The last principal I had hurt my career because one of the teachers complained that I called her while drinking. I had called to warn her that others were talking about her and I wanted her to protect herself from the gossip. The principal is gay and the other woman is too. This caused a chain of events that really hurt me and has made me gun shy about going back to work. I have been on family leave. The union was of no help because the pres. was scared of her. I believe I was called on the carpet because of the gay thing. I was told by the new union president a year later that me calling when drinking wasn't against any rules etc. I feel like my guts were ripped out and that I was betrayed by everyone. I had a great working relationship with everyone in the school so I wasn't public enemy number one. I am not sure why I am even writing about this since it has been over two years. I guess I want to hear others opinions about this and maybe some advice for me. I do not call others drunk anymore, definitely a lesson learned. I actually quit drinking. Not teaching definitely helps. Thanks for reading my ramblings
On 6/15/05, KJS wrote: > On 6/14/05, Kathy wrote: >> Reading between the lines in this and your other post it >> sounds like you weren't simply having a quiet glass of wine >> before dinner when you made your call, but were rather >> inebriated. Making any kind of business or professional calls- >> -or gossip, which sounds like a more accurate description-- >> while drunk is extremely poor judgment. You seem to be >> blaming the results of your own poor judgment on others. >> Although you may not be drinking any more, you do not seem to >> have a true spirit of sobriety. >> >> If the stresses of teaching were contributing to your >> drinking--which appears to have been a problem, and not >> teaching helps, then why don't you look for some other kind >> of work. >> > Thanks for your input. You are right about some of it but not > all. In the true spirit of taking care of my colleagues I > thought I was protecting her. I would have said something even > if I wasn't drinking. I have learned that I need to keep my > mouth shut and just be supportive of others and keep my nose > out of other people's lives. > > I am not blaming the others involved I just wanted to be able > to talk about what happened with my principal and the other > teacher. There was never a meeting. I wanted resolution. I > apologized to my principal and the other woman. Everything was > back to normal the following fall but I had a hard time because > we never had the chance to all meet to talk. I took a leave > which I had been planning, so I could be at home with my > daughter. I didn't want to miss being just a mom. I wanted to > be more involved in her life which I didn't get to do during > the school year. > > I love teaching and the stresses do get to me. Children are > so very wonderful and it's my job to help them learn, grow and > succeed. It's a responsiblity I take very seriously. > > I do not appreciate your judgement of me. The true spirit of > sobriety...I don't believe I would make that statement to > another person ever. To leap to that conclusion seems to me > the opposite of what the true spirit of fellowship is. Your > critical and judgemental comments accomplished what I believe > you wanted to accomplish. I really don't understand your need > to make the comments you did. Anyway..
KJS.... You don't say how many years you have been teaching. To me, it doesn't sound like very many. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that. However, the more experience you have the more "situations" you see and learn from. In any case, it's clear that you made a serious mistake. True, you didn't break any laws by making that phone call but you were out of line and did set yourself up for what happened. Now you must decide how you are going to handle the consequences.
If you are really serious about staying in the profession I have a few suggestions for you.
1 Keep this in perspective.... no one died.
2. Own it, learn from it, and let it go! The longer you hold on to this the longer it will be a major problem in your life. (ie. Forgive yourself!) It's clear that you are in a lot of pain. However, in my opinion you are trying to gain support by blaming others. (When you really own it you will stop talking about what the other people did wrong.)
3. You will never be able to control what other people think, do, or say. You only have control over what you think, do, or say. (However, you can influence what others think, do, or say!)
4. The fastest way help the people you work with focus on something more positive about you is to show them - not tell them - that this mistake is not who you are. The most important thing you can do is stop talking about it. The more often you remind others about it the more they will talk about it.
5. You will never be able to erase what happened but you can have a "do over". Keep in mind, others may or may not give you one but through hard word you can give one to yourself.
6. Everyone screws up... so everyone can relate... Nevertheless, you'll gain more support from others if you are seeking advise on how to fix this instead of blaming others for what thay did, or asking if "someone knows someone who can get you a job".
7. You will have to do 99.9% of the work to get through this and it won't be easy, or happen in a short amount of time. Remember, the harder you work the easier it will become.
8. You say you are on a leave of absence. Lucky you. You've just cleared the largest hurdle. You still have a job. (Can you imagine how hard it would be to try to find one after what happened???) Yes, you will have to go back to work there. Yes, you will have to face the people you work with. Yes, they will talk about you. Yes, they may even be mean to you. However, you have the golden opportunity to prove through your actions, and performance, that your mistake is not who you really are.
9. Stop seeking advice through the internet. If someone you work with sees your postings they will just have more to talk about and you'll have more to deal with. (It really is a very small world....) Additionally, you set yourself up to be judged by others in ways you may not like.
10. Your journey will be a very difficult one. I strongly encourage you to get professional help. You need to have a person who is objective, safe, and can coach you through this.
Thank you for your words. I appreciate the thought and caring you put into them. I will take your advice. I am not returning to the school I was at, I did return after what happened but the half time leave didn't work with the woman who was job sharing with me so I went on full time leave.
I have seen a professional. I think my posting this was my last hurray. I have let it go etc. I think it came crashing back into my head because I am going back to work. You are very perceptive and I truly appreciate the time you took to write me. Take care.
Join us for a great US postcard exchange! Washington is needed for our fall project. We are taking one classroom from each state. If you are interested, please email me with the following info:
Your name Grade School name School street City, State, zip Your school and class web site addresses(if you have one)
You will need to obtain 50 postcards and stamps and send them out in October. At the same time, you will receive a postcard from each state. It's a great way for your kids to learn US geography and great state info. Check out my website for more info or email me.
