Union Activity Should be Uplifting and Rejuvenating

After school today, I went to Slough NUT AGM, followed by Milton Keynes NUT AGM. At the end of the second meeting, I got into a very brief conversation with someone about the difficulty of balancing union activity with an increasingly stressful job. Far too many potential union activists are put off by the sheer volume of workload that teaching now entails. The only antidote to this is for union activity itself to be the thing that rejuvenates and recharges activists after a hard day at school.



The conversation reminded me of the regional union meeting we attended in Pinar del Rio in Cuba, where we were welcomed with song and delegates spoke animatedly about the difference involvement in the union made to their lives and those of their colleagues and neighbours. It was hard not to feel excited and energised by the end of the meeting.

Meetings Don't Have To Be Long!

Week #5 Meeting #12

Great short lunchtime meeting today at SS Mary & John Primary in Oxford. I gave a 10min presentation on the White Paper, followed by 5min of questions.

This was easily enough time for members to understand the main elements of the White Paper and the threat it poses to both education and teacher terms and conditions. The photo was taken at there staff meeting after school. So, if your colleagues are busy, why not fit in a 15min meeting?

Music for Organising!

I feel like I've completed my quota of exercise for the day after dancing around for half an hour to Which Side Are You On? by Rebel Diaz whilst carrying both kids.  Maybe not everyone's idea of the perfect Saturday morning activity but the sheer joy on their faces shows the power of music to inspire.