(no subject)
I know, I know...I don't ever update. I don't know why. I check LJ at least once a day...I just never feel up to writing.
Anyway, I'm currently in somewhat of a wonderful delimma.
I don't really like teaching middle school. I mean, it's ok - but I had way less stress at the high school level. MS is just too much drama and too many hormones for my taste. That being said, there were other issues sprcific to my school:
* unfair duty and class scheduling - core teachers have more planning time with fewer preps and fewer duties
* ridiculously HUGE classes
* teeny tiny budget, and no "stash" of supplies to draw from because it's a new school
* schedules that pretty much prevent me from ever seeing other adults
* Principal who was:
-unsupportive
-micromanaging, yet indecisive
-quick to chew out employees
-kind of a bad financial planner (i.e. she stole $200 from my already small budget with no warning in order to pay for the insane amount of copies our school makes, and then blamed me for not having spent it already)
-uncommunicative
-not open to discussions about her unfair decisions
-not respectful towards me as a professional during the hiring process of the second art teacher (she conducted the whole thing without even asking for my input even though I'm the one who will be working with the new teacher on a daily basis. Instead, she had teachers of other subjects on the interviewing panel, and then she gave the new art teacher all the advanced classes)
Since I wasn't happy with my current job situation, I decided to explore my options. I applied for transfer within my district, as well as applied at other local districts. I've interviewed with three schools so far, and I'm pretty sure all three want to hire me. (two have already told me they want to hire me - the third hinted at it.) Now I have to make the decision between the 4 schools.
Current school - %95 percent sure I want to leave:
+ Awful principal is leaving
+ I already know people there - both coworkers and kids
+ new art teacher will (hopefully) help ease burden of class sizes, and will also be someone to collaborate with
+ school board voted for $2000 dollar raise next year
+ have my own NICE room, and my stuff is already there
- have been told that the art staff has to have exactly the same policies and lesson sequence (no individuality)
- will have small budget
- will still be working w/ ms kids, but mostly 6th grade - which I prefer
- kind of far away
- sill have unfair duties and planning compared to "core" teachers
UNKNOWNS: new principal may not be any better, and I don't know if I will be allowed to continue my current methods of teaching (choice-based)
elementary school:
+ elementary seems like a lot of fun, an adventure!
+ I'm pretty sure discipline will be better - I'm a "specials" class. I don't see them every day
+ nice classroom - from what I can tell, has a lot of basic equipment my ms is lacking
+ staff that I met in my VERY breif time there seem like fun people
+ still w/in same district - same policies, same $2000 pay raise
- will see more kids - meaning that I have to figure out new ways of managing supplies and projects
- never taught elementary on a long-term basis...totally new ground for me...a LOT of work
- has a LARGE population of spanish speakers w/ no english. Will be difficult until I can relearn Spanish
- kind of far away
- will be the only art teacher, meaning I will again have a very different schedule and be sort of isolated
UNKNOWNS: budget, schedule, whether choice style teaching is allowed - I plan to talk w/ the principal soon to answer some of these
High School #1:
+ admin I interviewed w/ is WONDERFUL - used to be an art teacher, understands our situation
+ a little closer to home
+ HS!!!! More mature kids, more depth in projects
+ 3 of 4 art teachers will be new - lots of bonding though our similar circumstances
+ will not be isolated in random corner of school
+ same planning time as core teachers
+ WAY more freedom in teaching
+ seems more like a community than most schools
+ admin REALLY wants arts to be an integral part of school - has already put things into motion to improve things
+ high achieving students
- won't have own art room, will float through connected art rooms, w/ one class downstairs in theater tech rm
- facilities aren't great - not bad...but not great (small rooms, lacking some of the "fancy" equipment of other schools)
- won't pay as well as current district would (I won't be losing any $ compared to right now...I just wouldn't get the raise unless their school board also voted to increase salaries)
- would have to modify choice based lessons to make it easier to float rooms
UNKNOWNS: budget specifics - they do a department order instead of individual teacher orders, but seems pretty good overall
HS #2:
+ a little closer to home
+ HS!!!! More mature kids, more depth in projects
+ VERY nice building. Didn't get to see art rm, but assuming it's nice, too
+ get to have own room
+ more freedom in teaching
+ budget is great - also a team ordering situation, but dept budget is $9000 and scheduled to increase
- same situation about salary as HS #1
- principal was a little hard to read (though he seems like a nice guy)
- will be coming into a situation where all other teachers have been there a while...a bit weird feeling
- support for art seems average - not as enthusiastic as HS #1
UNKNOWNS: specifics on art room, schedule
* big thing about HS #2 is that I don't know for sure whether I'll be offered it. My refernces weren't on file, and he said "district policy keeps me from hiring anyone unless their refernces are on file." He got the names and #'s of the people I'd listed, and said he'd check again at the district office, and call them. In my experience, principals don't usually mention refernces and hiring during the interview unless they're seriously considering the applicant.
