Reply By Kerry

I decided to reply back to all three of you.

First, thank you for responding. I was really upset when I wrote this post.

I did talk to the principal yesterday. She had asked me to see her at the end of the day, if I could, so we could talk. I was so mad all day long b/c I realized I had been tattled on unnecessarily and I was going to have to defend myself to a degree. I also didn't know what she was going to say. Thankfully she was very nice, very neutral, and just wanted to know what was going on. I was so humiliated.

I haven't gone to her on my own to talk w/ her simply b/c I try to avoid confrontation at all costs, and I really don't want her to think I am petty and silly, and honestly, although I would like to be friendly with my team, the way I was at my other school (they actually cried when I left) I knew from day one this was a very difficult team ... there's a reason no one wants to teach 2nd grade in my school.

Yes, it bothers me to know that I am not loved or even liked, not even a little bit ... I've never done anything to provoke this.

No, I don't join them for lunch except for the day we "have to." 1) they eat in a classroom and during lunch, it's the last place I want to be! If I am going to be in a classroom, it's going to be mine and it's going to be because I am working or de-stressing and enjoying the brief silence. Sometimes I call my husband while I eat and talk to him. It's nice to hear his voice. 2.) they complain, complain, complain, about kids or other teachers who hae somehow "wronged them," or they talk about things I just can't relate to ... raising their kids (most of them are my age or teenagers), taking care of their parents (I don't take care of my parents, they take care of themselves), talking about grandchildren, recipes for cooking, etc. I have tried to talk about things and they either completely ignore me or interrupt me to start talkin about other things. No thank you! 3.) they talk about school ... school ... school ... and it's stressful, stressful, stressful.

I feel like they are suddenly pissy at me this year for not being there every day ... but I have never been there every day!

It's upsetting to me that team decisions about curriculum, plans, assemblies, etc. are made and I am not informed of them unless I specifically ask if I missed anything AT LUNCH ... are they "punishing" me for not being there to hear about these decisions that are made during LUNCH?

As far as leaving ... I don't know that I will be offered tenure, but if I am ... sometimes it doesn't seem worth it to leave ... it could be just as bad or worse elsewhere ... and I don't want to be up for tenure again for 3 more years ... but when I think about the way things were at my first school as compared to this, I feel heartbroken and cheated.

Anyways ... thank you again for responding.