Today was not a good day. I badly needed a mid day blog but because the school has banned the site, I have to wait until I get home. Unforntunately it all came crashing down before then and I ended up walking away from my Period 5&6 double before I even got them inside. Luckily BB and the Principal were there so I had quite a support. I made it quite clear why I was unhappy. The things that are making me most unhappy at school are:
- Being told off/reprimanded for doing the wrong thing when it is never made clear what the right and wrong things are to begin.
- When staff disguise these tellings off as "good advice" for the future or just a "tip" - very patronising
- When staff reprimand you in front of your Year 9 class of 25 boys!
- When you do 1 wrong thing and you have three people confront you about it but you can do 20 right things and no-one says anything, except the grumpy art teacher who no one else likes much.
- Students arguing with me- undermining me
- A Co-ordinator who thinks that because they can get my classes to sit down and be quiet it is easy, but only get this response from kids coz they are usually such an inconsistent bitch!
Pissed off! Even now, at 4:10pm I am still pissed off. Had 50 on in the car but even he didn't calm me down. I am looking for a new school already. I don't care if all schools are like this, I am sick of being treated like a student. If staff at my school have a problem with being able to differeniate between me and a student then I should not have to tolerate that. If I was a more irrational person I would have quit today. I even considered CRT- briefly though- and then thought I would probably end up at CSC anyway- great! :(
I hope no one reads this blog. My expression is not exactly poetic! But it is raw emotion!! It is what I feel like once a week at this school, but only now I have a blog spot to bash it out on. Normally I would have just done an intense workout, which I will still do.
Can the "Almighty Power" over schools (whoever that is...Principal Skinner? Superintendant whatshisname?) make all staff positive and supportive at my school and make them appreciate the good things instead of always pointing out the bad?
Where in the logic of managers and others in positions of authority does it dictate that they can overlook the good things often, and perhaps point them out infrequently, but that they MUST stomp on the bad things as soon as they happen? Where is the freedom or flexibility to overlook the small things until they are too big to ignore? Don't any of these teachers remember what all the student management gurus say, " Don't react to everything or you won't be able to suitably punish...and teach".
Tomorrow I will thank WR, WT, BB and MN for their support today. I won't be thanking TS or KR for anything they have ever done. I will write a letter expressing my interest in working at a new school tomorrow. I will brush up my resume this long weekend and I will enjoy Mum's birthday dinner tonight without thinking about my crappy day again until tomorrow.
Oh, and 1 last thing...to the walker's group.....maybe you could wait until everyone is there before you leave. That would have been about as good for me as a midday blog... Damn crazy school!
Bye,
M x
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2 comments:
Mel sounds like you had a really crappy day. Don't know what I can say that will help other than I know how you feel and if you ever want a person rather than a blog to talk to, send me an email and I will give you a call.
Why do some older teachers feel like we are the enemy and that if we do things differently they are wrong? And why don't we have enough discussions/meetings/conferences where people tell us we are doing a good job? Maybe this is why so many teachers leave the job within the first few years. The students aren't generally going to thank you so the administration needs to - and more regularly!
ps m - even when you are ranting your writing is insightful and really interesting to read. keep it up!
Say on, say on. This is such a root problem, this teacher bashing. In schools, in classrooms, in the community, in government; it's all over the place. I know what this feels like and I'm angry that people like us - committed, passionate, interesting people - are on the receiving end so often.
Don't go away. We need you.
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