A Tale of Two Schools

I’m finishing up my second year at this school, and while I love my summer vacation, when my time is mostly my own, I will actually miss my school. I love my administration, would do absolutely anything for them. The reason – because they stand up for us, they don’t put any more pressure on us than we put on ourselves.

I love the teachers. As with anyplace, there’s gossip, but nothing malicious, no back stabbing. In both of the units I’ve worked in, the teachers are incredibly supportive of each other.

I love my kids. The kids at my school have great manners, and my class is the best of the best. (I'll be following them to 4th grade - yippee!!!)

Even the building – which is old enough that some of my students’ GRANDPARENTS went to school there – is peaceful.

I wonder, though, if I would love my job nearly as much if I hadn’t come from the school I came from. Two years ago, I was ready to leave teaching, get a job at Krispy Kreme if I had to. Every writing setback hurt, because I was looking at writing being my way out. My principal was vindictive and malicious, had the teachers pit against each other, and while the students consistently did well on the TAKS test, better than any other school in the district, yet they had to be tutored year after year. It was required, 40 sesssions a year. She alienated the parents, as well, not even allowing them in the school unless they were cleared, through the department of public safety. The year I left, so did eight other teachers. Seven had left the year before, and the year after, another eight before they finally moved the principal to another school to torture.

I will forever be grateful to the principal who took me out of that situation and made me love my job again.

posted by MJFredrick @ 12:03 AM