Need prayers and support
Hi everyone,
Most of you know that I don't post too often but I do read this board every day. I am reaching out to my OA family today for the support you guys are great at giving.
Yesterday I was fired from my teaching postition at a Catholic school in West Phila. The situation there has been extremely stressful this year and I knew that my contract would not be renewed at the end of this year. In my classroom this year I had one autistic boy (not a problem), 5 ADHD students (2 couldn't/wouldn't take medicine, 1 runs out a lot), a Special Ed student with severe ODD (oppositional defiance disorder - who never should have been accepted), 1 boy who was moodier that a girl PMSing, a girl who hated my guts and made it her personal mission to defy me at every opportunity. The class only had 16 students in it. You can imagine what most days were like.
One of the main problems was my principal. At a class meeting with the 8th grade (minus me) she told them that they could leave the class and see her immediately if I did something to upset/bother them. Those of you who are parents know that 13,14,15 year olds don't even like adults breathing around them - we are that stupid to them. She claimed she did not say that but the kids called her on it at another meeting where I was present. Most days it felt like the "inmates were running the asylum". Basically it was easier to fire me (the scapegoat) than to deal with the problem of these students. They did admit to the principal that I was a good teacher. They did not like that I made them accountable for the rules of the school and wanted order in the classroom. The ironic part of all this is that this year I have made a concentrated effort not to scream at the kids. In the past I screamed a lot. This year I would speak in a controlled tone of voice and often reprimanded them quietly. Look where that got me.
Anyhow I need your support - I do not want to eat over this or sink into a deep depression. I will be collecting unemployment once my checks stop but I think that I am finished with education. I love teaching and am a good teacher but today teaching is one of the last things you get to do in a classroom. I am committing myself to making a weekly plan of getting to the Y for at least 2 Zumba classes and some time in the pool. I will be more active on this board and now wil get to the Saturday and Wed. evening support groups at Barix. I may even go to the Tuesday Pre-Op also. Inaction and inactivity are not good for me so I must be on guard against them. I need to sit down and figure out my finances and do so cost cutting where I can.
I am sorry this is so long. If you are still reading thanx so much. You guys are the best. Take good care of yourselves.
Love, Donna
Most of you know that I don't post too often but I do read this board every day. I am reaching out to my OA family today for the support you guys are great at giving.
Yesterday I was fired from my teaching postition at a Catholic school in West Phila. The situation there has been extremely stressful this year and I knew that my contract would not be renewed at the end of this year. In my classroom this year I had one autistic boy (not a problem), 5 ADHD students (2 couldn't/wouldn't take medicine, 1 runs out a lot), a Special Ed student with severe ODD (oppositional defiance disorder - who never should have been accepted), 1 boy who was moodier that a girl PMSing, a girl who hated my guts and made it her personal mission to defy me at every opportunity. The class only had 16 students in it. You can imagine what most days were like.
One of the main problems was my principal. At a class meeting with the 8th grade (minus me) she told them that they could leave the class and see her immediately if I did something to upset/bother them. Those of you who are parents know that 13,14,15 year olds don't even like adults breathing around them - we are that stupid to them. She claimed she did not say that but the kids called her on it at another meeting where I was present. Most days it felt like the "inmates were running the asylum". Basically it was easier to fire me (the scapegoat) than to deal with the problem of these students. They did admit to the principal that I was a good teacher. They did not like that I made them accountable for the rules of the school and wanted order in the classroom. The ironic part of all this is that this year I have made a concentrated effort not to scream at the kids. In the past I screamed a lot. This year I would speak in a controlled tone of voice and often reprimanded them quietly. Look where that got me.
Anyhow I need your support - I do not want to eat over this or sink into a deep depression. I will be collecting unemployment once my checks stop but I think that I am finished with education. I love teaching and am a good teacher but today teaching is one of the last things you get to do in a classroom. I am committing myself to making a weekly plan of getting to the Y for at least 2 Zumba classes and some time in the pool. I will be more active on this board and now wil get to the Saturday and Wed. evening support groups at Barix. I may even go to the Tuesday Pre-Op also. Inaction and inactivity are not good for me so I must be on guard against them. I need to sit down and figure out my finances and do so cost cutting where I can.
I am sorry this is so long. If you are still reading thanx so much. You guys are the best. Take good care of yourselves.
Love, Donna
Hi Donna - I'm sorry to hear you list your job but it honestly sounds like it might be for the best. I give teachers all the credit in the world these days because I know the last thing most parents do these days is hold their kids accountable - plus they expect teachers do do parenting, policing and teaching all at once.
Your no 1 priority now is to take care of yourself.
Kathy
Your no 1 priority now is to take care of yourself.
