Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Next Year?

So, on Friday, I have a meeting and I'm rather excited.

I'm trying to figure out what I want to do for next year. Do I stay? Do I leave? What subject? What grade level? What would make me the happiest? I know something's gotta change.

Pros
-- My principal and vice principal are very supportive of me.
--The assistant principal frequently pops into the room to check up on frequent fliers. He is very proactive when it comes to discipline and tries to prevent situations. He also has impeccable timing and often steps into my door as I'm thinking about calling him.
--The AAs are awesome-- both help everyone with curriculum, unwrapping standards, and put together vast binders of ready to use, standard oriented activities, notes and homework. I love speaking with and collaborating with both of them. They get me. Which is great.
-- I have a reputation. Kids that I don't even know.... know me. I feel like a celebrity because I am known by the community. Parents know me, sisters and brothers know me, cousins know me. My expectations are already set. Being part of a community makes me feel like I have a family.
-- I have grown attached to a good chunk of the kids, especially the ones from last year. Even the ones who drove me nuts. I desperately want to make sure they stay on a Good Path. And not, you know, the jail/pregnancy one.

Cons
-- Our district is in a great amount of debt.
-- We may experience salary freeze.
-- We may experiencing a "tightening" of staff. IE: less teachers, larger class sizes. And less pay.
-- The commute is too damn long, and gas prices are projected to hit $4.00 by summer after which they will probably keep rising.
-- AZ as a state has no idea what to do with ELL learners. They've stupidly made bi-lingual education illegal, and now they have mandated that ELD kids be grouped according to their level of English. Which is absurd. (Don't get me started). The big question is this: since WHEN is separate equal? I thought we did away with that via brown vs. education....Which leads to....
-- I am terrified of getting the ELD cluster again. The kids are so damn apathetic and I can't handle it two years in a row. I love teaching low kids, but DAMN it, give me low kids that have at least an OUNCE of giving-a-damn.
-- I am beginning to burn out. I need to focus on one thing that I love. But in this district, I don't know if that's a possibility with the wacky scheduling.
-- In this district, we are not guarenteed a prep.
-- We are not paid extra money for when kids are split OR if we have to sub... which leads to....
-- Our school never has substitutes. Which meant for the longest time that special areas teachers had to be subs. Which stinks for everyone and creates a LOT of resentment leading to....
-- Teacher retention and morale is low. --> Huge melancholic raincloud.
-- Teachers don't collaborate, share, or help each other.


So.... what am I going to do?

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