Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Should I stay or should I go?

We got "preference sheets" in our mailboxes today, which means that it's time for us to list the positions we'd like to be placed in next year.

As I expected, my position was not on the list. Now, I'd gotten the heads up beforehand from a senior teacher, but no one on the administration ever said boo to me -- for all they know, I got this memo today and thought, "Hey...where's my position?" Which leaves a sort of bitter taste in my mouth, because I feel like they set up this position to fail. It's the upper grades who need a writing cluster, to prep for the state exams, and yet for reasons unknown to everyone they made it a K-2; I don't get any professional development or coaching, in comparison to the classroom teachers, who get it on a regular basis; it's my first year with Teachers College; I have 436 students in six different grades. Hello? Anybody out there?

So now it's like this Machiavellian strategic mind-fart for me to figure out what I should list as my preferences for next year, all the while worrying about whether I might get excessed (in which case I am so completely not pouring my time and effort into finding another DOE teaching job).

I guess it's just another day as a public school teacher!

2 comments:

17 (really 15) more years said...

Is there an option on your preference sheet that says, "I'd like to speak with you?" That would be the one I would pick.

If your position isn't listed, list the 3 that you would like- and good luck!

Nacho Lover said...

so you're definitely staying at your school?!?! would they treat you any better in another position?
good luck in your decisions--you deserve happiness because you are a great teacher!