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I am not sure a teachers' union always matters. Look at the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. Their union holds hands with the administrators' union. No one really receives help. When a teacher questioned that, they threw him out of the union! Now he is running for school board and they're trying to block that!
A math teacher can get a teaching position anywhere. As a new teacher, you should have a mentor who is an experienced teacher in math. Meet your association rep and join the teachers' union. Most schools today have a math cadre, and the person who is responsible for that area will help you in the classroom.
Your contract should state the maximum number of class preparations that you can have--usually no more than 3 or 4. Where I teach, they usually ask before setting up the schedule. I only have one prep.
The administration should work with you, but it sounds like they used your inexperience to take advantage. While teaching assignments can change as more students enroll, you should never be starting the school year without a clear picture of who and what you will be teaching.
Inner-city schools are more of a challenge. I commend you for wanting to start in that type of school, but since as a math teacher you can go anywhere, why not choose a school that is more settled and more willing to accommodate a new teacher. Sometimes in inner-city schools, there just isn't that kind of time. You really have to be extremely flexible.
Inner-city schools are more of a challenge. I commend you for wanting to start in that type of school, but since as a math teacher you can go anywhere, why not choose a school that is more settled and more willing to accommodate a new teacher. Sometimes in inner-city schools, there just isn't that kind of time. You really have to be extremely flexible.
I totally agree--get into a school where they do things right, and get mentored for your first year, then go into city schools if that's where your heart lies.
OP is right, the kids deserve better than that, and I get so angry when I think what some of these places subject our children to. Or should I say, someone else's children--these administrators surely have their kids in other schools. St. Louis city schools lost their accreditation a couple of years ago and they just hired in the seventh superintendent in 5 years. Sounds like a recipe for success, doesn't it.
Serenity, I hope you get your situation straightened out--that is a nightmare, b/c you know that if you don't succeed, who will get blamed? You got it, the teacher. (I read your post right thru, b/c I was interested to hear your story.)
I'm so sorry to hear about your situation. I had a similar one in that I resigned shortly after the school year began, but it was my 3rd year at that school (also inner city.) My first two years (after a mid-life career change) were very difficult, but I managed and loved the kids individually. As a group, they were challenging, but every child was sweet and inherently a good kid. Most had very difficult home situations and came to school as an escape.
During my first two years, I saw great problems at the school relating to how teachers were treated and I joined the teacher's union and the school based union group to try to solve these problems. The main problem that irked me was the fact that the union by-laws stated the principal is required to find subs for teachers who are sick. Our principal said, "Why should I have to do that. YOU are required to do that." We were required to show we had called up to 50 subs to find a sub and if none agreed to work that day, then we could call in to the principal's office. Note that this was a very difficult school with a bad reputation. Nobody wanted to sub there. I reported this in my school-based union group. Unknown to me, one of my fellow union members was going straight to the principal to tell her what was discussed.
For my third year, I was moved to second grade. There were 4 second grade classrooms at this school and 10 children from the previous year's 1st grade who were on IEPs for severe behavior problems. Each of the other three teachers received one of those children. I received 7. Trying to teach was a joke. All I could do was attempt to keep those 7 children from physically hurting the other kids (I had 22 total.)
It seems like second graders shouldn't be so hard to handle but when you've got 7 with severe behavior problems (diagnosed behavior problems,) it's impossible to teach. I was beyond frustrated. I went to the principal and asked for help. She sent the mentor to my room. After 2 hours, the mentor left the room shaking her head saying it was an untenable situation and went to the principal. The principal said nothing would change. My fellow 2nd grade teachers all offered to take one or two of the children from me so we would each have a fairly even number. The principal refused. I told her if by Friday she hadn't changed her mind, I was leaving. She didn't change her mind. I walked out at lunch and never came back. I feel bad doing that to the children, but it was an impossible situation. I know the principal did that to spite me because of what I was saying in the union meetings. The principal was fired later that school year for mistreating teachers. My situation was one of the cases brought up. I felt vindicated, but it soured me to teaching.
