Trainwreck

For fear of putting my job more at risk than it already is, I hesitate to say too much here. However, I must vent a bit, not to mention getting some of this down for some time in the distant future when I need a good laugh.

As I have already told you (I think), I am being downsized at my school. In a nutshell, they built another school nearby that is taking away a large portion of our population (approximately 28%). This means that they are going to need 10 fewer teachers than we currently have. So, I interviewed recently for a position at the new school (the only positions they were flying). Yesterday, I learned (in a way that makes it painfully obviously just how little HRD thinks of us teachers) that I had not been picked up. Not really surprising considering that I was one of 90 applicants for ~17 positions.

Today, I learned that there are even more changes in store for my beautiful school. Enough changes that I might potentially end up being able to stay due to other people choosing to leave. Enough changes that I don't really want to stay any longer.

This whole thing has been one big, long, disturbing trainwreck. The way information is withheld and people mistreated goes a long way toward making me think about looking at other districts. I'm not ready to do that yet, but it wouldn't take much of an incentive to make it happen.

The worst part is how all this upheaval affects my teaching. It is difficult to focus on the needs of the students when your own basic needs aren't being met. One can only take so much uncertainty and confusion before one starts to crack. Luckily, I know where my cracking point is. I spent the day wrapped in a warm blanket, watching crappy mysteries, and playing Kingdom of Loathing (with an occasional visit to the kenneled dogs, who are still doing their best to escape the confines of our little yard). Come Monday, I am going to try to put all this behind me and focus on enjoying the last few weeks I have with this charming crew of mine.