Hi everyome! Secondary School AU where our characters are the Staff not the Students!
A bit of background info into the UK achooling system.
So this is set in a Secondary School in England amd I will be referring to the holidays in England. We have 3 terms that are split by a week long half term break.
Autumn 1 September 1st (for the teachers) to roughly the last week of October. (One week half term hols)
Autumn 2 End of October to mid-December. (Two weeks Christmas holidays)
Spring 1 January to mid-february. (One week half term hols)
Spring 2 February to March (Two weeks Easter holidays)
Summer 1 April to the end of May (One week half term hols)
Summer 2 June to roughly the end of July. (Six week summer holiday!)
Secomdary schooling is 11 to 16. Further Education like A-levels is 16 to 18.
Autumn - A new year begins
For the first time in years Lavi Bookman found himself actually paying attention to Headmaster Leverrier as he gave the usual spiel about conduct for the new school year.
Due to haphazard airline schedules he had been unfortunate enough to miss the teacher training days at the start of the term, which left him severely uninformed off all the changes that were to take place this year.
All around the other teachers wore fixed placid expressions, although Lavi could see that most had that glazed look of daydreamers. Cross Marian was hidden from view, sleeping in the back row. Yu Kanda was sitting up prostrate, the very image of attentiveness, though Lavi knew better. Even the students were barely listening. Indeed it was only Lavi and the anxious first years who bothered taking in the Headmaster's droning and focused on his precision combed mustache quivering with each emphatically announced phrase.
"At Our Lady of Innocence nothing short of respect for the rule of law will be tolerated. The ABCs and numbers have already been shoveled into your heads by those apron-wearing molly coddlers you called teachers. The education you will receive at Our Lady of Innocence will be more than mere qualifications. You will learn…."
"…discipline, manners and respect. The keystones of survival as an adults," Allen Walker, a maths teacher, mockingly finished Leverrier's speech in Lavi's ear. "No wonder only the first years pay attention. Everyone else has heard it all before."
"Shh!" Lavi hissed impatiently, "When is he going to explain what happened to my classroom?" Allen simply rolled his eyes and turned to his other side to whisper to a pretty oriental woman in a tracksuit. She giggled behind her hand at whatever lame joke Allen just cracked. "And just who the hell are all these new people?" Lavi shook his head.
Lavi suffered a huge shock this morning when he turned up to the school grounds to find that the east side buildings that housed English, Science and Languages had all been scaffolded and blocked off with 'Danger! No entry!" signs. And sitting here now, he counted no less than three new faces including the woman next to Allen. The others included an olive skinned man sitting a row behind Lavi, whispering to Bak Chang, the Head of Science, and an older frizzy haired man who was somehow already covered in paint spots and had charcoal tipped fingers. Arts most likely, Lavi thought as he dared to take a sweeping glance of all the other unfazed members of staff and noted that none of the other English teachers were here. In his moment of quiet panic the olive skinned man looked up and caught Lavi's eye and tipped his head in the briefest of nods and a wink before turning back to the still preaching Leverrier. Who the hell are you? Lavi thought confusedly at the newcomer.
"…We aim to create upstanding members of society and the journey to becoming just that starts with you. It starts today!" Leverrier paused for effect, "Finally, you will have noticed that there are significant changes to the school building this year. The Darwin and Bronte buildings will be closed to all students and staff as they are undergoing renovation until further notice. During this renovating period all Science, English and Languages classes will be moved to the mobile classrooms that will be situated in Owen's Field. All classes will resume normally and the short distance will not become an excuse for tardiness." Here Leverrier stopped to glare at the students. "Year 9 and 10 Tutor rooms will be based in the mobile classrooms. Remain in your seats, tutors will come forward and collect you. You leave this hall in an orderly fashion and continue this academic year in the same vein. Start now as you mean to go on."
"And all students are reminded that the Forbidden Forest is off limits," Allen was snickering again.
"What?" Lavi had too much too worry about already besides trying to decipher the maths teacher's jokes. Allen blanched at the question. "You're the English teacher," he said disgustedly. "Haven't you read Harry Potter?"
On the stage Leverrier turned rigidly on his heels and exited without even a glance at the teachers. Lavi wasn't a tutor this year so he didn't need to stay and wait for a class, he parted from Allen who would be with the Year 9's this year, and went in search of the rest of the English department. Mobile classrooms, bloody heck? How was he supposed to teach anything in a cardboard shack? And all the other teachers had probably already called dibs on the better positioned units. Dejected he went in search of his Department Head, Klaud.
"Chin up Lavi, the year's barely even started. Seven weeks till half term you know!" Bak Chang said jovially and fell into step beside Lavi. He clapped an arm around Lavi's shoulder and steered him out of the hall. "You missed most of the induction announcements yesterday so I'll show you to your new classroom."
"My new broom closet more like," Lavi sighed, "You'd think there would have been some kind of announcement before end of term last year."
"Last minute funding I reckon, so it all happened quickly. Hopefully it won't be too long, besides at least you English lot have a complete faculty. I'm down a couple teachers meaning I'll actually have to go back into the classroom this year," Bak shook his head regretfully.
