Well, that's all, folks! Whatever shred of summer vacation that I may have had to hang on to is gone. It's Friday. School starts on Monday. Due to budget cuts, we've been told that we have to come in on Saturday and Sunday if we want time to prepare our classrooms and make copies for Monday's first day of school. REALLY. We will have spent 4, count them, 4 days in staff development workshops and meetings. I, for one, am ready for No Child Left Behind to get left behind--either that or a pay raise. I haven't had a paycheck this small since 2000. That's like a ten-year cut in pay. And for those of us who didn't lose their jobs, it seems like the "be happy you still have a job" statement is being used to abuse us as we start the school year. We won't have money for classroom supplies until MAYBE January. We won't get new textbooks until they are 12 years old, if we are lucky. I'm starting the semester on Monday with no materials AT ALL--no textbook, no workbook, no worksheets, no nothin' except a comment from the board office that, "we wish we had enough band width for you to work online with your students, but you have to understand that we can't make it happen". I'm a veteran teacher, but this class and I may be spending the new 102-minute class period just staring at each other on Monday. There aren't even state standards for this class. Its the SAT prep. class. Kind of an important class, I think. Apparently there are only a few other people with that same opinion. ANYWAY, I'll be coming in on SUNDAY to make my copies and put my room in order. We're short on desks, too, so I gave my desks to the drama teacher, who had none and is still 8 short with my 25, and took round tables with chairs. Not sure how I'm going to fit 7 round tables in my room, might have to knock out a wall, but I will do it, and with a smile on my face. Right? I'll just be all grumbly on the inside.
On the flip side, come Monday morning at 7:20, when the bell rings and my students come in, it'll be exciting all over again and, for that day. I'll forget all about how much it sucks to be a teacher right now, because
EVERYBODY, even if they hide it on the inside, LOVES the first day of school!
BOO to back to school. Thankfully where I live we have a few more weeks. Nice to meet you in blog world. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteHi! I am doing Follow Friday and clicked you! I see you are a fellow Raveler! Yeah! I knit and crochet but mostly crochet. I am BlogStarr on Ravelry! Nice to meet you!
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Fiona
Well goodluck with school and the cut backs are horrible. Found your blog on blog hop and followed :)
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www.sassystylecards.blogspot.com
oooh this irks me SO much for you!! my hubby's a police officer and gets paid so little and does so much! law enforcement & teachers should be paid MUCH MUCH MUCH MORE than they do!!! my kids go to a charter where i just spent $200 on school supplies {more for the teachers than them} due to funding. eesh! hang in there! and ps: thanks for visting my blog and commenting. and for letting me rant with you! ;)
ReplyDeleteAlready following you, please check back often for my inspirational messages!
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