Meetings

Actually, I woke at 1:30, and haven't been able to fall back asleep. This is how it has been this year, and it's only been a month of school. I just do not see how I'm going to last, and I worry that I won't be able to move on somewhere else next year. After all, who do I ask for a reference letter? Why Mr. Principal and Ms. Education Assisstant! And for some reason, I have fallen out of their favor.

Not for "some reason," I guess. I do know the reason. I am the building's union rep. I take that position seriously. I have a strong sense of fairness,and when I came to my current district from my former district, and saw many bad things happening with teacher rights and responsibilities, I became involved in the union. I was never a strong union supporter in my former district; I really didn't pay too much attention to it. But here? I have.

Therefore, when teachers bring up issues to me, I bring it up to Mr. Principal. He won't listen to me unless I have the contract to back me up. But when I do, I will stay with it! And so, even though I helped our school get its highest science scores ever, and even though I took the split with hardly the blink of an eye, I have fallen out of favor. Plus, being a split, I don't really "plan with" the fourth or the fifth; I'm kind of in a spot to myself, which is a place I've never liked being. I like planning with others. And my former teammate was so driven and would spend her free time creating wonderful assessments. I miss that.

So, according to contract, a principal can have no more than two meetings a week, and no more than 8 a month. And our Mr. Principal is living this to the fullest! He has us coming to meetings Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Most months have 6-8 meetings scheduled; if any months have less, it's because he couldn't cram in any more around vacations or weeks before conferences when he can't have meetings...The majority of the meetings are a waste of time. The meetings have different labels, but they all are us having to listen to him. And listen. And listen.

Then the other week, Ms. Education Assistant who dreams of being a principal but is still at a teacher status and is also one of my union members, sent out an email with a calendar attached. He email asked for teams to add to the calendar when they will be meeting weekly.

Whoa! If we are being asked to place regular meetings on a calendar, then that adds to whatever meetings Mr. Principal has all ready scheduled. If he has 7 meetings scheduled all ready for that month, and you expect us to meet weekly with our team, than that puts us way over the 8 meetings per month. Can't you see that? If it has to go on a calendar, that makes it official, and it is a meeting.

No, Ms. Education Assistant couldn't see that. In fact, in her reply to me, she went "grrrr..." at the end of the email. She growled at me! God. And I liked her, too. How could she do something so disrespectful? She eventually sort of apologized, but you know, she wouldn't growl at my former teammate. She is only growling at me because, as the union rep, I'm the one speaking up for all!

I am not against teaming and planning together. That's how I want to teach. But Mr. Principal has us doing so many useless things that any planning has to be on the fly. I would be much happier if Mr. Principal had ony one meeting a week, and let us have one meeting a week to get with our team.

I'm just so frustrated that I haven't been sleeping well.