HomeTeacher by day, Mommy by night
Teacher by day, Mommy by night
Juggling the demands (and insanity) of being a high school teacher, a wife, and a mother to a toddler
Member Since: October 28, 2007 Last Signed In: November 16, 2008 Blog Views: 3243 Send To A Friend Sign Guestbook Add as a Friend
There's Something to Those Old Wives' Tales
The List versus Reality In 24 hours... One Year Later Feeling Stuck It's been entirely too long You ain't lying! Making the world a better place Taking Time September: the month that would not die October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 
RSS 2.0    |
|
|
Do we ever grow up?
Today was my first day back at work. Students aren't on campus yet, so we get to spend the next four fun-filled days in back-to-back meetings. Some of these meetings are important, for example, we met our new principal, who seems great, and it was good to know what his goals, attitudes, and expectations are.
Over the past seven years I've taught I've had five, now six, different principals. There are people who think this is a very big deal, but to be quite honest, in a high school setting, it's really not that big of an issue. Elementary teachers may have a different experience because the school is so much smaller, but at a high school the principal tends to serve as a facilitator, and the school can manage without him or her at the helm. Now, I've only worked at two schools, but this has been my experience. It's always a little dicey for the first couple weeks, sometimes months, with a new leader. Are you going to chafe at his or her leadership style? Is he going to listen to? What kind of baggage does he bring with him? Well, my principal earned my instant admiration today. We started with a three-hour meeting on nuts-and-bolts issues this morning. Yes, not everything was totally fascinating (I know how to take attendance, for Pete's sake), and the lunch-table benches got a little painful after a while. But most of us sat quietly and listened to person after person who was trotted out in front of us to tell us yet another thing we had to know (like I'm going to remember any of it tomorrow.) Most of us sat quietly. Most. There was a contingent in the back who insisted on talking pretty much the whole time. I don't mean a quiet comment once and awhile to your partner; I mean full-on, off-topic conversations. My new principal took the microphone and said to the back table: "I'm serious about honoring your time here. Please be serious about honoring our agenda. Stop talking." It was amazing. I have never had a boss be that direct. His actions might sound rude, but they were really appropriate at the time. It is amazing to me that the very same people who do not tolerate any kind of off-task or rude behavior in their classrooms are the very same people who perpetrate it in meetings. It's so rude and it has driven me crazy for the past seven years. I'm sure it will still drive me crazy in the future, but it was so refreshing to have a boss assert himself. My students come into my classroom with an idea of how "grownups" should act. And I feel bad for them sometimes when they realize that some adults behave as badly, if not worse, than their teenage students. I'd like to think I've grown up in the past 11 years since I graduated high school, but I'm not sure how much that is true. Sure, I don't talk during meetings, but I'll admit to stomping my feet a couple times when I don't get my way. Hey, maybe being "grown-up" is overrated. 3 comments from 3 users
1
posted by
creatress
on Aug 19, 2008 at 08:04 PM
posted by
AmandaS
on Aug 19, 2008 at 09:46 PM
I am totally going to steal that line. That is fantastic. Your principal rocks. ;-)
posted by
hmoeckli
on Aug 20, 2008 at 07:56 AM
He really does. And the best part is that he has a very comfortable, easy way about him. His comment was totally appropriate and most people, except for the back table who did some air sucking and chest puffing, seemed to really respect his approach. He makes me happy. :)
1
|
OMG I think those back table talkers are the same parents who attend school meetings and then socialize the whole time. I want to yell at them "Some of us are here to HEAR, take it to a Starbucks ya chatty Cathy!" Bugs the crud out of me, so I can sympathize.
I would be dead in those meetings. Eyes rolled into my head and twitching on the ground. Sounds like a nightmare. I'm glad your principal is trying to step in and give some direction.
Strangely enough I was just talking about principals today with my son. Ooooo, must have been feeling your vibe. I'm sorry they torture you before school even starts.