Possibly Breaking a Just-signed Teaching Contract

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Tennessee Teachers Chatboard

Possibly Breaking a Just-signed Teaching Contract

by teachn1

Oct 18, 2009

Hi, everyone!

I have a difficult situation and hope that you might be able to help. A junior high teacher at a religious private school must go on leave (for personal resons) for the remainder of the year, and this school offered me her position. I have college teaching experience but have never taught the grade or the subjects I will be teaching and I do not have a teaching certificate. However, I like teaching, and the money is good, so I signed a contract last week despite some hesitations regarding my ability to the job well and some weird feelings. After signing the contract, I was given a tour of the school and found myself growing increasingly uncomfortable with my role there, and I have spent much of the time since signing the contract questioning my decision.

I am supposed to begin teaching in a few weeks but am considering backing out of my contract. I certainly do not want to do such a thing, as I am usually very professional, but I cannot get over this f...See MoreHi, everyone!

I have a difficult situation and hope that you might be able to help. A junior high teacher at a religious private school must go on leave (for personal resons) for the remainder of the year, and this school offered me her position. I have college teaching experience but have never taught the grade or the subjects I will be teaching and I do not have a teaching certificate. However, I like teaching, and the money is good, so I signed a contract last week despite some hesitations regarding my ability to the job well and some weird feelings. After signing the contract, I was given a tour of the school and found myself growing increasingly uncomfortable with my role there, and I have spent much of the time since signing the contract questioning my decision.

I am supposed to begin teaching in a few weeks but am considering backing out of my contract. I certainly do not want to do such a thing, as I am usually very professional, but I cannot get over this feeling that something isn't right (not with the school, but with my teaching for the school). Perhaps this is just fear that I have gotten myself in over my head. I accepted the position because, on paper (and perhaps also in reality), the position and the income seem to be a good and rare opportunity, and I am in need of a job.

I would like to get some feedback from some of you, as those closest to me can only look at what I saw prior to signing the contract: a good opportunity, a school schedule, and good money. However, as many of you know, this cannot be everything when accepting a teaching position. I am concerned because, while I have some experience (mostly as a student, not a teacher) with the subjects I'll be teaching, they are not my areas of expertise, and, honestly, I don't know how to teach (and discipline) this grade level and these subjects. My biggest concern, though, is the reason for this feeling I've been having. First of all, I don't have a good feeling with the principal of the school. He has been quite nice and cares a lot about the school, but at the end of the day when I signed the contract, he also seemed to be trying to reassure himself that he had made the right choice (he kept saying, "This is a good thing," the same thing I keep saying in the hope of convincing myself). Secondly, I am not religious. I do not have a problem working in a religious school, in the sense that I will not hinder anyone's religious education and I encourage people to explore their spiritually. However, I did experience some discomfort when the prayer was said over the loud speaker; perhaps, however, this discomfort would dissipate over time.

Like I said above, some of these concerns may simply be fears, but some may be indications that I am not the right person for this job. If it is the latter, I believe I should break the contract as soon as possible and hope that the school would not hold me to the charges for breaking a contract. However, before making a decision, I hope to hear some feedback from current teachers.

Thank you for your help.

Comment

(2)

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Deana I would try it first before I backed out. You never know what's going to happen. You may find that you love, or that you hate it. If it doesn't work out, you can always speak with the principal and let him know it's not working. But give it a chance first.

On 10/18/09, teachn1 wrote: > Hi, everyone! > > I have a difficult situatio...See MoreI would try it first before I backed out. You never know what's going to happen. You may find that you love, or that you hate it. If it doesn't work out, you can always speak with the principal and let him know it's not working. But give it a chance first.

