people should know how they're doing

last week, N., my line manager, asked me to check the oral level of 2 prospective students. so off i went all the way across town for personal interviews. N. had given me precise instructions as to what he wanted to know, so on the way back, i thought long and hard about it. the prospectives were not, actually, the same level (one was, let's face it, a native speaker who had no need for lessons whatsoever), but they could, possibly, be put together if the company really insisted on a 'group' lesson. so i went to N. and explained everything in detail and concluded that, while not ideal, they wouldn't die if they didn't get private lessons. in my old school, they wouldn't even have had a choice. but N. surprised me by saying that, their objectives and needs being completely different, he couldn't possibly suggest that. it'd have to be private lessons or nothing, especially as one didn't really need any (and that's what he'd recommend). i was impressed.

the other day, we sorted out a few details about this. when we were done, i told him that i thought he was doing a great job and explained why, from the point of view of a teacher. i just felt i had to, cos people should be told when they're doing well. even if he is my boss.