Annoying Coworker post
Okay. Monday was Institute and I told the one teacher who will be using my room this semester for 2 classes that I would relocate a few items that are on my desk.
To explain here, my desk has a lot of "fun" things on it - games, toys, puzzles and the kids love to play with them. They are very respectful of the fact that they are MY toys, so they return them in one piece, but enjoy the fun of playing with them. That is one of the reasons I have them there. I also have a digital photo frame - set on auto, with many photos that I enjoy looking at of family, friends and activities I've been involved in. There are also some things that were made by my students that I keep - yeah, they aren't the greatest, but the kids are excited when I keep them. ANd they are useful (2 paperweights a kid in welding did on the plasma cutter, a "car" made out of a scrap of wood, etc).
ANYWAYS... Monday night when I went back in for my grad class, I went down to my room and moved a few things off the main desk to the table I have next to it where most of the stuff is anyways. Satisfied that I'd cleared off the desk sufficiently, I went home.
Tuesday morning I started in my room, but due to the A/B day schedule I have this semester I'm at Central on B days. So 1/2 way thru I zipped up to Central. I didn't clean the desk off and nicely as I typically do, but it was such a rushed day and I needed to leave things out for the start of Wednesday, that I had 2-3 stacks on my table (a few papers I needed to deal with, some notes to self and folders with activities for classes that day). Desk was still reasonably clear.
I get an email at 330p (end of day) "I know you said you were going to clean off your desk, but since you didn't I went ahead and moved everything. I also need you to clean off the table so I can work".
I kept my temper in check and just emailed back. "Oh, I did move things off and anything that was left out I need for tomorrow. Due to the shortened schedule, I didn't have the time to organize as much as I wanted so I did have to leave some things out for class today" (hoping that would let him know I wasn't happy).
SO Wednesday I get to my room and find that EVERYTHING (paperweights w/ notes, paperclip holders, useful items) PLUS all my "stuff" on my table had been shoved into a corner of the table. It took me over 30 minutes to straighten everything out and find everything... or almost everything.
SO, I email back "Just as an FYI, that desk is my office. All of my curriculum, grad work, etc is kept there. I appreciate the fact you prefer an empty desk, but it just isn't going to happen. If you need more room to work, and since you requested I clean off the table, I suggest instead that you make use of one of the 2 tables at the front of the room that aren't in use for students this year. You can set it up to your liking"
I get back. "Well, I have 2 classes in here and need to do my planning here so I would appreciate it if you could clean it off."
I fired back "Umm. No. First - you have an office with a desk. I do not. That IS my office. Second - there are empty tables you can use - just roll the cushy teacher chair over to one and there you go. Three -- see #1".
Okay -- not quite that rudely, but rather blunt this time.
Tomorrow I go down to see what he did to my desk today.
It irks me because he DOES have an office with a desk to work at. I don't. AND "Planning"? HELLO! I'm doing his lesson plans. Yes, he is doing the actual teaching, but all the daily plans are mine, I'm organizing the worksheets and activities for him, getting things copied, setting things out (all at his request). Now you may ask why I'm doing that? Well, I was hoping he'd stick with the curriculum and not change it. He wanted to add something I know the kids wouldn't like. Since this is our entry level class and typically generates enrollment numbers over 100 (better than anything else in our dept) I think we need to maintain the curriculum with what is working. I do update, change and tweak it every year; but the essential curriculum is in place. So it is in our entire departments best interest for me to do this. SO... what this means is that he has only 1 prep, plus going over what I'm leaving out. I on the other hand have my 4 preps for my classes (one of which is an entirely new class to teach) PLUS doing his work.
SO he needs to "Plan"???? This is the only class he is teaching down at that building. I don't get it.
I was miffed to say the least.
I'm hoping I'll find my desk in the same condition as I left it. If it isn't, I honestly don't know what to do.