Say what you need too

There are some days that you need to speak your mind, regardless of what the consequences may be. Today was one of those days. 

I work with a few staff members that LOVE to throw me under the bus when ever they can. Why? Because I am the special education teacher. They love making themselves looking like all that and a bag of chips. 

Today during a cluster meeting colors were shown. One staff member demanded to know why we don't get subs for me and the other special education teacher when we are out. Why? We are a team of 3 and we cover each other. This wasn't good enough. Staff was upset because she didn't have support in math for 4 days so she couldn't teach her math lessons and continue her math lessons into the next week because she didn't have the critical help she needed. It wasn't communicated that she wouldn't have help. She knew that reading would be covered by me but that she was never told about math. 

Ummm no no and no. You were told that schedules would be altered. That we would be in classrooms as we could be. You as a staff member NEVER called down to see if it was possible for me to take a group.  If you would have check we could have worked something out.


Oh and apparently she's upset she had to stretch reading out for two weeks too because of how we handled reading groups.. Not our problem you didn't send kids down. Not our problem there was 2 2 hour delays in a week and one day of no school. Not our problem 

Oh and do they forget that they also forget that they asked to change their non-Spanish time because one of the 5th grade teacher had to go and pick up a rental car? Guess not.. 
 
Another staff member tried to tell me how to run non-Spanish time. Um no... How about you teach and let me do what else is needed in my room. 

The irony in all of this.. the teacher that brought this up.. has not a problem sending down students when it is convenient for her doesn't check with us.  Assumes that we have nothing else to do. Prime example last Friday. Sends students down for a test. No problem we were expecting that. Then 10 min after sending students upstairs, same students were sent down. Why? They were doing reading groups and we were expected to do our reading group. Ummm... no... you know that Friday's we are unavailable in the morning. Long story short this teacher DEMANDS a time on Fridays that she can send the students down. 

The really ironic part of this.. after chewing me out.. the partner teacher calls down after the meeting asking if I could change my schedule because they need to change their schedule so she can have 8th grade help with the low SS students.  

My bosses interpretation... just make sure you over communicate. Communication is not the problem. Somebody just wants to teach who teach and wants the ones she doesn't want to teach out of her room. 

Honesty

I try to be an honest person in what I do. I may not always be able to tell you what you want to hear, but I try to be honest.

Today I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, typical day. Dropped a student off at the conference room to finish up some testing. One of the 5th grade teachers come up the stairs as I was walking away from the conference room.and calls my name.

R- Hey J is over at confessions with her class and she left one of her students in the bathroom, so I took her downstairs to find someone who could walk her over to church.

Me- Okay

R- S asked me who was covering my class since I was downstairs trying to find a way to get this child over to church. I told him that you were. So if he asks, let him know that you were covering my class.

Me - well I am standing next to some of your students (they were working in the loft area, no where near her room,)

R- Okay great! Thanks for covering for me!! 

Why do people find it okay to take advantage of me??

Schedule

Phone rings this morning, one of the 5th grade teachers calling because they need to change what time each of the classes has to go to Spanish.. This affects my schedule because I have several students that don't take Spanish. 

Let teacher know, it doesn't matter who goes when I can make it work. 
Teacher - well we don't want to mess up your schedule and you not be able to see students
Me- I'm down a person this week... It's already messed up.  

So schedule gets changed... 

Go down to talk with the Spanish teacher.. 

Me- so I was only half paying attention to why 5th grade had to switch times... Why are they switching?
W: I'm not really sure.. something to do with one of them needing to pick up a rental car.. you know always drama. 

Yes yes I do 

Back Again

I am happy to say that I am back!

I needed to take a break and delete some things. I didn't want to do either but felt it was needed. I have found that I need to get back to writing whether people like it or not. It's not for them... it's for me.