"Really? Then how come you gave me your class lists yesterday Bak?" said a smooth voice on Lavi's other side. He looked up to see the olive skinned teacher who had winked at him. Up close Lavi saw that he looked to be a little older than himself, early thirties maybe? The new teacher extended a hand and treated Lavi to another wink and a playful smile. "Tyki Mikk, supply science teacher. Pleasure to meet you."
Lavi couldn't help but reciprocate the smile as he shook Tyki's hand. "Lavi Bookman, English. Overloading the supply staff already Bak?" he said turning back to Bak.
"Well, Tyki here seems competent enough, and of course I'll be running interventions and other things…" Bak trailed off helplessly as Lavi and Tyki shared a knowing look. The Department Head cleared his throat authoritatively to put an end to those glances. "Anyway, now that you two have been introduced I may as well leave you to sorting out your classrooms together. Because of limited space you two will be unit 7 at the back of the field and as you've already been there Tyki, you can show Lavi where to go. And Lavi you know where the stockroom is so you can show Tyki where to find all the equipment he needs will be. The students will be doing team-building activities with their tutors today so you're free to set up your rooms. See you at lunch." Bak waved goodbye and ran to catch up with Komui Lee, the Deputy Head.
"Lead the way sir," Tyki flashed a brilliant smile at Lavi.
"So how long are you going to be with us Mr. Mikk?" Lavi asked cordially as they made their way to the stock rooms. To get there they would have to leave the auditorium and cut across the quad and into the design tech building. Usually Lavi would have cut through the connecting tunnel from science block directly to the third floor stock rooms, but as that route was currently out of bounds, the long way round would have to suffice.
"Not entirely sure, signed on for this term at least. But please call me Tyki, unless there's a rule about using first names," Tyki offered and then raised a brow at the chortle the comment received.
"I think you'll find the only one with a rule about first names is Yu Kanda, the PE coach, but most people steer clear of him anyway," Lavi pointed out the dark haired PE coach from across the quad and explained the mortal dangers that one would face if they were to use the coach's first name. "One time I called him by his first name accidently during a class and found myself the sole target of a dodge ball game," he recounted with a shiver.
"Yikes, sounds bad," Tyki commiserated. "That's a shame, he's actually kind of hot."
"Yeah, if you're into that I guess," Lavi laughed. Most people agreed that Kanda was good looking, so it wasn't unusual for the supply teacher to comment on the PE coach. "Come on, let's hurry up or there'll be nothing left."
As they walked, Lavi stopped to greet staff as they made the return journey from the stock room, arm laden with books, pencils and other bits of stationary. Noting the volumes of stationary being carried out, the pair stepped up their speed, the worrying thought of finding an empty stock room becoming ever more likely. As it was they ended up at the back of a long queue and were the last to enter the now near empty room. Luckily the class sets of exercise books required for their classed were there and the two started loading plastic boxes with what they needed.
Laden with all the supplies they could scavenge, Lavi led them back to the quad and from there Tyki directed them to their mobile unit at the far end of the field.
"Damn," Lavi whistled, setting his box down on the small rectangle that was posing as a desk. He shook out his arms to loosen the taut muscles from carrying the heavy load all this way. "Guess we can expect our classes to be arriving at least ten minutes late to every lesson."
"Don't see why you think that's a problem," Tyki chuckled from across the narrow gap of a corridor between their rooms. Lavi frowned that it should be so easy to hear him. Soon the sound of the radio filtered through the stereos in Tyki's room and into Lavi's. "Hope this is okay, I can't really work in silence."
Ignoring his own reservations for the sake of being good-natured, Lavi told him not to worry about it and instead plugged in his own earphones and threw himself into customising his room. The silver lining in this all was that for at least for this term he wouldn't have to share a classroom with another teacher. Nor would he find himself running between different rooms each period. First job was to set up the computer and get printing. He backed and labelled his boards ready to display work hoping that the new buildings would have enough classrooms. Timetables, year plans and learning aids would wallpaper the surfaces tastefully before he was finished today.
It was a productive morning, making up for the missed time yesterday. Lavi was just adding the finishing touches to his last board, a useful guide on how to annotate effectively, when he noticed Tyki examining his student communication display. Pulling out one ear bud, Lavi joined him behind the front desk.
"InstaThink?" Tyki poked the little cardboard camera.
"Yeah, like the social media," Lavi confirmed, dropping his staple gun into a draw. "Last year I had the "Twit Feed". The kids loved it. Even the older ones; they pretended it was naff but I know for a fact more than a few of them left questions and comments."
"Nice interactivity, I might magpie it one day," he clapped Lavi on the back. "I'm covering in Year 9 this afternoon, just got the call. Someone's had to go home sick. A room full of 13 year olds on the first day back, I'd probably go home sick too."
"Supply teachers get all the skivvy work," Lavi found himself returning Tyki's grin.
"You've done really good in just a couple of hours," Tyki took a last around the room from the door. His curious gaze made Lavi slightly uncomfortable and a little bit defiant over how much effort he was putting into the plywood shack of a classroom. "So guess I'll see you around Mr Bookman."
"See you around Mr Mikk."
Lavi smiled to himself, it was a rocky start this morning but things were falling into place. A pastel pink square at the bottom of the InstaThink board caught his attention. He bent down for a closer look. His smile broadened, reaching all the way into his chest.
"Happy New Year"
Every year started like this: hopeful.
It never lasted long.
See you at half term!