Kathy
'One shoe can change your life'...Cinderella
Kathy,
You have hit the nail on the head. Many parents tell you that they want their kids to be accountable but they want someone else to do the hard work for them. I have been teaching since 1978 and the change in kids is unbelieveable. All I can say is that I am happy I am on the down swing of life and not starting out. I would not recommend teaching as a profession right now. Public school budgets are being cut, kids are out of control and many teachers do not even get basic respect in the classroom.
Thanks so much for your support. Take care.
Donna
You have hit the nail on the head. Many parents tell you that they want their kids to be accountable but they want someone else to do the hard work for them. I have been teaching since 1978 and the change in kids is unbelieveable. All I can say is that I am happy I am on the down swing of life and not starting out. I would not recommend teaching as a profession right now. Public school budgets are being cut, kids are out of control and many teachers do not even get basic respect in the classroom.
Thanks so much for your support. Take care.
Donna
Ida,
Only the Catholic high schools are represented by a union. The Catholic grade schools employ their own teachers - we are not hired through the archdiocese. That is how they get around unionizing - each pastor is his own boss and there are not enough employees to form a union. There is no recourse like Hope Moffet had in Philly. It would be nice for someone to have my back but that is not the case. Anyhow I am going to take one day at a time and try to remain on target with my eating, fluids and exercise.
Donna
Only the Catholic high schools are represented by a union. The Catholic grade schools employ their own teachers - we are not hired through the archdiocese. That is how they get around unionizing - each pastor is his own boss and there are not enough employees to form a union. There is no recourse like Hope Moffet had in Philly. It would be nice for someone to have my back but that is not the case. Anyhow I am going to take one day at a time and try to remain on target with my eating, fluids and exercise.
Donna
Hi Donna,
I was laid off from my job earlier this year, completely unexpectedly after 8 years and it was devastating. I have to say that I know what has kept me sane through all of this is my commitment to exercise (especially my Zumba!) and good nutrition. There were many times I wanted to say "oh, forget it!" and just eat whatever and lay on the couch, but I know that wouldn't have helped matters at all. So I'm just writing to say that I can relate to some of what you're expressing , and I think you are wise to plan on exercising and taking care of yourself.
Sending you hugs and prayers!
Lesley
Leslie,
So sorry to hear about your unexpected layoff. I wasn't too surprised by this firing. Glad that you are keeping up with the Zumba -I bet that you are really good at it. I love it and am looking forward to taking more classes along with some water aerobics and/or swimming. Thanx for the hugs and prayers. Maybe I'll see you at a Wed. night Barix mtg. Take care.
Donna
So sorry to hear about your unexpected layoff. I wasn't too surprised by this firing. Glad that you are keeping up with the Zumba -I bet that you are really good at it. I love it and am looking forward to taking more classes along with some water aerobics and/or swimming. Thanx for the hugs and prayers. Maybe I'll see you at a Wed. night Barix mtg. Take care.
Donna
Donna, I am so sorry about the job. But this IS a great time to dig in your heels with your support groups, exercise, and to do some reflecting about the "next chapter" of life. My good friend in KY talks about it as a "reinventing" process.
Is there somethign you have always wanted to do? A job you'd love to try in a different field? Maybe this opens the window to one of those opportunities.
And just FYI....the situation at school sounded beyond unreasonable!
Love ya, Lynn
PS - see you next Saturday!
Is there somethign you have always wanted to do? A job you'd love to try in a different field? Maybe this opens the window to one of those opportunities.
And just FYI....the situation at school sounded beyond unreasonable!
Love ya, Lynn
PS - see you next Saturday!
Hi Donna-
If you're interested, we can talk about the charter school where I work at Saturday's meeting. It's in West Oak Lane. The school has a multimillion dollar expansion project going on, so it's in a good financial position. I know they will need to hire at least one 5th and one 4th grade teacher based on the classes moving up to the next grade for the upcoming school year. (Plus there are 4 of us who had gastric bypass, so we practically have our own support group.) You can message me or I will see you Saturday.
Hang in there. You've worked too hard to let anything get you down!
If you're interested, we can talk about the charter school where I work at Saturday's meeting. It's in West Oak Lane. The school has a multimillion dollar expansion project going on, so it's in a good financial position. I know they will need to hire at least one 5th and one 4th grade teacher based on the classes moving up to the next grade for the upcoming school year. (Plus there are 4 of us who had gastric bypass, so we practically have our own support group.) You can message me or I will see you Saturday.
Hang in there. You've worked too hard to let anything get you down!
-Sarah
The soul is healed by being with children.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
The soul is healed by being with children.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Most Active
Recent Topics
