
How honest should I be when asked
How do you feel or what do you think?
Do you let it all out in a river of bile
Or hold some back so as not to burn bridges?
Should I get angry, or play it real cool?
The last thing I want is to be made a fool.
I got an exit interview questionnaire today and the questions were basically asking me why I have chosen to leave the school and what the school might be able to do better in the future.
I did smile as I read the questions because I know that the Rachel from five years ago would have had a couple of drinks and filled it out with unfiltered honesty. These days my approach to ‘telling the truth’ is much more reserved as I realise that it’s not helpful to burn every bridge once it’s been crossed just so I can feel like I’ve made my point.
I did tell the truth about the kids though, and I’m glad I did. There are days when I don’t even feel particularly safe leaving my room because the kids are so aggressive and nasty and I think that’s a really sad situation.
And I think that the school probably need to know that there are members of staff feeling that way.
Honesty is nearly always the best policy – but you should probably give a few home truths here and there. Just down burn that bridge down as you go.
Much Love
Rachel xx
Margot Kinberg
You ask a really good question here, Rachel. Just how unfiltered should one be. In a sense, that depends on the situation. But that said, I do believe in honesty, if not brutal candor. There are some things (like the staff’s feeling of not being safe) that people need to know.