I took that year off from teaching and then was offered a job at a private school for the following school year. While the pay was less, I loved being where the kids were enthusiastic, the leadership was excellent, and the atmosphere was wholly positive. I stayed there 8 years until we adopted our first child.
The experience at the inner city school really threw me for a loop and sent me to a psychologist for many months. I felt like I had failed. Now I know that I did what I could do and when the situation was impossible, I had to get out if only for my own self-preservation.
It sounds like you were in a similar untenable situation and you did what you had to do. I hope you are able to find a new job quickly and you'll quickly forget about this bad experience. You have my empathy!
PS when I'm upset by something, my writing ability lags behind my thoughts. I understand why there were no paragraph breaks and I forgive you! Even a teacher can have a bad grammar moment!
You were treated unfairly, but because you quit the first week you don't know if it would have gotten better. Moreover, the students suffered more because you left abruptly. How long did they have substitutes before they found a teacher? If you continue with teaching and if you are ever hired again (may not be--for breaking contract the first week), go to the school BEFORE the teachers' first day. The administration may not have details solidified but you may expedite the process by asking ahead of time. You would at least have time to organize your materials and feel more settled. I'm sorry I don't sound sympathetic, but teaching is not an easy profession. Most schools do not run smoothly the first week. I'll admit that those administrators sounded particularly unprepared and rude, but I think you should have stuck it out.
Charz, I understand what you are saying. I thought about the children. I decided to leave the first week as oppose to leaving in the middle of October, November, etc.... which would have been more difficult for the kids. I know that teaching is a tough profession. I spent ten years in Corpoate America in a high pressure, high stress job where you had to be flexible in order to survive. I also did my student teaching in an inner city school. The things I encountered would have never been accepted in the distrct where I did my student teaching (and they also lacked resources) or other districts for that matter.
As far as going to the school the day BEFORE the teachers started, they had no clue as to what I would be teaching until 4:00 the Friday before students started. I was given NO materials, resources, books, and no schedule. I still did not have any of those things for the 1st day of school. I asked many, many times. The disorganization was unbelievable. I realize that the first few weeks are sometimes unorderly. However, this was crazy! Given the fact that I relocated for the position they should have told me that my assignment was up in the air prior to my relocation instead of lying to me and giving assignments that were not discussed in the job offer. How can you plan as a teacher when you don't know what the hell is going on? You don't bring a new teacher into a school like this.
I will be able to teach again as this district has an open contract. (Although I have since relocated again and would never want to teach in this district) In addition, HR is aware of the situation and left the door open for me to come back-ofcourse there are know open positions now. The way this school operated would have only changed throughout the year if a MIRACLE had taken place.
So many complaints about no paragraph breaks in the OP. Give me a C-. I was upset when I wrote it.
I relocated to a state for a teaching position. I was very excited as I am a first-year teacher. I left the business world to pursue what I thought would be a rewarding career. I was offered a position to teach 5th, 7th, and 8th grade Math. I made a quick move to this new state to begin what I thought would be the beginning of a new career with a large metropolitan school district. Here's where the drama begins, as all teachers do, I reported to my new job the week before the students were to begin.
When I got to the school I was told that my assignment had changed and they were not sure what I would be teaching yet (this was the Weds.-first day for teachers). Keep in mind I paid for my own relocation for this new job and no one called me prior to my move to tell me that my assignment had changed. I decided to roll with the punches and be flexible because things often due change at the beginning of the school year. On the first day, I was introduced as the sixth grade teacher by the asst. principal, then two hours later I was introduced to the staff as the 4-8th grade Math teacher. They had no clue and no plan in place and this is a few days before the students report. I was given a key to a classroom that I was told may or may not be mine-they weren't sure. I was told to just clean it up and get it ready for the students. I asked since I would be the primary Math teacher (not sure what grades) if I could get the keys to the Math lab to organize, prepare, etc.. I was told "don't worry about that right now, were not sure if you will be in the Math lab everyday".
