Windy Days

I thought I was so individual and idiosyncratic when I was a teenager.
"I'm misunderstood" I'd lament.
"I'm so incredibly gifted" I'd assure myself.
"I'm crap at everything" I'd persuade myself.
"I'm so in touch with nature because I get cranky on windy days." I'd think as I smugly brushed the hair off my pimpled face and inwardly congratulated myself on my uniqueness.

Now that I am very old I realise that my quirks were, in fact, very common. The last one most so.

And so today, through no fault of her own, my student teacher's English double wasn't that great. The kids were weird. They were unsettled and unfocused, noisy, calling out answers, or talking constantly. She was patient and persevered very impressively, and didn't lose her cool as I most surely would have.

I put it down to the wind. There's always trouble abrewin' on windy days. Also a certain major school dancing competition finals are tomorrow night (which our school will assuredly win...), and Ramadan started today. So kids, how do you feel today? Cranky, excited, hungry or thirsty?

It's hard to fit in being 'respectful of others' rights to learn' and 'using class time effectively' when you are being an individual and idiosyncratic teenager who's uniquely in touch with the weather as well...