On 10/18/09, teachn1 wrote: > Hi, everyone! > > I have a difficult situation and hope that you might be > able to help. A junior high teacher at a religious private > school must go on leave (for personal resons) for the > remainder of the year, and this school offered me her > position. I have college teaching experience but have > never taught the grade or the subjects I will be teaching > and I do not have a teaching certificate. However, I like > teaching, and the money is good, so I signed a contract > last week despite some hesitations regarding my ability to > the job well and some weird feelings. After signing the > contract, I was given a tour of the school and found myself > growing increasingly uncomfortable with my role there, and > I have spent much of the time since signing the contract > questioning my decision. > > I am supposed to begin teaching in a few weeks but am > considering backing out of my contract. I certainly do not > want to do such a thing, as I am usually very professional, > but I cannot get over this feeling that something isn't > right (not with the school, but with my teaching for the > school). Perhaps this is just fear that I have gotten > myself in over my head. I accepted the position because, > on paper (and perhaps also in reality), the position and > the income seem to be a good and rare opportunity, and I am > in need of a job. > > I would like to get some feedback from some of you, as > those closest to me can only look at what I saw prior to > signing the contract: a good opportunity, a school > schedule, and good money. However, as many of you know, > this cannot be everything when accepting a teaching > position. I am concerned because, while I have some > experience (mostly as a student, not a teacher) with the > subjects I'll be teaching, they are not my areas of > expertise, and, honestly, I don't know how to teach (and > discipline) this grade level and these subjects. My biggest > concern, though, is the reason for this feeling I've been > having. First of all, I don't have a good feeling with the > principal of the school. He has been quite nice and cares a > lot about the school, but at the end of the day when I > signed the contract, he also seemed to be trying to > reassure himself that he had made the right choice (he kept > saying, "This is a good thing," the same thing I keep > saying in the hope of convincing myself). Secondly, I am > not religious. I do not have a problem working in a > religious school, in the sense that I will not hinder > anyone's religious education and I encourage people to > explore their spiritually. However, I did experience some > discomfort when the prayer was said over the loud speaker; > perhaps, however, this discomfort would dissipate over > time. > > Like I said above, some of these concerns may simply be > fears, but some may be indications that I am not the right > person for this job. If it is the latter, I believe I > should break the contract as soon as possible and hope that > the school would not hold me to the charges for breaking a > contract. However, before making a decision, I hope to > hear some feedback from current teachers. > > Thank you for your help. > > > >

Oct 18, 2009

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teachn1 Thank you, Deana. My main concern with trying it and risking that it doesn't work is the students. They will have already lost one teacher this year, and I don't know how it would affect them to lose two. I don't want to be the reason even one student becomes lost or begins to dislike school. But perhaps this is a risk I should take. As you said, i...See MoreThank you, Deana. My main concern with trying it and risking that it doesn't work is the students. They will have already lost one teacher this year, and I don't know how it would affect them to lose two. I don't want to be the reason even one student becomes lost or begins to dislike school. But perhaps this is a risk I should take. As you said, it may work out very well, and this gut feeling will just turn out to be fear of the unknown.

On 10/18/09, Deana wrote: > I would try it first before I backed out. You never know > what's going to happen. You may find that you love, or that > you hate it. If it doesn't work out, you can always speak > with the principal and let him know it's not working. But > give it a chance first. > > > > On 10/18/09, teachn1 wrote: >> Hi, everyone! >> >> I have a difficult situation and hope that you might be >> able to help. A junior high teacher at a religious private >> school must go on leave (for personal resons) for the >> remainder of the year, and this school offered me her >> position. I have college teaching experience but have >> never taught the grade or the subjects I will be teaching >> and I do not have a teaching certificate. However, I like >> teaching, and the money is good, so I signed a contract >> last week despite some hesitations regarding my ability to >> the job well and some weird feelings. After signing the >> contract, I was given a tour of the school and found myself >> growing increasingly uncomfortable with my role there, and >> I have spent much of the time since signing the contract >> questioning my decision. >> >> I am supposed to begin teaching in a few weeks but am >> considering backing out of my contract. I certainly do not >> want to do such a thing, as I am usually very professional, >> but I cannot get over this feeling that something isn't >> right (not with the school, but with my teaching for the >> school). Perhaps this is just fear that I have gotten >> myself in over my head. I accepted the position because, >> on paper (and perhaps also in reality), the position and >> the income seem to be a good and rare opportunity, and I am >> in need of a job. >> >> I would like to get some feedback from some of you, as >> those closest to me can only look at what I saw prior to >> signing the contract: a good opportunity, a school >> schedule, and good money. However, as many of you know, >> this cannot be everything when accepting a teaching >> position. I am concerned because, while I have some >> experience (mostly as a student, not a teacher) with the >> subjects I'll be teaching, they are not my areas of >> expertise, and, honestly, I don't know how to teach (and >> discipline) this grade level and these subjects. My biggest >> concern, though, is the reason for this feeling I've been >> having. First of all, I don't have a good feeling with the >> principal of the school. He has been quite nice and cares a >> lot about the school, but at the end of the day when I >> signed the contract, he also seemed to be trying to >> reassure himself that he had made the right choice (he kept >> saying, "This is a good thing," the same thing I keep >> saying in the hope of convincing myself). Secondly, I am >> not religious. I do not have a problem working in a >> religious school, in the sense that I will not hinder >> anyone's religious education and I encourage people to >> explore their spiritually. However, I did experience some >> discomfort when the prayer was said over the loud speaker; >> perhaps, however, this discomfort would dissipate over >> time. >> >> Like I said above, some of these concerns may simply be >> fears, but some may be indications that I am not the right >> person for this job. If it is the latter, I believe I >> should break the contract as soon as possible and hope that >> the school would not hold me to the charges for breaking a >> contract. However, before making a decision, I hope to >> hear some feedback from current teachers. >> >> Thank you for your help. >> >> >> >>

Oct 18, 2009

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