Needless to say my first day was a nightmare but I remained optimistic and believed that my 2nd day would be better. Day 2- I arrived and asked the asst. principal if she knew what grades I would be teaching. The answer was "were still trying to work that out". I asked about textbooks and other resources and I was told that I would get those things later.
Day 3 (the Friday before the students report)- I am so upset and regretting my relocation for this job. I asked that morning if they could tell me what grades I would be teaching. Again, I was told I'm not sure. Keep in mind all of the self-contained teachers and teachers who had been there for several years were setting up their rooms and had materials and resources from the previous year-they also knew for the most part what they would be teaching. I was not given an assignment until 4:00 the Friday before the students were to report. I was told that I would be teaching 6th, 7th, 8th grade Math, 6th grade Science, and 6th grade Reading (cleary this is not the position that I accepted when the job was offered to me). I was told to teach reading and Science in the same block (because there are not enough periods in the day to teach all the classes they gave me).
I told the principal that I was not certified to teach Science (I am certified to teach Science in a self-contained classroom). I was told not to worry about that because when they send the papers to the district they will make it look different - in other words she would lie about what I was teaching. Keep in mind I got this information at 4:00 the Friday before students reported.
I asked about how the periods/schedule would work (I would like to know what time I have the students/subjects). I was told that they were still working on it and that the asst. principal would have the info. the first day of school. The principal gave me the standards and benchmarks for the state (which I can print off the internet). I was given no books, no resources, no information on how they do their lesson planning (on computer/block...). I was given nothing. I asked so much for things that I stopped asking.
On the first day of school I still had no resources etc... I was told by the asst. principal the Friday before to prepare to meet all of my students as they would rotate to me for the different periods. The first day of school the asst. principal comes up to me and says "I'm still working on the schedule so just keep the sixth graders all day". She also told me that she was hoping that I would be able to have 3 preps a week but she wasn't sure how she could fit it into the schedule. There's more but I don't won't to write a book (which I could). It was unbelievable and like a made for T.V. movie. Needless to say, I Quit and relocated back to my home state with no job(gasp-I know in the worst economic times this country has seen in years). I felt as though I could not operate a full school year under mass chaos and confusion. It's not fair to me and most importantly not fair for the kids. This lack of planning by administators would not be accepted in most school districts. I constantly reached out to several other teachers (the standard answer for everything was "I'm not sure") and the asst. principal and principal were obviously clueless. As I mentioned I am a first year teacher and this experience has made me question my career move to education.
I have to add one last comment that the asst. principal made to me. "You ain't never ask me for no textbooks". Yes, you read it correctly. This comment came from the assistant principal. First of all, what administrator says "ain't" in a meeting. Secondly, what teacher starts a school year without asking for books, resources, etc....???
As a student intern, I can say that I have an idea of what you were going through. My mentor (Special Ed. teacher), someone that's been in the profession for 20+ years, goes through the confusion (we didn't get our schedule for whom with we'd work until about 3 weeks into school), lack of communication (with administration), and instability as well. She did tell me that it has gotten worse over the past few years but this is what she puts up with on a yearly basis. She comes in at 8am and leaves at 8pm.
There's a couple of unfair things going on...
My mentor shouldn't have to endure what she does because she's been in the system for so long. Schools are constantly trying new things to keep up with the trendy theories. But my mentor is one heck of a teacher. If she's getting her job done, why does she have to reform too?
Also, you (as a new teacher) shouldn't be expected to handle what my mentor is going through because, as you said, you don't have materials from previous years. Nor do you have lesson plans or ideas with what you can work.
I joke with my friends and family about leaving the profession before I even get into it. I've seen some horrid stuff, which entail children, staff (gossip), and just overall chaos. While I'm not looking forward to that next year (when I start teaching), I am looking forward to working with my students.
Yes, I left my district as well. Mainly because of the lack of leadership of the principal and the general attitude of the staff I worked with.
So, it looks you experienced the one of the problems where the administrators really make big blunders! Welcome to the boat!
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Repost with Paragraph breaks...
I was upset when I wrote it.
