Stacie,
I can't offer anything that hasn't been said already, but I wanted to
wish you luck and offer my support. I have definitely been there and
done that, and I know I don't want the T-shirt. Those were some of
the most difficult years of my career as a teacher.
You've gotten a LOT of good advice, here. I know I had my union rep's
phone number on speed-dial that year, and she helped me more than
anyone. She also understood me more than anyone, so it was like
therapy, talking to her.
Also, documentation is key. It takes up a lot of time (time you
really don't have if you actually teach, I know...) but it is worth
it. Administrators don't usually deal well with emotional pleas for
help, but if you show actual documentation of behavior problems, they
will sometimes take you more seriously. Behavior charting and phone
logging are two things I used a lot. If you want my charts, email me
and I will send them to you.
If you get nowhere with the supply issue, you could consider begging
businesses to adopt your class. You would be surprised. Businesses
realize that helping schools makes them good community members. It is
no secret that schools don't have the funding to do what they need to
do. Work out a tradeoff -- for instance, the business that adopted my
class was a Mom & Pop Hardware Store. They donated a lot of supplies
to my classroom from their store, and in return, we painted a huge
mural in the school and put a "thank you" to them in the mural credits
(on the wall, itself) and in all our press releases. That made them
look good, and we got supplies.
Meanwhile, you might keep your ear to the ground for openings at
schools with more supportive administrators. I made a lot of progress
in my old school, but everything was an uphill battle, and it was so
exhausting just to get anything done. I was ready to quit teaching,
altogether. Luckily, a job in another school opened up, and I decided
to give teaching one more chance. I am much happier, and I found a
nice, small school, with a staff that is a lot like a family. There
are jobs like that out there. I still have problem kids. I still
have to scrounge for supplies I actually took a cut in pay and
benefits. But I'm *much* happier and work in a really supportive
atmosphere. It's worth it!
