Thursday, August 04, 2011

And so it begins . . .

Year 2011 - 2012. In teaching, it's my 28th year. In dog years . . . why I'd be dead.

Went to the school today, carried a load of stuff up to my room. It's in disarray but not as bad as I expected. I looked around, unloaded the crap I had brought over (summer magazines, a couple of new posters) and tried to decide how I felt about being "back." I didn't break down and cry. I didn't need to sit and compose myself. So I guess I felt, well, okay.

Downstairs on the first floor I mailed off my sealed transcript for my salary boost and felt, well, next to nothing. Talked with the registrar and tried to find out where this nice luncheon was that I had been invited to attend. Found out that it really wasn't a nice luncheon at all but a whole district affair with way too many people and was being held in our uncomfortable and inhospitable cafeteria.

In the cafeteria it was a zoo. Too many people and way too hot and noisy and loud. Finally found my school group, met my mentee (I'm her mentor), and with my principal's lead, we got in line for food. But they had just run out of food. Honestly. Can you believe that? They still had cookies and brownies which the new folks loaded up on, but in that heat I wasn't about to load up on sweet things.

All the new teachers hired by my principal are white. Jeez. The woman really does not have a clue. White. For a school with less than 10% white students. Everyone of us advised her at the end of the year to start putting some color into her staff composition -- but nope. Every single new hire is lily white.

Tried to decide how that made me feel and well, I felt tired. Not mad or upset. Just tired. Somethings just never change.

After our non-lunch I walked my mentee around the building and introduced her to the counselors, showed her where her room was located. We talked and talked. She's young. She seems to really want a job as a teacher -- she's been a paraprofessional for the last five years or so. She also seems a bit scared. She asked me four times if I was going to be at school on Monday to help her figure things out. "When will you get to school on Monday?" she asked twice.

Today I arrived at school at 11:30 and gratefully left at one. I departed very hot, very sweaty, and very tired. I had briefly met my two collab / co-teachers and each one seemed, well, okay. Even though I hadn't had lunch I wasn't hungry, though Hubby thoughtfully took me out and made sure I had something to eat.

I'm not sorry that school's starting, I guess. I'm certainly not thrilled, either. I'm, well, okay with it. And I'm still tired. Some things don't seem to change.

2 comments:

Margaret said...

Hate it when admin doesn't listen to the wisdom of their staff. Or even LOGIC. We are about 7% African-American and our district still tries to hire people of color which I think is great. Last year, in our admin, we had a principal of Filipino descent and a vice-principal of Japanese ancestry. One of our counselors is African-American and next year one of our vice-principals is. However, there is still not as much color in the classrooms as there should be. We have more Asians. (and a more Asian school population)P.S. I'm tired even thinking about school much less going up there and looking around. UGH. But thankful to have a job!

Anonymous said...

Your "hubby" is wonderful. We do like him!!