Ordinary Gweilo

When I came home from work the other day, my son asked me whether I work hard. “Yes, of course” I replied (and actually I do). “So is your teacher happy with your work?”

I suppose it’s an entirely logical view of the world when all you know is school. It has obviously never occurred to him that when you get older you don’t have a teacher telling you what to do and whether you have done a good job or not.

Of course, teachers occupy a very special place in the life of young children, and a few words of praise mean so much. As they get older, the relationship changes and teachers often struggle to stay in control, but that comes later.

I don’t think anyone would really want a boss who was quite like my son’s teacher, but I have certainly come across some who seem to act more like a mother than a manager. But that’s a subject for another day.