Trying to get copies gets me in trouble again

Hello..

Another morning means a new day for Mrs. Sears to harass me about something. I just had my 5th observation on Monday by Ms. Thurman, and thank God it was less than 30 minutes, unlike the last time her and Mrs. Sears stayed for an hour and a half.

First let me address the lack of resources in this school, you have nine teachers printing from one printer, and the ink is out. I had to print some material last night before I came to work (using my own resources), and Mr. Robinson allows me to print from his room when needed.

When I got to the printer, there were three teachers there (I arrived at 7:00). The first teacher made over 100 copies, all while talking to the other three teachers. They continued to talk until 7:17. When I finally got to the copier the students were going to class.

Never have I ever worked in an environment where there was such a lack of teamwork, and it just seems like personal vendettas (like the one Mrs. Sears has against me) is the focal point of the administrators mind.

This is my third or fourth time being addressed in FRONT of my co-workers, and even if it is not directly in front of them, when you walk into a room and close the door, everyone knows what that means.

I am personally tired of crying in front of my co-workers, and it is just an embarrassing and humiliating ordeal on a daily basis.

Last month I took off due to work related stress because I feel that Mrs. Sears was harassing me. This month is no different, and I wish I could come to school to some peace. I wake up ridiculously early (4 am), only to get here and be harassed.

I work with students who I feel are allowed to do whatever they would like to do (due to administration being so lax on consequences, and lack of control), and I work in a hostile environment. Students are angry, they steal, they are violent.

I am using this platform as a mode of documentation if the need ever arises.

I personally feel attacked, humiliated, harassed at this school, and I hate coming here to due to the degrading way that teachers are treated here.

I hope that the grudge that Mrs. Sears seems to have against me does no interfere with my evaluations. I have seen teachers be negatively targeted in their evaluations due to feelings of the AP. I have never received a needs improvement, or unsatisfactory in any of the counties that I have worked in (APS and Dekalb). I loved evaluation time at my last school (and we were evaluated by the state of Georgia), but it is just hell here at this school.

Last year a teacher kilt herself in this district, and I totally understand why. The level of unprofessionalism, and lack of teamwork in some of these schools is ridiculous.

I am close to my breaking point at this school. Lord give me strength. I am going to notify the principal of this situation, so that hopefully there can be some resolve.

The End of A Monday

It feels so good to be home away from the stress of work. Like I said before, Mrs. Sears is so unpleasant to deal with on a daily basis. I talked with Mrs. Hall today about the incident, in the hopes of nothing becoming an issue. I told Mrs. Hall that I my tardiness to my classroom was for instructional purposes. I want my students to be successful, and if it takes a two minute extension of using the copy machine, or asking for clarification on a standard, than that is a sacrifice that I am willing to make.

I just feel under the microscope about every thing that I do. People pop their heads in my classroom all of the time, and most times do not acknowledge me as the teacher in the class. I think that is very disrespectful, and I am so tired of it. I know that being a new teacher was going to be difficult, and even challenging, but it is really just high school drama, and he say/she say.

I hope things get better as the school year goes by, but I am really tired of the disrespect that I encounter. At my other school, I was praised for my abilities to made gains, and for good evaluations. Now I am always under surveillance, and it is hard to teach like that.

Wishing things get better,

Alexandria

Same Thing Different Day

Once again I come into work on time and I get straight to working in my classroom. We are supposed to sign in by 7:15, and be at our doors at this time to greet our students. I have had tardy issues in the past this school year, and when brought to my attention by my principal, I immediately corrected them.

My principal is really a sweet lady, but the assistant principal is extremely hard to deal with. I kind of feel like she is harassing me. All of her practices thus far has seemed harassing. She has given me four evaluations, with one lasting up to AN HOUR AND A HALF. I personally felt like that was excessive, and it just gave the air of intimidation.

This morning, I arrived at 6:50, and proceeded to make copies. Due to the long copy line, and only having one copier in the building, I had to wait. I finished making copies at 7:22, and proceeded to my room. There was a teacher before me (Ms. Clarke 5th grade math) me that was copying, and a teacher after me (Ms. Ashmore). I am going to ask  if the AP said something to them. *Update* Ms. Ashmore said that Ms. Sears told her the same thing, however it was her only time doing so. However, Ms. Ashmore has been late other times to her classroom ,and nothing was said to her.

My team make sure that my students are sitting quietly in the hall until I arrive, and my team member Ms. Robinson was aware that I was here this morning.

I just find Ms. Sears harrassing, and she likes to treat adult like children. I have heard many teachers say that they feel like correctional officers, and I really do not like running to her in the hallway. She is always condescending to me in front of my students.

I really would love for this to stop, because it is affecting my ability to perform as a teacher. Everything is scrutinized, and you do not receive help from administrators, you receive criticism after the fact.

Ms. Sears and Ms. Thurnan came into my room on the 12th of November, and they sat in my room for over an hour! No evaluation or walk through I ever had in my three years of teaching has been this long. I have received no help from them, and they come in and make me feel powerless amongst my students. I cried really hard that day, and I actually had to go to the doctor after work due to my blood pressure being really high.

I do not want this job to affect my health, so I am keeping a journal of all of this, because it is overwhelming, and today I started my day crying because of the unpleasantness of the AP Mrs. Sears. I hope things get better, but if not, I will have to go to the necessary persons to solve this issue.

Thank you,

A Frustrated Teacher!