Advice? Comments?
I don't know how to make this decision!
Anyway, I'm currently in somewhat of a wonderful delimma.
I don't really like teaching middle school. I mean, it's ok - but I had way less stress at the high school level. MS is just too much drama and too many hormones for my taste. That being said, there were other issues sprcific to my school:
* unfair duty and class scheduling - core teachers have more planning time with fewer preps and fewer duties
* ridiculously HUGE classes
* teeny tiny budget, and no "stash" of supplies to draw from because it's a new school
* schedules that pretty much prevent me from ever seeing other adults
* Principal who was:
-unsupportive
-micromanaging, yet indecisive
-quick to chew out employees
-kind of a bad financial planner (i.e. she stole $200 from my already small budget with no warning in order to pay for the insane amount of copies our school makes, and then blamed me for not having spent it already)
-uncommunicative
-not open to discussions about her unfair decisions
-not respectful towards me as a professional during the hiring process of the second art teacher (she conducted the whole thing without even asking for my input even though I'm the one who will be working with the new teacher on a daily basis. Instead, she had teachers of other subjects on the interviewing panel, and then she gave the new art teacher all the advanced classes)
Since I wasn't happy with my current job situation, I decided to explore my options. I applied for transfer within my district, as well as applied at other local districts. I've interviewed with three schools so far, and I'm pretty sure all three want to hire me. (two have already told me they want to hire me - the third hinted at it.) Now I have to make the decision between the 4 schools.
Current school - %95 percent sure I want to leave:
+ Awful principal is leaving
+ I already know people there - both coworkers and kids
+ new art teacher will (hopefully) help ease burden of class sizes, and will also be someone to collaborate with
+ school board voted for $2000 dollar raise next year
+ have my own NICE room, and my stuff is already there
- have been told that the art staff has to have exactly the same policies and lesson sequence (no individuality)
- will have small budget
- will still be working w/ ms kids, but mostly 6th grade - which I prefer
- kind of far away
- sill have unfair duties and planning compared to "core" teachers
UNKNOWNS: new principal may not be any better, and I don't know if I will be allowed to continue my current methods of teaching (choice-based)
elementary school:
+ elementary seems like a lot of fun, an adventure!
+ I'm pretty sure discipline will be better - I'm a "specials" class. I don't see them every day
+ nice classroom - from what I can tell, has a lot of basic equipment my ms is lacking
+ staff that I met in my VERY breif time there seem like fun people
+ still w/in same district - same policies, same $2000 pay raise
- will see more kids - meaning that I have to figure out new ways of managing supplies and projects
- never taught elementary on a long-term basis...totally new ground for me...a LOT of work
- has a LARGE population of spanish speakers w/ no english. Will be difficult until I can relearn Spanish
- kind of far away
- will be the only art teacher, meaning I will again have a very different schedule and be sort of isolated
UNKNOWNS: budget, schedule, whether choice style teaching is allowed - I plan to talk w/ the principal soon to answer some of these
High School #1:
+ admin I interviewed w/ is WONDERFUL - used to be an art teacher, understands our situation
+ a little closer to home
+ HS!!!! More mature kids, more depth in projects
+ 3 of 4 art teachers will be new - lots of bonding though our similar circumstances
+ will not be isolated in random corner of school
+ same planning time as core teachers
+ WAY more freedom in teaching
+ seems more like a community than most schools
+ admin REALLY wants arts to be an integral part of school - has already put things into motion to improve things
+ high achieving students
- won't have own art room, will float through connected art rooms, w/ one class downstairs in theater tech rm
- facilities aren't great - not bad...but not great (small rooms, lacking some of the "fancy" equipment of other schools)
- won't pay as well as current district would (I won't be losing any $ compared to right now...I just wouldn't get the raise unless their school board also voted to increase salaries)
- would have to modify choice based lessons to make it easier to float rooms
UNKNOWNS: budget specifics - they do a department order instead of individual teacher orders, but seems pretty good overall
HS #2:
+ a little closer to home
+ HS!!!! More mature kids, more depth in projects
+ VERY nice building. Didn't get to see art rm, but assuming it's nice, too
+ get to have own room
+ more freedom in teaching
+ budget is great - also a team ordering situation, but dept budget is $9000 and scheduled to increase
- same situation about salary as HS #1
- principal was a little hard to read (though he seems like a nice guy)
- will be coming into a situation where all other teachers have been there a while...a bit weird feeling
- support for art seems average - not as enthusiastic as HS #1
UNKNOWNS: specifics on art room, schedule
* big thing about HS #2 is that I don't know for sure whether I'll be offered it. My refernces weren't on file, and he said "district policy keeps me from hiring anyone unless their refernces are on file." He got the names and #'s of the people I'd listed, and said he'd check again at the district office, and call them. In my experience, principals don't usually mention refernces and hiring during the interview unless they're seriously considering the applicant.
Advice? Comments?
I don't know how to make this decision!