my experience with it

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Home : 2003 : October : 26

my experience with it
By Carolyn

Here's my experience with it. I taught fifth grade in an elementary school when I first began teaching. I was given a situation which described your situation exactly. I left the job at the end of October after "sticking
it out" to find out if the situation could have been better. I hated the criticism I had from the assistant principal, didn't like the lack of support, hated the disrespectful attitudes of the students, and intensely disliked the modular classroom that smelled of mildew and had roaches. My husband wasn't happy with the situation, but he came to accept that I wasn't in a very good situation.

I basically was on a hiatus until the end of December, when I was hired for a second semester job. I did some subbing in the district and worked in a department store as a temp that needed extra before-Christmas people. I had to get picked up by my husband's insurance, since I then had none.

What happened to me was that I was blackballed from ever working again in that district. I applied for other jobs in the district, but I was treated rudely by the principals in that district. One principal made me come all the way out to his school for an interview, then he told his secretary that he was too "sick" to meet with me. I drove 45 minutes to meet with him. Another principal kept interrupting her interview with me to go out into the office area to do God-knew-what. My feeling is that if you have an interview, the phones and everything else should be placed on hold unless there is something critical. One principal who interviewed me was very snotty towards me at the interview. She even pointed out to me that I quit at the other school. I decided to stop interviewing in that district. I was getting nowhere. I realized that they lost a good teacher by their stubbornness.

I went to a neighboring district. There were plenty of positions, but I think that the first district (next door) was passing on the bad word about me. I can't be sure of it, but I strongly suspected it afer investigating it. (Too long to go into here.)

I ended up going to a third district. They were nice and hired me.

I think that before you quit, you ought to weigh all possible consequences, including how other districts may think of you. I am thinking that another district might not want to hire you if you are currently under contract somewhere else. They might wonder about a teacher who quits without a month's notice. (That's a requirement in North Carolina--one month's notice to break a contract.) If you don't give enough notice, you could lose your license. This also happens in some states.

When I first came down here to North Carolina I taught in a middle school in Charlotte. I really hated the job. I think about it today, and I really believe it was a miracle that I survived the year. The kids were failing, because they weren't trying hard enough and lacked the serious attitudes that they needed. They and their parents were very rude and disrespectful towards me.

I think that the problem occurs when you are a new teacher. People, including your students, administrators, and parents, don't think you really know what you are doing. I encountered that problem. Once you are an established teacher, that doesn't occur as much. I am now in my fourth year of teaching at the school where I'm at now, and I feel as if I receive more respect than I did during my first year there.

Before you leave, weigh your own situation:

1. How does your family feel about your leaving?
2. If you don't get this other job, will you still leave?
3. Could you be trading the devil for the deep blue sea?
4. Have you informed this other district that you want to break a contract with your current district?