teacher venting/need support

[LuluLovesDisney]

. . . and it's not about the students!

I am at a crossroads where I am deciding what to do- as I want to get my Masters and I need to really decide where I'm headed. I teach high school English and I'm considering moving to the private sector, possibly teaching adults (business writing) or becoming a professor. I love teaching, I love literature and I love writing, but I can't handle my current job.

So where's the vent?

Here it is. I cannot continue teaching where I am. I am an emotional wreck. We are still on a salary freeze and I am making about 6 k less than teachers at my level in neighboring districts. More money goes into sports than even comes close to going to education. Bad behavior is constantly excused. I had over 10 pregnant students last year and two left to go to court ordered rehab. All kids were well behaved in my room - but this is the area I live/teach in, I guess. Anyway, every day when I return to my room, the blinds are all shut so I have to climb on the heater to open them, desks are graffitied (I check after my classes, but other teachers teach in my room during the day and at night school (some adults, but mostly kids who failed out of day school) and things are always a mess. I have a Cinderella desk set - three pieces have gotten chipped/broken. I had crackers stolen out of my desk, just yesterday was the last straw - my DVD player was disconnected and stolen. Other higher-ups in the school use my room for storage so there are constantly boxes of papers and things I'm not supposed to move - right on my desk or in my bookcase. I can't even have full use of my own desk or bookcase, never mind my own classroom. 3/4 of the stuff in here easily isn't mine. Yet, I'm expected to keep it organized and know where things are if asked. I can't organize for everyone else! Everyday, I walk in my room and before kids even come in, I feel violated - something is missing, broken, stolen or some new box of stuff that's not mine is hanging out.

Other teachers?
Do you have these issues? Do you have any advice? Are other schools better or is this how it is everywhere?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It sounds like the school you are at is not a match for you. Can you start looking elsewhere for a different school?

 

[golfgal]

That is not normal teaching situations, sounds like it is time to look for a new job. Now would be good since you have some experience and not your masters yet so you aren't too expensive for a district. There are plenty of good schools out there where you wouldn't have to put up with this stuff. It's a wonder why the kids act like they do if the administration doesn't have any respect for teachers either. .

Just an example from our DS14's high school, they have a really good marching band and in the summer go to a college 5 hours away for band camp. The vice-principal DRIVES down to the camp for a day just to watch them and support them. This camp is in JULY. I was very impressed by that.

 

[DawnCt1]

i agree, its time for a move. not every school system or every job is a good fit. there are plenty of good schools with good leadership that respects their teachers.

 

[Blondy876]

I agree with pp that it's time for a change. You should not have to worry about your things or keeping after other peoples stuff. I'm lucky that I have a really great administration that understands that I will make sure my room is in great shape when I leave for the day but don't hold me responsible for things that happen after hours. Now, I have a tough group of students (I have 4 and 5 year olds) but that is nothing new. I posted last week that I got bit so hard that it broke the skin and a month before that the same student threw a chair at me causing me to sprain an ankle. But in the end I LOVE my job. I think you might need a change. Go back, get that Masters and watch for the new opportunities open to you. Good luck.

 

[pigletz]

Your district sounds like mine. We've been in a temporary trailor for 6 years. It's falling apart. I don't have heat in my room so I have to cart my stuff around for the first few periods in the winter until my room warms up enough. The kids have never been taught boundries. The teachers joke that if they left their dentures on their desk some kid would pick them up and try to put them in his/her mouth. Discipline is a joke. We have no attendence policy. Every student in the district knows about "the packet". You can miss 100 days of school and when you come back the teacher has to give you a packet of make up work and if you do it (it doesn't have to be right), the teacher has to pass you. Parents don't have to call or send a note when their child is absent. If you're suspended, you get to make up all of your work. Like that's an effective punishment; do something wrong and we give you a free vacation. We have 6 kids expelled for weapons violations already this year (out of 400 eighth graders). One of those kids was caught with a gun last year (7th graders are still at the elementary schools). The law says we have to expell for a full calandar year. He was caught in April last year at they only gave him until the end of the school year. I taught him in summer school and then he was caught with a gun last month. We offer summer school but they still pass the students who sign up but don't attend. I called a parent yesterday who told me to scream shut up at her child to get her to stop talking or to send her to the office. She told me that her daughter was at school and she was my problem while she was there. I sent her to the office. She was suspended for 3 days because my principal wanted to get back at the mother, but another girl who cursed me out in class yesterday because I wouldn't let her yank another girl out of her seat is back in class today because I didn't call her mother before I sent her to the office. We haven't had a contract in two years and the board refuses to negotiate. The stuff they're asking for is awful. They want to completely get rid of suspensions and put nothing in its place and they want to "remove language regarding the districts responsibility for maintainance of school buildings".

