I have a new breaktime duty this year. Previously I has the delight of having food thrown at me in the dining hall, but I now have an outdoor duty. It involves a walk out one school gate, along the road, through a jitty (in the local tongue. Known to myself as a gennell and to others as an alleyway), on to another road and back in to school through the other entrance. This was my first time and I was at the top of the jitty when I spotted some young ragamuffins halfway down trying to sneak out for a quick fag. They spotted me and quickly turned and ran. This suited me fine because it meant I didn't have to deal with them. I continued my stroll down to their exit point and waited to make sure they didn't come back.

After a few minutes I heard footsteps, I was all ready to pounce and spring into action when round the corner came the new headteacher. It was a classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted. I'd not actually spoken to her before so it was interesting to see what she was like. The other members of the maths department don't seem to have taken a shine to her: 'I don't like that blouse she was wearing' was the commonly held view in the office at lunchtime, my head of department, one of only two other men out of nine teachers in the department was as baffled by this as I was. They also commented that her skirt looked a little crinkled, as though it hadn't been ironed. I'm not sure what they're trying to infer from this but I have a blind faith that anyone in a position of authority does everything on purpose. So if she hasn't ironed her skirt it's for a very good reason, I almost imagine her stood there with an iron weighing up the pros and cons of pressing or not pressing.

Personally I think she has some interesting things to say. For example that the kids should be working harder than the teachers once we get in to the classroom, I must admit I'd not thought about it like that and last year was quite happy if the pupils were working at all, even if my feet were barely touching the floor as I dashed round the classroom trying to make sure pens were being put to paper and not thrown across the room. Also she seems pleasant enough, though she doesn't scare me like the old head which may or may not be a good thing. The other maths teacher are a little longer in the tooth than me so are perhaps not keen on any upheavals. As a young member of staff I find any changes to the school very exciting indeed, or at least am prepared to give anyone a chance.