(no subject)
Hello everyone, long time no see.
I'm at a major crossroads in my life and having some trouble deciding on what is best, so I was wondering if could get your opinions on things. I realize that somebody outside of the situation might have a clearer perspective than I do mixed up in the middle of it.
The big question is---should I quit my job or not? Here are the details.
1. I'm currently working as a kindergarten teacher...this is my third year teaching kindergarten, though I was transferred at the start of this year and I'm working in a new school. The principal hated me from the moment she met me, possibly because I was just thrust into her school and neither she nor I had a choice about it. Our first conversation included her telling me that I had a "stigma," that all of my students parents' were going to hate me, and then she began complaining about one of my former coworkers and telling me that she hoped she could get rid of her. So, long story short, my principal was a very unprofessional bitch from the very beginning. I tried to transfer, but the district wouldn't let me.
2. As the year shaped up, I love my students and I do actually get along well with their parents. My students are exactly where they are supposed to be according to the new literacy curriculum the district adopted this year. However, despite this, my principal has continued to give me unprofessional comments. Last week on Monday, for example, she told me she "felt sorry" for the students in my classroom because we don't do any fun projects (I have no idea where she got that idea because we do tons of creative projects, that very day we made maracas, drums, and kazoos out of various objects and played songs on them). My evaluation this year was atrocious (I received scores way lower than I've ever received before, even during my first semester teaching). Plus, half of the information was provably wrong, I even have the documentation to show that she was not correct in at least 1/4 of her written comments, which at least puts the other 3/4 into question too. I honestly don't believe I'm as terrible of a teacher as the evaluation says, no other principal has ever had a problem with the way I teach and last year my students had the highest test scores and high reading levels of all 5 kindergarten classes.
3. That terrible evaluation this year has pretty much ruined my chanced of teaching in this state ever again due to some crazy laws here (which if you want I can go into details about, just note me). Even if I fight that and prove that her evaluation of me was incorrect (which I do have enough evidence that I probably can fight her), I'm not sure I even want to teach again next year, at least not in New Mexico. This state is moving towards scripted teaching (My lessons include me actually reading the scripted words from the teacher's manual, literally, I'm not allowed to improvise). The district is adopting math and science programs along similar lines next year. To top it off, the state government is talking about cutting teacher's pay and never letting them advance to a higher pay bracket even if they get a master's or doctorate degree. So pretty much, I'm stuck at 30,000 or less a year forever if this law passes. (By the way, I'm living in a town where minimum wage is $10.50 and hour, so I wouldn't be making much less flipping burgers at McDonalds).
Summary so far---I hate my principal and I'm planning to quit teaching at the end of the year because of the beaurocracy involved.
4. I found another job and interviewed for it. It's a nanny position for 2 kids in the town an hour south of me. I would be making approximately the same amount of money as I am now, plus I get health insurance out of it too. I've already interviewed and they've already decided they want me, so it's my decision. I love the two kids and the parents--they seem like a wonderful family to work with.
5. If I take the nanny position, I'll have to move to that town. However, my lease ends next month and I was hoping to move to that town anyway (I tried to get a job there but the district wasn't hiring). Plus, my boyfriend lives there, so that'll put a stop to the hour commute it takes to see him.
6. The downside is that I love the kids I'm teaching now and I don't want to leave them in the middle of the year like this. I have at least 1, maybe 2, students in my class that will just fall to pieces. I feel really guilty about leaving them.
7. There is a chance that by leaving in the middle of the school year I will never be able to work as a teacher again. On the other hand, that might be the case anyway, at least in this state. I do not know if other states are moving towards scripted teaching too, though. If they are, I don't want to teach.
8. But I love teaching in a good situation. I loved teaching last year before I was switched to a school where I'm not wanted and before my district started insisting on verbatim teaching. I would love to be able to teach again in the future...but only if the district wants a teacher instead of a robot. I'm pretty sure I'll have to leave the state in order to find that, though.
So there we go. I've been leaning towards turning in my resignation and taking the nanny position, and that's also the direction my boyfriend is hoping I'll take. But I'd like to see some opinions from people outside the situation. So if you read through all of this, please leave me your opinion.
