Re: Possibly Breaking a Just-signed Teaching Contract

teachn1

Posted on 10/18/09

(3) Comments

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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, 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.
>>
>>
>>
>>

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