Miaow

Yet more placement tests today, and higher than normal levels of retardation within the office.

Annoying thing 1
The test that we give our students was designed to incorporate different beginner levels of English in a way that asks gradually more difficult questions within the confines of the test to ascertain the level they enter the college at.

Here are three example questions:

1. Put these words in the correct order: haven't/car/They/got/a
2. What is the past simple of 'Look'
3. A person who designs buildings is a ...?

The following answers were marked correct by three different teachers:

1. They haven't a got car
2. Saw
3. Builder

This worked the other way too, with perfectly correct answers being marked wrong. I calmly suggested that each and every paper be double marked.

Annoying thing 2
My left hand colleague asked for my help with some computer related stuff (the fact that I am reasonly adept with Microsoft Office Suite makes me the equivalent of an 'IT expert' with the older contingency). I was asked how to copy and paste an image from Google to Publisher, crop it and resize it. Now, I have things to do, but took a deep breath and gave a 15 minute tutorial whilst the colleague scribbled down a page of notes, which, to their credit, has been used since without bothering me.

Annoying thing 3
My right hand colleague however, takes the preverbial biscuit. In the space of 60 highly disruptive minutes where I had lots of better things to do, I was asked for my help (remember, I'm the expert!) for the following:

1. How to open E-mail
2. How to read an E-mail
3. How to delete an E-mail
4. How to close E-mail
5. Recap 1-5 with computer being switched on and off just in case I'm not around one day
6. How to open Word
7. How to insert a table in word
8. How to write words in a table
9. How to bang.head.hard.off.table.

Now, I try to be patient and I fully understand that computers are a bit of nightmare for some people but when the words 'excuse me' and 'please' are not used, and I am expected to help for no other reason than that I can do it and they can't, it really annoys me.

Me: Have you ever used a computer before?
Colleague: Yes, I completed a computer training course 15 years ago.

Unbelievable.

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wingpig and TFP, I realise I used to bother you with the equivalent of Annoying things 2 and 3 quite a lot when I worked with you for which I not only offer my sincere gratitude for your patience, but also my apologies if you felt anything like what I've described above.
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