Student: Why aren’t you a teacher? You should be a teacher!
Me: Well, lovely student, funny thing… I am a teacher.
Student: Why you doing this, then?
Me: Because I love this. Because this is as worthy as teaching. Because I think I can help people doing this. More than I helped them when teaching. Because I also still get to teach in this role. Because… Michael Gove.
***
Student: Jo, it’s June.
Me: Yup, I know. It’s come around quickly, hasn’t it?
Student: What? Yeah. No, I mean, you haven’t changed the Riddles of the Month. Where are this month’s riddles?!
Turns out things you think aren’t gaining traction have actually taken root.
***
Student: Can we play [insert name of game] again?
Me: Sure. I’ve got 5 minutes.
Student: Can you let me win this time?
Me: Awwww. (Sympathetic noises). No. It’s not in my DNA.
Student: Right. We’re playing chess, then, because you don’t win that.”
***
Student: Is it safe to talk?
Me: (Concerned and receptive face and body language). Of course. Are you ok?
Student: Eh? Oh, yes. No, I meant have you seen episode [insert number relating to Game of Thrones season 8] yet? I need to talk about it; there’s so many things I need to get off my chest.
***
Student: (Walking into library) LA LA LA LA LA LA LA! (Jamming fingers into his ears) LA LA LA LA LA LA!
Me: (Yelling) What are you doing?
Student: I haven’t seen Endgame or Game of Thrones episode [insert number] yet so the library is dangerous. Don’t ruin them for me.
Me: I would never (absolute horror registered on my face and appropriately melodramatic hand gestures).
Student: No, I know you wouldn’t. It’s all the other [naughty word, rhymes with cluckers] I don’t trust. LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!
***
Me: (Helping out a series of students with chargers, Sharpies, laptops, punched pockets – also called, slippery fish – books, stapler remover, scissors, glue, every ramification of paper and a drink…)
Student: Jo’s the plug (to the room, very loudly).
Me: Eh?
Really wasn’t sure what to make of it. Initially, my mind wandered to the cute Christmas advert by Sainsbury’s… Was I like the little plug-boy, bringing joy and light to all?
That thought didn’t last long. I was suspicious but I did not want to Google it at work in case it breached our appropriate use of IT policy and set off sirens, triggered flashy lights and angered the Computer Services team. So I waited until I got home.
Apparently, it means someone in the know who can connect you to what you need. I quite liked it – seems like a pretty accurate description of librarianship. That was until I checked further sources (I am a nearly-librarian, after all) which stated the plug hooks people up to drug dealers.
No. No. No. Dislike. I also didn’t enjoy that I’ve become that old, I had to verify colloquialisms.
The brain fluff of a bibliophile 