It's nearly the end of the summer public exams. The peace of the library (entirely self-regulated by the sixth form who habitually work here) has been broken by an invasion of Year 11 pupils who have (horror!) gone behind my desk while I was downstairs getting a coffee and have helped themselves to the Scrabble boards!
So I've put paid to that nonsense and now I'm wondering why do I do that??? The ones who have chosen to stay have actually now caught the calm atmosphere and are communing quietly over what I suspect is a game of hangman, but I don't see any actual revision for their afternoon exam going on. Oh, and the most popular book in (any) school library (Guinness World Records) is being shared and even read aloud in the group.
So really, what was the problem with the Scrabble - a literary game (of sorts) which I positively encourage at lunch times? The fact that they were quite noisy (having a good time, engaging in social interaction, getting in a positive frame of mind for their exam)? Or the fact that they got the board out when I wasn't here, going into my private space (barely seperated from the public part of the library, certainly not an office), not asking?
These pupils are not habitual users of the library; they challenge the status quo and my "authority" and I'm really not good at handling that. Over-reacting, being unreasonable, inflexible. OK, so now am I going to go over there, apologise, offer them the Scrabble after all?
Watch this space.
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