ventilation

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer...

words to live by in the educational field.

Much to my dismay, the curriculum coordinator for my school decided to email my principal and tell her that I "act like I know everything there is to know about teaching".

Did she really mistake my boredom for pride or egotism? come ON!

I dont pretend to know anything about teaching. Every single day is a new day, and I never know what I am going to be up against. I beg, borrow, and steal as much as I can from every teacher around me because I know that they are way better than I am. In fact, every time someone tries to compliment me in any way regarding my teaching, I vehemently deny it. How could someone say something like that?!

So THEN I get pulled into a half hour chat with my principal... she reads the emails to me, and I am utterly shocked by what they said... and for a number of reasons... the cc never gave me the impression that she was upset with me or angry with me. she said my pacing was fine, but I need to pick it up a little... but let me remind you

ITS MY FIRST YEAR TEACHING!!!!!!!! I AM TEACHING 3 FREAKING SUBJECTS!!!!!!!

Not only that, but...

EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND, THIS SCHOOL IS MAKING ME DO BUSY WORK FOR THEM!!!!!!!!

excuse me if I am a little behind. Maybe thats because I already spend nearly every waking moment thinking about my kids and doing the stupid paper work that the school makes me do. grrrr! I want to bite her!!!!

Overall, its ridiculous. I am doing the best that I can with what I have been given. And ive been pretty stinkin shafted.


I think the worst part of it all has been my inability to play the game. I know this game. I know how the manipulation and two-facedness of it all works. I can DO that. I am GOOD at doing that... but its such bs, and I simply dont want to pretend to be something I am not. I am trying to be positive, for both myself, and for my kids. I can honestly say that I love those kids and that I care about them and that I want to teach them well... but geez, you wanna know what I think about some of your programs? THEY DONT WORK FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS!!!! Get a freakin CLUE. Dont treat them like babies. Sigh.

I think the reason that this school has such a high turn around is because you either buy into it, or you dont. And most people dont. When a teacher comes up to me and says a kid is smart... they are at the 50% level... thats NOT smart to me. Thats average. When a teacher says oh, this kid came back and said that they have been having success in college... its COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Not to slam community college, but im sorry, I expect WAY more from my kids. My kids are capable of a much more rigorous curriculum and future schooling... so I want to treat them that way. I want to challenge them... but I need to make them buy into me first. I need to make them love me first so that when I start really pushing, they are willing to keep up because they are on my side.

I might not know anything about teaching, but I know a lot about people. And the coordinator can bite me. I would LOVE to see her teach one of my classes. I really truely would. Maybe I will invite her down to do that. Id like that a lot, in fact. I dont want her to fail, of course , but i think it would show her hey, my kids are fabulous, but they need to go a little slower. You know, they want us to make it thru the whole book.... AND teach them how to write... AND teach them how to journal... AND teach them how to read.... AND teach them how to respect themselves and one another... AND teach them how to learn independently... AND teach them how to think critically... and oh yeah, teach them some science in there when you have the time.


I realize that admin is doing their job... but let me do mine! That is all I am asking! Let me do my work! Let me do what I do well, and that is teach. Let me use the time to observe other teachers... let me use the time to create fabulous lesson plans and labs.... dont make me spend THREE HOURS learning how to TAKE NOTES. ARG.









AND GRRR.


there are just not words to explain my frustration. Florida sounds nice. If it werent for those stinkin kids, I would totally go. Yarness.