Despite all of this I really do like where I work. I work with a great group of teachers and most of my students are really great kids. There's nothing wrong with leaving a position that you're not happy with. I've considered it many times. Unfortunatly, many of the schools where I live have had massive layoffs in the last couple of years. I just barely survived the last one that we had and have slowly worked my back up the list. I'm afraid that if I leave, I'll end up last in seniority in a district that has an unexpected layoff my first year there. Besides, my district would like it too much if I left. I might not make much but I cost a heck of a lot more than the first year teacher they would replace me with. I also don't keep my mouth shut when I see a problem. I'm sure they'd like to replace me with a nice quiet cheap teacher.

edited to add: My students only see the best of me. I never take my frustrations with the district out on them. As crazy as it is, I can't see myself teaching anywhere else. I'm counting the days though until we get into our new building next year. I'll have heat and my principal has promised that I get first pick of classrooms.

 

[daisyduck123]

Other teachers?
Do you have these issues? Do you have any advice? Are other schools better or is this how it is everywhere?

No, never!! Each teacher at my school has her own key to her classroom. Our doors are to be kept locked at all times when we are not in them & NO WAY would my principal allow someone else to use our rooms as storage space....totally unheard of.

 

[agnes!]

To pigletz...

When I hear about falling-apart classrooms, I always have to wonder what the School Board/Mayor/County Supervisor's offices look like...
I bet they don't have leaky ceilings & broken furmaces & recalcitrant bathrooms & broken light fixtures etc etc.
I bet their offices are real spiffy.

agnes!

 

[DVC Jen]

Don't give up teaching - if you love it and feel in your heart it is what you are supposed to be doing - stay with it. This world needs more truely dedicated teachers.

BUT - you need to find a place to teach where you will not only be happy and be able to respect your co-workers, but a place where your co-workers will respect YOU. If you don't - you may very well begin to feel bitter and resentful. That could potentially down the line affect your students.

 

[disney junky]

. . . and it's not about the students!

I am at a crossroads where I am deciding what to do- as I want to get my Masters and I need to really decide where I'm headed. I teach high school English and I'm considering moving to the private sector, possibly teaching adults (business writing) or becoming a professor. I love teaching, I love literature and I love writing, but I can't handle my current job.

So where's the vent?

Here it is. I cannot continue teaching where I am. I am an emotional wreck. We are still on a salary freeze and I am making about 6 k less than teachers at my level in neighboring districts. More money goes into sports than even comes close to going to education. Bad behavior is constantly excused. I had over 10 pregnant students last year and two left to go to court ordered rehab. All kids were well behaved in my room - but this is the area I live/teach in, I guess. Anyway, every day when I return to my room, the blinds are all shut so I have to climb on the heater to open them, desks are graffitied (I check after my classes, but other teachers teach in my room during the day and at night school (some adults, but mostly kids who failed out of day school) and things are always a mess. I have a Cinderella desk set - three pieces have gotten chipped/broken. I had crackers stolen out of my desk, just yesterday was the last straw - my DVD player was disconnected and stolen. Other higher-ups in the school use my room for storage so there are constantly boxes of papers and things I'm not supposed to move - right on my desk or in my bookcase. I can't even have full use of my own desk or bookcase, never mind my own classroom. 3/4 of the stuff in here easily isn't mine. Yet, I'm expected to keep it organized and know where things are if asked. I can't organize for everyone else! Everyday, I walk in my room and before kids even come in, I feel violated - something is missing, broken, stolen or some new box of stuff that's not mine is hanging out.

