characterization- please criticize

[SleepyWitch]

Hi everyone,
this is the beginning of a random chapter from my novel... well, so far i've got 3 complete chapters... the first gives you the situation towards the end of the story (it's like a frame) and the other 2 take you to the beginning of it... (one of them is around in another thread, "my novel chapter 2") or something...
the following is set much later, but i had to write it now coz i had this funny idea and i didn't want to let it go to waste....) so.. what i'm trying to say is, don't worry too much about who the characters are... the main character of the novel is called ANNA, but this chapter starts with the description of one of her colleagues. i know it's very detailed and a lot of information... BUT, the whole book itself is gonna be a lot less direct and will leave lots of blanks for the readers to come up with their own interpretations (at least that's what i hope).
so, if the description of this character makes your head reel, don't worry coz this kind of characterization will be an exception... so just tell me if the character is convincing and how you like her... :) THANKS A LOT :)

[amuse]

i liked everything but the "fashionably late" part, only because i think that breeds a lack of culture and seems frivolous for someone known as "the iron matron."
but feel free to ignore - that's rather nitpicky, after all.

i like this. :)

[SleepyWitch]

hehe, thanks for your reply..
ok i'll see what i can do about either the 'fashionably late' bit or the 'iron matron'.. the nick is something i just came up with on the spur of the moment and actually a friend of mine said that makes the character sound a bit too old and greyish (which is not really what she's supposed to be)... so i might look for another nick.... as for the being late.. yep, you're right it does create a lack of culture... but the point is that this teacher is not always 100% fair but is respected by her pupils anyway.. so she can be later for her own lessons but the pupils can't.... then maybe i should make up some reason why she's late instead of saying she does it for fun.....
thanks for your comments :)