(source)Yes. I know I've been complaining. A lot. About my job. Let's get one thing straight. I love my job! Ya hear me? I LOVE my job! I love being a teacher. I am a darn good teacher. I love those kids. [Most] of those kids love me :) BUT...I am allowed to be frustrated at times, and this week was one of those frustrating weeks.
Being the new kid comes with a little bit of baggage. Like learning all the ropes. Getting to know the parents. Learning everyone's quirks. Making mistakes. Getting corrected. Getting redirected. Getting corrected. People correcting you. Getting corrected. Someone redirecting you by correcting your mistakes....do you see a pattern here? Now I am just fine with someone telling me the rules and correcting me when I make a mistake as long as it's done kindly. However. If you berate me while doing it...I am NOT okay with that. One person at the center at which I work tends to correct me while making me feel quite inferior by saying things like, "Oh Abby. We don't do things like that here. This is a classy school and we don't like clutter." Okay. Fine. But do not insult me while correcting me. I'm just tired of being treated like I don't do anything right and that my way of doing things isn't what is seen as "classy". Pish frickin' posh! I AM classy! *Insert hair toss*
That happened several times yesterday morning and I finally had a break down and wept. All by myself. In my room. No kids. No teachers. No one. Just me. While cleaning 20 chairs. It ended up being a good day and I'll tell you why. We had a late start due to snow, so we had only 13 kids in all for both pre school and pre k. And we had 3 teachers. So 2 teachers took the kids to the pre school room and I got to stay in my room and organize and clean and make things "my own". So I had time all to myself to cry. Sometimes a good cry is just what you need to feel better. And I did. And you know what else made me feel better? This one parent, who is just fabulous, dropped his kid off and said, "Hey Miss Abby, guess what? _____ woke up singing the phonetic ABC song that you taught him. Thank you so much. My wife and I appreciate all that you have done the past 2 months." I just smiled and told him that he made my whole week with a compliment like that. That was the best pat on the back I could have asked for yesterday. Thank you, Mr. Great Dad!
Throughout this week, I had 2 verses I needed to meditate on that I told you in an earlier post. You should read and memorize them as well. It TOTALLY changed my outlook at work and honestly helped me be a better person and teacher.
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing." Philippians 2:14
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24
Hope these verses are encouraging. I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I think I'm going to get a pedi with some girlfriends today :) Whoop whoop! Love pedis. Love YOU!
Oh Abby, I love your fabulous attitude. Having worked in a public school as well as a "classy" early childhood center, I can relate to you. I promise you don't get a lot of teachers telling you how to do your job at a public school- I honestly didn't, but for some reason I sure did when I worked at the early childhood center. Parents as well would tell me how to do my job, and in most cases it was because I honestly believe they did not appreciate my hard work b/c they were too blind and self centered to see it! Also, I think sometimes they feel guilty that they are not the ones staying with their kid all day- sometimes this is the case. All I can tell you is it is A-ok to accept corrective HELP. BUT I tell you this girl, set up some boundaries. You went to THE Oklahoma State, you are an educated women and you have every right to kindly tell these people, just like they tell you things, that while you appreciate them coming to you it is not necessary and you will get a system together that works for YOU. If it is a parent, let them know how YOU do things in your classroom.Of course its a team effort but certain things it is not! Like I always say YOU are the one that gets to be with them all day, not the parent. If your supervisor stands by you and you can relay these things in a positive manner then hopefully everyone is happy. Especially the teacher that has the hardest job ;) Love you!
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