers’ room was broken. I assured her that it wasn’t. She went on to say, in a condescending tone, that the office photocopier was not to be used by teachers when our copier was working. I took one of the forms off the copier and told her that I was doing this because we were almost out of forms. She looked puzzled as to what the form was for, so I explained it to her and told we were required, by the office, to use them. She repeated her previous statement about the office’s copier not being used by teachers, which was the wrong thing to do.

I’ve not been having a good week for various work related reasons, and that set me off. ‘SfH, THIS IS NOT ONLY FOR ME IT IS FOR ALL THE TEACHERS, AND I’M NOT GOING TO USE MY BLOODY PHOTOCOPY ALLOTMENT FOR SOMETHING THAT THE OFFICE REQUIRES US TO FILL IN! IF YOU HAD PROVIDED US WITH THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO DO OUR JOBS IN THE FIRST PLACE, THEN I WOULDN'T BE IN HERE COPYING THE BLOODY THING!’

She took the hint and left me alone. I’m sure she’ll complain to Bossman about it and he’ll want a word with me my attitude towards the office sometime soon (another 'be nicer to the office' chat).

Next time, I’m just going to use the last lesson plan form and not worry about running out of them instead of going through all this hassle again.