Sarah Jones' Diary

New term started tonight. Have 18 students - pretty mixed bunch. Didn’t do much this evening, never do on first night. Sorted out registers, told them what equipment they needed - got all the boring stuff out of the way then told them they could go home early and we’ll start in earnest next week. They always seem so nervous - can’t think why. “European Cookery for Beginners” is hardly the most threatening subject. Some of the questions they ask make you wonder why the hell they bother. 

One woman wanted to know if it was OK if she could miss half-term week when her kids were on holiday from school - what the hell did she think I was going to do? Felt like telling her she’d need a note from her mother or she’d have a row. Another guy asked if there was a phone in the building......Doh! But the best was the one who was obsessed by whether we were going to have a coffee break and would the canteen be open. Depressing - when I ask whether they have any questions, I rather hope that occasionally they might say something intelligent about the course not about the bloody tea and biscuits.