Oh my god, what an EPICALLY shitty week this has been. It actually started out pretty good. Last week I had two job offers for the fall. One was for a college prep charter high school and one was for the district I worked in last year doing the same thing I did last year for a hell of a lot more money than the college prep school. So I turned down the high school job, (when I would LOVE to get back to teaching high school) for continuity, pay and benefits. Oh well. It's at a different school than the one I loved last year and I negotiated my way to full time by taking an additional class. Pretty good huh? Well, I've been to my new building twice and both times I left feeling like shit. The first time was because rooms still weren't assigned (what?) so I couldn't start setting up, and because one of the custodians yelled at me and told me not to go in any rooms with wet wax! Like I would. Then I think he felt bad because he came back and asked who I was and to chit chat. I told him I was new to the building this year and he actually said the words, "Welcome to hell." I said, "THAAAAANKS!!!"
Then yesterday I called to see if rooms had been assigned yet and the secretary told me they had. She said I would be in two rooms, and I'd be sharing both rooms. Not ideal, but doable. So I said I would stop by to drop some stuff off. I looked at the room I thought I would mainly be in (four class periods a day out of six), and it isn't as gorgeous as my room last year, but it is certainly functional and will be fine, although someone else is totally moved in. Her stuff is in the desk, her stuff is all over the place. What about me? I dropped off a load and went to get another. When I tried to get back in the building, it was locked down. I knocked on the door because my purse and car keys were still up in the room. The crabby custodian opened the door and said, "The building locks down at three fifteen!" Like I'm just supposed to know that. What the fuck? So I told him I was just dropping my stuff off. He said, "You have to be out by three thirty!" Whatever. So I went up to drop off another load and I met another custodian. I must have looked freaked out because he was very nice to me and chatted me up for a few minutes. Then he said, "You want a piece of candy?" and I almost cried. Yes, I wanted a piece of candy. He said, "You look like you could use it." THEN I went into the office to talk to the secretaries and one of them let me look at the tentative schedule. They have me scheduled to teach English 7, English 8, Reading, and Trans Reading. Four preps. I negotiated for two. I can't do four preps. I would do a shitty job and be stressed and crabby every single day. So I left. And then I freaked. Apparently the schedule isn't "set in stone" but still. I am totally stressed out.
And I gained two pounds last week.
And we let two of the three bunnies go this week and the third one died in my hands last night. Don't know why. He was fine, and then a few hours later was listless and weak and then died.
Then today I went to work, then I went to the beach with a couple of friends, and I got a call from the college prep school telling me that they want to try to counter the Duluth offer if I haven't signed any contract yet or anything. I haven't. They gave me a new offer which is still less money and the benefits package isn't as sweet, but I would be doing what I like, at a place I could have some ownership in (own room, teacher-governed school), I would have small classes, and when I go there I leave feeling inspired and not like total shit.
So now I have to make this decision all over again. I talked to the principal at the middle school to see if she could give me any guarantees about what I would be teaching and where I would be teaching it. She made no promises. She said she would get back to me tomorrow. I told the charter school people I would get back to them tomorrow. Shit shit shit.
Now I'm going out to drink with some friends and then we are going to a play. Hopefully after my first margarita my mind will slow down and I will be able to think without wanting to cry.
Then yesterday I called to see if rooms had been assigned yet and the secretary told me they had. She said I would be in two rooms, and I'd be sharing both rooms. Not ideal, but doable. So I said I would stop by to drop some stuff off. I looked at the room I thought I would mainly be in (four class periods a day out of six), and it isn't as gorgeous as my room last year, but it is certainly functional and will be fine, although someone else is totally moved in. Her stuff is in the desk, her stuff is all over the place. What about me? I dropped off a load and went to get another. When I tried to get back in the building, it was locked down. I knocked on the door because my purse and car keys were still up in the room. The crabby custodian opened the door and said, "The building locks down at three fifteen!" Like I'm just supposed to know that. What the fuck? So I told him I was just dropping my stuff off. He said, "You have to be out by three thirty!" Whatever. So I went up to drop off another load and I met another custodian. I must have looked freaked out because he was very nice to me and chatted me up for a few minutes. Then he said, "You want a piece of candy?" and I almost cried. Yes, I wanted a piece of candy. He said, "You look like you could use it." THEN I went into the office to talk to the secretaries and one of them let me look at the tentative schedule. They have me scheduled to teach English 7, English 8, Reading, and Trans Reading. Four preps. I negotiated for two. I can't do four preps. I would do a shitty job and be stressed and crabby every single day. So I left. And then I freaked. Apparently the schedule isn't "set in stone" but still. I am totally stressed out.
And I gained two pounds last week.
And we let two of the three bunnies go this week and the third one died in my hands last night. Don't know why. He was fine, and then a few hours later was listless and weak and then died.
Then today I went to work, then I went to the beach with a couple of friends, and I got a call from the college prep school telling me that they want to try to counter the Duluth offer if I haven't signed any contract yet or anything. I haven't. They gave me a new offer which is still less money and the benefits package isn't as sweet, but I would be doing what I like, at a place I could have some ownership in (own room, teacher-governed school), I would have small classes, and when I go there I leave feeling inspired and not like total shit.
So now I have to make this decision all over again. I talked to the principal at the middle school to see if she could give me any guarantees about what I would be teaching and where I would be teaching it. She made no promises. She said she would get back to me tomorrow. I told the charter school people I would get back to them tomorrow. Shit shit shit.
Now I'm going out to drink with some friends and then we are going to a play. Hopefully after my first margarita my mind will slow down and I will be able to think without wanting to cry.
The prep school wants you, the other school is jerking you around. If a friend told you this story, what advice would you give her?
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