Aibu to think this is going to make me look incompetent when I’m not?

[GinAndTonicWithCake]

Headteacher of a primary school. I’m taking 19 students with 3 colleagues (so 4 staff including me) to Denmark tomorrow. I was absolutely sure I had everything I needed ready for tomorrow. Us staff have to be at school for 3am as it’s an early start and the children there for 4:30am so we can get away for 5am hopefully. This means we won’t be going into the main school as we will be using the canteen which is accessible from the main road (the same door used by parents when picking children up from after school club as reception is not used for this) and then boarding the coach. I thought I had everything ready, brought some stuff home (will take it with me know the morning) and left some stuff in the canteen at school ready for tomorrow morning. I’ve just realised I’ve left my school IPad in my office at school and now I’m worried there is something else I’ve forgot as well, I’ve double checked everything I have here at home and can’t think of anything else I’ve forgot besides my IPad and I’ll double check everything in the canteen tomorrow morning to make sure I’ve not left anything else behind. This is going to make me look incompetent and disorganised now. I pride myself on being organised but now the fact I’ve left my school IPad in my office at school is making me worry there’s also something I’ve left too but I can’t think what it is. I can manage without my school Ipad if I have to but I’m sure there’s something else I’ve left too but I can’t think what it is and I’ve doubled checked everything here at home and will double check everything in the canteen tomorrow morning but I’m sure there’s something else I haven’t brought home that i thought I had brought home ready for tomorrow, I can’t think what it is but I’m worried there’s something else as well as the IPad now. I know it’s my fault (about forgetting the IPad and anything else I’ve forgot that I can’t think of) but AIBU to think this is going to make me look incompetent when I’m not? I’m normally really good with being organised and I’ve led many trips so I promise this doesn’t happen often and I am genuinely able to do my job properly

You're massively overthinking, and panicking - and all because you left an ipad somewhere you can get it from.

As long as you have tickets, risk assessment and medication lists, contact details, passport, and phone, everything else can be managed.

I run trips. I understand the stress, but your reaction to forgetting one thing is way over the top. Being so concerned you'll look incompetent is bizarre. Imposter syndrome?

OP you are overthinking, people make mistakes. Forgetting one ipad is a mistake not incompetence. Have a lovely time in Denmark

I think this is just anxiety taking, the I pad is an annoying but easy oversight. Presumably anything you might have done on there you can do on another device.

I know to get to this point you’ll have done a huge amount of preparation and planning which is reflective of your competence.

You are not the only adult in charge, and although the buck stops with you as the head, I do find when you go out of school like this staff are much more on a level as you all share the same immediate responsibility of the care of the children.

Get some sleep, forgive yourself the iPad and have a fantastic trip making lifelong memories for the kids !

I’ve been through everything else and I’m sure that there is something else missing but I honestly can’t think what it is besides the Ipad. I’ve got everything that you’ve listed in your post.

Thank you. I’m just sure that there is something else missing but I honestly can’t think what it is. I’ve just doubled checked everything I have here at home and the only thing I can think of that is missing is the IPad. I’ll check the stuff that’s already in the canteen tomorrow morning to see if there’s anything missing from that.

Maybe OP can’t get the ipad though. In a school that I used to work at for a trip leaving at that time in the morning (when we took year 6 to London we left at a similar time to the OP) you would only be able to use the hall as if you went in to the main reception and office area it would set the alarm system off which wouldn’t have been disabled until the site team came in at 8am. OP if you can’t get the ipad, can you do everything on your phone that you was going to do on the ipad?

First Aid Kit?

The only thing that would make you look incompetent is if you made a big deal of this. You've forgotten something in an office .... And?

I don't know why forgetting one thing has sent you on such a spiral but maybe work on being more kind to yourself.

Even if this was a huge mistake (it's not), all it would do is show you as human to colleagues 🤷‍♀️

I bet you wouldn't judge them for a tiny mishap?

The first aid kit is in the canteen ready (put it in the canteen today) for in the morning and worst case scenario if that’s what I forgot then there is another first aid kit that is always in the canteen that I can take with us as a worst case scenario.

I can literally see your circular thinking. Step away from everything for a while and go and do something to relax. If there is anything else you bet that's when it will come to you. Otherwise sounds like you have what you need regardless of the ipad.

You are right I wouldn’t judge them to be fair. I’ll check in the morning in the canteen with my colleagues that there is nothing else we’ve forgot besides my school Ipad. Need to try and get some sleep now

Yeah, go get some sleep it'll all feel better in the morning!

I've got the paper version of this packing list if that helps.

Sorry don't know why it's come out blurred as it wasn't on the actual screenshot. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Knock-Pack-This-Pad-KK/dp/1601061560/ref=asc_df_1601061560/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311040647414&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16336671580017629729&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045868&hvtargid=pla-625542630952&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Your OP is like a chaotic brain dump. Long, repetitive rambling sentences. I think your anxiety has completely overtaken your rational mind here. Why on earth would you look incompetent for leaving your iPad where you intend to go tomorrow anyway? This makes no sense. How would your colleagues even know you'd had to retrieve it in the morning?

Everything is, and will be, OK.

I’m in bed now and going to try and get some sleep as we’ve got to be at school for 3am, very early unfortunately

Thank you, I’ll look through that if I get time in the morning as I’m in bed now

As I would say to my son when he starts to just talk in circles: ‘you’ve glitched’.
in all seriousness you need to stop panicking and get a grip. You sound organised. You left one item in a safe place.

Worst case if I don’t get the IPad tomorrow morning my colleagues will have their IPad’s and I have my phone so either way it will be ok

Be kinder to yourself. What you are doing is a huge responsibility and you are only human.

Go through everything with your colleagues tomorrow. All the responsibilities are not just on you, share the load. That's what they are there for.

Remember to enjoy the trip to.

I'm not a teacher but surely all you need is passport, tickets, money, phone? Anything else can be sorted as long as you have those 4 things.

I get massive travel anxiety as well as suffering imposter syndrome so I 100% get it but even IF you've forgotten something else, we live in a world where everything can be sorted as long as we have those 4 things.

Every school I've known the headteacher has had keys and all the alarm codes as they're a keyholder for emergencies, but places differ.

Yes, I have keys for the school and the codes as well so if I get a minute in the morning I will nip out of the canteen and get the IPad from my office, if I don’t get a minute to do so then we will go without my IPad but I am going to try and get it

Yes. We still definitely go through everything in the morning that’s for sure, we’ll make sure nothing else is missing besides my IPad