"I'M FEELING JUST DUCKY" is a free story/coloring book put out by OSSD (Overcoming The Stigma of Seizure Disorders), of Savannah, GA.
We want to reach as many teachers, students, and communities that we possibly can, as seizure disorders are still one of the most misunderstood ailments in society today.
This book tells the tale of a little duck who has seizures, and how he learns to conquer his fears along the way...thanks to Mother Duck and pals.
Please contact Pam Steadman at [email removed].
It is SO IMPORTANT that ALL children know what to expect during a classmate's seizure. This book reaches out in a very gentle and informative manner.
I thought some of you might be interested in my novel entitled "Soul of the South" which is being tentatively released for the winter of 2005. It is filled with action, romance, and intrigue, as my protagonist serves the South as a spy in Washington, as a diplomat in England and France, and as an officer in the Army of Northern Virginia. My protagonist is also adamantly against slavery, as he makes known to President Lincoln and Confederate President Davis. And, of course, there is much romance in my novel, as my protagonist William Lytham meets a beautiful woman Melanie Wenning from Virginia set against the backdrop of a beautiful woman he meets in France as a Southern diplomat. Without giving away too many details, William marries one of them amidst much acclamation with a surprise individual as the best man. You are more than welcome to read a chapter excerpt and purchase the novel on my web site at [link removed].
Would anyone be able to shed light on the current situation for teachers in and around Seattle? I am from NJ, went to UW, and would like to return and teach in a high school. I teach French and Russian, and I will seek other endorsements (Spanish, ESL, special ed) if needed. Any insights would be greatly appreciated, including news/web sources to check out, which are the most sought after endorsements, and people who would not mind discussing more. Many thanks in advance. NJTeacher
On 7/05/05, Bill wrote: > On 6/26/05, elementary teacher wrote: >> > Hi > > I am looking for English teacher for Japanese students who > come to the state this summer. Class size would be 10-12 > students. This position is partime job from July 20th to > August 4th. 8:30am-11:50am. We will pay you $40 per hour > including the transportation. The class would be held on > Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA. > > > Just thinking about moving to Seattle and was wondering >> about job opportunities in the area. I am certified in >> elementary education. > >> >> Do you have unions? >> What is the pay like? >> Cost of living? >> Taxes? >> >> Any info would be greatly appreciated. >> >> Thanks!
HI, I am interested in the job vacancy stated. What requirements do I need to prepare to have the job. Will you shoulder my travel expenses, cause I am in the Philippines?
On 7/05/05, Bill wrote: > On 6/26/05, elementary teacher wrote: >> > Hi > > I am looking for English teacher for Japanese students who > come to the state this summer. Class size would be 10-12 > students. This position is partime job from July 20th to > August 4th. 8:30am-11:50am. We will pay you $40 per hour > including the transportation. The class would be held on > Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA. > > > Just thinking about moving to Seattle and was wondering >> about job opportunities in the area. I am certified in >> elementary education. > >> >> Do you have unions? >> What is the pay like? >> Cost of living? >> Taxes? >> >> Any info would be greatly appreciated. >> >> Thanks!
HI, I am interested in the job vacancy stated. What requirements do I need to prepare to have the job. Will you shoulder my travel expenses, cause I am in the Philippines?
With 5 teaching colleges in/around Spokane, it has become one of two publicized areas in the country with too many teachers. A great way to get a foot in is to get on the sub lists and then be outstanding in the classroom. Be warned, they limit how many subs they list! Spokane School district has 300 subs on the list and I hear 500 applied.
Good news is that this is the last year for retirement Plan 1 folks to retire without losing any $. Could be a lot of openings in the area come May when staffing is done, but with declining enrollment...
Options are better the farther away from Spokane you get. Mead, Post Falls, Coeur d'ALene are all growing. They are looking at consolidating the Valley schools into one because of huge growth issues.
I know this isn't the job section but since I saw the post about Spokane I thought I'd throw it out there. It is March of 2008 and we're looking for a lower grade teacher. We're a Christian school is on the South Hill in Spokane looking for state certified teachers. Email me at [email removed]
Can someone tell me what the requirements are for teaching in a private preschool in Washington? And do teaching jobs open up as we get closer to when school starts? I'm in Bellingham and would love some insight into the job market here. Thanks!
For a private preschool probably just an interest in teaching preschoolers. I know it is helpful to get an Early Childhood Education degree or at least be working towards one. Experience is also helpful.
I have relocated to Washington state from Texas and am required to take the WEST-B test. Does anyone have any advise concernibg preparation of this test? I would appreciate any help!
On 8/11/05, Deb wrote: > I need to get admitted for winter quarter, as they don't accept > non-matriculated students, so am thinking I'll take all three, > but focus on the sections other than English, do whatever math > I have time left to do, and hope they accept me contingent on > redoing and passing the math section. I anticipate the math > portion being the most difficult for me. Do you think the > other two sections are possible to complete together? > It IS possible to take all three sections in one day and pass all three. (I didn't do this, though - I just found that the writing took far too long.)You would need to really pace yourself. If math is your weakest area, then study hard on that. (Download the study guide. It's about 8th grade level math, I think.) I found the reading part and the multiple-choice part of the writing to be pretty easy - mostly common sense. The writing will take a long time, because there are two prompts, and you will want to write a rough draft out before writing your final draft. Make sure you study the sample answers and the scores they were given in the study guide. There is one prompt that is related to some type of education issue, and another that is sort of generic, like writing about the traits of a hero, or some such thing.
On 6/15/05, KJS wrote:
> On 6/14/05, Kathy wrote:
>> Reading between the lines in this and your other post it
>> sounds like you weren't simply having a quiet glass of
wine
>> before dinner when you made your call, but were rather
>> inebriated. Making any kind of business ...See More