I'm at a major crossroads in my life and having some trouble deciding on what is best, so I was wondering if could get your opinions on things. I realize that somebody outside of the situation might have a clearer perspective than I do mixed up in the middle of it.
The big question is---should I quit my job or not? Here are the details.
1. I'm currently working as a kindergarten teacher...this is my third year teaching kindergarten, though I was transferred at the start of this year and I'm working in a new school. The principal hated me from the moment she met me, possibly because I was just thrust into her school and neither she nor I had a choice about it. Our first conversation included her telling me that I had a "stigma," that all of my students parents' were going to hate me, and then she began complaining about one of my former coworkers and telling me that she hoped she could get rid of her. So, long story short, my principal was a very unprofessional bitch from the very beginning. I tried to transfer, but the district wouldn't let me.
2. As the year shaped up, I love my students and I do actually get along well with their parents. My students are exactly where they are supposed to be according to the new literacy curriculum the district adopted this year. However, despite this, my principal has continued to give me unprofessional comments. Last week on Monday, for example, she told me she "felt sorry" for the students in my classroom because we don't do any fun projects (I have no idea where she got that idea because we do tons of creative projects, that very day we made maracas, drums, and kazoos out of various objects and played songs on them). My evaluation this year was atrocious (I received scores way lower than I've ever received before, even during my first semester teaching). Plus, half of the information was provably wrong, I even have the documentation to show that she was not correct in at least 1/4 of her written comments, which at least puts the other 3/4 into question too. I honestly don't believe I'm as terrible of a teacher as the evaluation says, no other principal has ever had a problem with the way I teach and last year my students had the highest test scores and high reading levels of all 5 kindergarten classes.
3. That terrible evaluation this year has pretty much ruined my chanced of teaching in this state ever again due to some crazy laws here (which if you want I can go into details about, just note me). Even if I fight that and prove that her evaluation of me was incorrect (which I do have enough evidence that I probably can fight her), I'm not sure I even want to teach again next year, at least not in New Mexico. This state is moving towards scripted teaching (My lessons include me actually reading the scripted words from the teacher's manual, literally, I'm not allowed to improvise). The district is adopting math and science programs along similar lines next year. To top it off, the state government is talking about cutting teacher's pay and never letting them advance to a higher pay bracket even if they get a master's or doctorate degree. So pretty much, I'm stuck at 30,000 or less a year forever if this law passes. (By the way, I'm living in a town where minimum wage is $10.50 and hour, so I wouldn't be making much less flipping burgers at McDonalds).
Summary so far---I hate my principal and I'm planning to quit teaching at the end of the year because of the beaurocracy involved.
4. I found another job and interviewed for it. It's a nanny position for 2 kids in the town an hour south of me. I would be making approximately the same amount of money as I am now, plus I get health insurance out of it too. I've already interviewed and they've already decided they want me, so it's my decision. I love the two kids and the parents--they seem like a wonderful family to work with.
5. If I take the nanny position, I'll have to move to that town. However, my lease ends next month and I was hoping to move to that town anyway (I tried to get a job there but the district wasn't hiring). Plus, my boyfriend lives there, so that'll put a stop to the hour commute it takes to see him.
6. The downside is that I love the kids I'm teaching now and I don't want to leave them in the middle of the year like this. I have at least 1, maybe 2, students in my class that will just fall to pieces. I feel really guilty about leaving them.
7. There is a chance that by leaving in the middle of the school year I will never be able to work as a teacher again. On the other hand, that might be the case anyway, at least in this state. I do not know if other states are moving towards scripted teaching too, though. If they are, I don't want to teach.
8. But I love teaching in a good situation. I loved teaching last year before I was switched to a school where I'm not wanted and before my district started insisting on verbatim teaching. I would love to be able to teach again in the future...but only if the district wants a teacher instead of a robot. I'm pretty sure I'll have to leave the state in order to find that, though.
So there we go. I've been leaning towards turning in my resignation and taking the nanny position, and that's also the direction my boyfriend is hoping I'll take. But I'd like to see some opinions from people outside the situation. So if you read through all of this, please leave me your opinion.