Other teachers?
Do you have these issues? Do you have any advice? Are other schools better or is this how it is everywhere?

I'll take this from a little different angle. I have been teaching secondary English for 25 years...15 senior high school and 10 middle school.
If you love your subject first, ie, your comments about literature and writing, and the kids second, you may want to take a look beyond the classroom. I love working with kids first; second, I love my subject. Don't get me wrong, there are days they get to me.

If the grass looks greener on the other side, you may find it's not. Some schools have very demanding administrators, some have demanding parents, some have lousy administrators.

A masters in English isn't going to get you too far. Most colleges around here absolutely require a Ph.D unless you are a published poet or author. Does your current position offer tuition assistance? That should be a consideration.

There are lots of opportunities for people with your degree, and after work you can still explore your love of reading and writing. I will share this...I was in teaching for a few years, and then I was laid off. I hated the position I had, so the lay off seemed to be a blessing. After three and a half years in industry, I realized how much I enjoyed teaching, and I went back. It was a different school and a different level, so I know that contributed, but no position is the same as another.

Here, we are desperate for decent English teachers. I don't know where you are, but I don't think you'd have much difficulty finding a position around here, especially with a couple years of experience. I will say, that if you want to make a change in school districts, do so before you rack up too much experience. Schools don't want to have to pay you for that experience when they can hire a rookie for the bottom level on the pay scale.

 

[Cindy B]

To pigletz...

When I hear about falling-apart classrooms, I always have to wonder what the School Board/Mayor/County Supervisor's offices look like...
I bet they don't have leaky ceilings & broken furmaces & recalcitrant bathrooms & broken light fixtures etc etc.
I bet their offices are real spiffy.

agnes!

I can say Yes! I teach in a 50 year old building.. many things original, desks, chairs, bathrooms, carpet.. you name it. I love the school, the people, the teachers, etc...

The new superintendent we just hired got a car allowance of 450 per month since he lives in a different part of the state and has a commute. (Don't we all?) His salary is in ithe upper 200K-300 K.

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm a teacher that has chosen to sub these past 24 years. The big beef I have with my school sytem is I'm one of their main long term subs and I still make the same pay (grading papers, doing lesson plans, calling parents, etc, etc) as I did when I started doing long term subbing back in '96!!!

Gosh, it would be nice to get a raise. Our principal and student support guy got a 9% raise just last year! Bet mine must have gotten lost in that!!!

Good thing I love my job!

 

[pigletz]

To pigletz...

When I hear about falling-apart classrooms, I always have to wonder what the School Board/Mayor/County Supervisor's offices look like...
I bet they don't have leaky ceilings & broken furmaces & recalcitrant bathrooms & broken light fixtures etc etc.
I bet their offices are real spiffy.

agnes!

Yes, our school board has fantastic offices. I have to say that with the new building there is light at the end of the tunnel. Six years ago our building was condemned and we were shuffled around the district. The old building was beautiful. Sure it had problems, but they could have been fixed. There had been an ongoing fight between the board and a group of people who wanted the school designated as a historical place. Anyways, the new building was actually finished three years ago. This has been a sore spot with the middle school teachers. They kept telling us just wait in three years you'll have a brand new building. So we were excited when it was finished and then we were told that the high school would be moving in while they tore down and rebuilt the high school. The high school is almost finished and we've been told we'll be moving in to the new one in August.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

I'm a teacher that has chosen to sub these past 24 years. The big beef I have with my school sytem is I'm one of their main long term subs and I still make the same pay (grading papers, doing lesson plans, calling parents, etc, etc) as I did when I started doing long term subbing back in '96!!!

Gosh, it would be nice to get a raise. Our principal and student support guy got a 9% raise just last year! Bet mine must have gotten lost in that!!!

Good thing I love my job!

There's a teacher that has been here 10 years as a perm. sub. with the same situation. She figured out that she would make more money working in Walmart actually. Last year our Superintendent's salary (as I recall it was about 200,000/yr plus something like 500/unused vacation day) was published in the paper. Teachers were not happy.