Dear Martha,
I have to echo Bunki's reaction; your list of abuse makes me shudder!!
Please understand that things will not change at your workplace, because
they already know that you will put up with this abuse, so there is no
incentive on their part to change things for you!!
GET OUT!! Find another school, be firm about what you will accept from day
one, and stick to it. No job is worth the amount of abuse, disrespect and
lack of support that you have chronicled!!
I am sending my strongest and best wishes to you for a New Year that is so
full of wonderful possibilities, that you have a hard time deciding which
one to accept!!
Fondly,
Alix Peshette
-----Original Message-----
From: Martha Ulakovits [mailto:MSQU@atlantic.net]
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 9:23 AM
To: ArtsEdNet Talk
Subject: RE: stress triggers
Stress- I'm getting some really good comments on and off the list.
Stress triggers- I know some events immediately trigger stress like:
1. The students are brought by the classroom teach. I open the door and they
are all over the hall, yelling and fighting with each other. The teacher has
either taken off so she/he won't have to face you or because she/he can't
control them and are disgusted, or, the teacher is standing there yelling at
them (which only adds to the cocaphony)then she/he turns and yells at you,
"they're all yours, I can't do a thing with these disrespectful children!"
2. Two or three students start picking on another and before you can stop
it, the whole class has taken sides and there is a shouting and shoving
match.
3. You are presenting a wonderful lesson that has given great results and
was well liked in the past but you are interrupted several times by students
or you notice there is another scenario going on in the class. With only 50
minutes to get the word and supplies out, work and collect the work up, you
know you have to choose to deep six the lesson or try to struggle over the
malaise.
4. A second grade teacher comes up to you and tells you she has decided to
do a second grade play and wants you to have the children make costumes and
a backdrop. The play is in three weeks, you are in the middle of a sequence,
and the children come only once every 6 days. It is still on your mind that
the PTO president just yesterday TOLD you she told the manger of a local
Publix that you would make and put up decorations for all the seasons, you
would have the students paint decorations on the windows for Christmas and
you would start by decorating a box (for donations to PTO) and make posters
to be placed at Publix, also the secretary just two days ago told you the
principal wanted you to do the backdrop for the faculty Christmas play.
5. In the process of saying no to all of the above, you repeat (as if
they've never heard it before) the fact that you teach a DBAE curriculum
which is sequential and inline with the SSS (State Standards) and that you
are being assessed for student growth based on those standards. What they
have asked can not in this timeframe be fitted to those standards so to get
the job done, the you, not the children would have to do the work and the
only time you have is at lunch, before school 8:00 am and after you get off
at 7:00pm. The trigger is they argue with you and tell you they can't
believe you can't just..... and threaten to come sit in your room "to see
just what you really are doing!" And everyone goes away mad or frustrated.
This is after 13 years fighting the same battles at the same school!
6. You have spent only 72.00 of your 600.00 budget (for 500.00 students) You
go to order and the secretary says there is no more money. Sorry.
7. You are told next year the art, music, and pe teachers will all teach
reading during their planning periods.
8. You finally send three students to the office (repeat offenders)for
fighting and yelling back at you so that you can not even continue the class
and the vp tells you his job is mostly curriculum and he is not always in
his office so do not send students out of the room.
9. You call the office and ask for administrators to come to the room(seeing
as they don't want you to send any students to them) and no one comes for 20
minutes or at all. During this time, the students see that the disruptive
students have no consequences and they join in the fray.
10. You prepare for a class of first graders. Set up the tables, etc and
surprise, 20 minutes later you find they are on a fieldtrip.
11. The teacher gives a party just before art class and they come in your
room with drinks in their hands and gum in their mouths,
12. The principal finally shows up and talks to the class for their
behavior, as she/he is walking around, students are making faces and signs
of disrespect behind their backs. As soon as they leave, the class starts
fighting with each other and yelling at you again. All hope of an art lesson
being taught is left in the dust.
13. You have to discontinue displaying student art work in the school
because you don't have time to keep putting them back up after being torn
down and you feel bad about apologizing to the students for their work being
damaged or stolen. You don't have the heart to ask them for more work
because you know it will get ruined.
14. You try to explain why, after being turned down for a locked display
case which was free, you can no longer display work at school outside the
art room and you are met with blank stares.
15. Fire drills ten minutes before the end of class.
16. The office calling over the intercom and demanding a grade immediately
for a student that left (you are not notified when they leave or come) to
attend another school."Well can't you just give me a grade of the top of
your head?" Or you find out the clerk just gave them a grade and didn't even
ask you for one.
17. You ask for textbook money and are told, "What would you need books for
in the art room? We only have 20,000.00 for books this year and it's not
enough for what we want to get. I know you have asked me before but every
year we have to buy....I don't see how this is every going to change,
honestly."
18. Any statement that begins with "We were wondering, could you just have
your students........"
19. Rooms that need to be shoveled out and no time to shovel them.
20. Sitting through in-services. that have nothing to do with art.
21. Students telling you off loudly in front of the principal and nothing is
done.
Just a few triggers that occur daily at some schools.
So we smile and get on with it. Abuse is a part of a teacher's life and
should be accepted?
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