Day One... Again
One of the standard issues of an undergraduate education in education is a book called The First Days of School. It discusses things like rule-making, classroom layout, grade-keeping, and effective parent-teacher communication.
I would like Harry Wong to write a sequel, and title it, The First Days of School at the End of the Year in a New School with Another Teacher's Rules and Feng Shui and Rollbooks and Parent Call Logs and Students Who are Upset About Losing Their Teacher. And then perhaps he can write a sequel to that, called How to Get the Most Out of Teaching by Putting In the Least Effort Because You Refuse to Give that District One More Fucking Second of Your "Off-Clock" Time.
Today was weird.
It felt like the first day of high school, except worse because none of my middle school friends were there with me, and I had no one to eat lunch with so I just sat in my classroom and looked through 6th grade math that is way over my head.
The other teacher (initial J) left amazing plans. Everything was totally organized, laid out neatly on the desk, and some things were even prepared and copied to take me to the end of the year. It made me feel guilty that in my spite toward the district ("I am not leaving anything here that I purchased with my own money or created with my own brain because fuck them if they think they are going to bring in another teacher to use all of my hard work and everything will be all better."), I kind of screwed a fellow teacher as well.
Sources say that J understood, and said that she probably would have done the same thing if she was placed in the same situation. Which she was not, because she will have her old job back next year, and she was told Thursday that this would be happening. I was told yesterday at 2:30, approximately 18 minutes before the students were to leave, and 45 minutes before my contractual day was over (and like I said, fuck them if they think I am giving them any extra time), and therefore did not have enough time to think it over and take The High Road and decide to leave my shit until the end of the year.
J was told to just do what she needs to do to get through to the end of the year. I can't help but wonder what the year would have been like if I had been told the same. Actually, I was told the same. I was told to forget about their academics until their behaviors were under control, and so I introduced the "concerning" activitiy of Silly Putty, and was given a negative observation. I wonder if J will try to teach, or just make it fun until the middle of June.
I am still trying to see the positives.
I would like Harry Wong to write a sequel, and title it, The First Days of School at the End of the Year in a New School with Another Teacher's Rules and Feng Shui and Rollbooks and Parent Call Logs and Students Who are Upset About Losing Their Teacher. And then perhaps he can write a sequel to that, called How to Get the Most Out of Teaching by Putting In the Least Effort Because You Refuse to Give that District One More Fucking Second of Your "Off-Clock" Time.
Today was weird.
It felt like the first day of high school, except worse because none of my middle school friends were there with me, and I had no one to eat lunch with so I just sat in my classroom and looked through 6th grade math that is way over my head.
The other teacher (initial J) left amazing plans. Everything was totally organized, laid out neatly on the desk, and some things were even prepared and copied to take me to the end of the year. It made me feel guilty that in my spite toward the district ("I am not leaving anything here that I purchased with my own money or created with my own brain because fuck them if they think they are going to bring in another teacher to use all of my hard work and everything will be all better."), I kind of screwed a fellow teacher as well.
Sources say that J understood, and said that she probably would have done the same thing if she was placed in the same situation. Which she was not, because she will have her old job back next year, and she was told Thursday that this would be happening. I was told yesterday at 2:30, approximately 18 minutes before the students were to leave, and 45 minutes before my contractual day was over (and like I said, fuck them if they think I am giving them any extra time), and therefore did not have enough time to think it over and take The High Road and decide to leave my shit until the end of the year.
J was told to just do what she needs to do to get through to the end of the year. I can't help but wonder what the year would have been like if I had been told the same. Actually, I was told the same. I was told to forget about their academics until their behaviors were under control, and so I introduced the "concerning" activitiy of Silly Putty, and was given a negative observation. I wonder if J will try to teach, or just make it fun until the middle of June.
I am still trying to see the positives.
- When I got home today, I wasn't tired of hearing my own voice.
- I was not so worn out that I needed a two-hour nap.
- I can wear skirts.
- I don't have to remind anyone to blow their noses.
- I have SmartBoards in all my classrooms.
- The last 90 minutes of my day are student-free, so there is plenty of time to plan for the next day.
- It is no longer appropriate to eat while teaching (edible incentives/reinforcers often = "one for you, two for me" reaction), so maybe I'll drop some pounds.
- I can leave 15 minutes earlier.
That's all I can think of for now. Maybe more will arise. Maybe they won't. Like I said, it's only 25 days.
Labels: Work
posted by Jess at 3:03 PM
1 Comments:
Actually, good for you for thinking enough to take all of your stuff. I don't know if i would have had the energy to think about that... I probably would have just left everything as is and came back to clean up in June. It was nice of J to leave you everything, but you're not in the same situation. Let them figure it out. It's not your problem anymore and it's their own fault.
Well, uh.. SmartBoards are cool... you know, if nothing else.
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