It’s Thursday and normally, I should be dog-tired because it’s near the end of yet another exhausting work week. But surprisingly, I feel quite alert, alert enough to start tying this past 10.35pm anyway.

My atypically energetic being has to be attributed to the fact that we organised the Preliminary Round of the Spelling Bee pretty successfully yesterday. I was the I/C of this event, which was something that occupied the greater part of my neural capabilities. I was getting reacquainted with the school, had no idea how to get things done, was entirely unfamiliar with the Socrative app, and had to get certain decisions cast in stone by discussing matters with my team members and superior. Not to mention how I was robbed of five afternoons since I was deployed fo be an oral examiner in other schools. The crux of a public school teacher’s life - all things urgent, but no time to settle anything.

I stayed methodical and pushed for one decision to make every day. The multitude of decisions ranged from physiological needs like refreshments and prizes to staffing needs like student emcees and teacher pronouncer to logistical needs like venue booking and equipment set-up. Even though they were a significant cognitive load, they were nothing compared to learning the ropes of the Socrative app. So I had to surface all these facets and let all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place as my co-workers volunteered to do this and that.

I wish I could say that the Spelling Bee proceeded without a hitch. But well, there were hiccups and unforeseen developments that would occupy their place prominently in any After Action Review form. Nothing damaging though, which is why I heaved a sigh of relief after biding the students goodbye at 5pm sharp.

One thing’s for sure. Event organisation takes up so much time and effort away from classroom teaching that I never quite enjoy doing it. But when department members employ their varied strengths to cover all the ground, I always feel quite happy to have contributed to something greater than myself. As my parting words to students went yesterday, “Regardless of whether you found the Spelling Bee interesting or boring, you have gained an experience.”