Who Has Your Back?

Last week was hell. I'm not even sure I have the energy to try to make it funny. It wasn't. I have cried lots this past week. I was out for the first time last Friday, and left plans for a sub, as always. It's always a bit nerve-wracking being out for the first time; you wonder how your students will act. Generally my group of kids has really settled down and has shown me that they can work pretty well. I wasn't really concerned that the sub would have a bad day. I left some good activities for the sub to do with my kids that were also activities that I didn't really have to correct later, except for the math test. So I felt fairly confident that things would go well. I was bummed that I wasn't able to get my favorite sub, though. I was also concerned about John, who is my Autistic boy. He is a nice boy, but he talks very loudly constantly, and he won't do the work that eveyone else does, even if I stand at his side. And on Fridays he isn't pulled out for anything, so he'd be in the class all day long. I didn't want the sub to feel that she needed to stay at his side, trying to get him to work, when the rest of the class might get off task if she wasn't careful. I also didn't know if John would create a scene if a sub, someone John didn't know, was to push him too hard to do the work. You never know who you are going to get for a sub or what their experience is...It's a crap shoot. So I left a very brief description about John in my plans, stating that he is Autistic but won't participate much. I went on to explain that he will read quitetly and can look at magazines. I also asked her to not let him play with his erasers or to make trains with his markers (two of his favorite activities). I then went on to leave plans for the rest of the day. On Monday I get into my room, and looked at the plans and notes that were there from the sub. Basically she had left anecdotal notes on my plans, which is fine. For every activity, she wrote down what John did. I thought that was interestingly odd, but fine. I got the impression that she really felt it necessary to let me know what he did. Great. I didn't think much more of it. Then later Mr. Principal sends me an email, asking me if I could stop by to discuss a concern that had been shared with him. Mr. Principal loves to do this; he never gives any indication what it is about or who had the concern. But during my planning at the end of the day, I stopped by. Unfortunately, he had someone in his office already, so after waiting about five minutes, I left. It was my planning time. After school we had an optional Professional Development one-hour session. We get paid if we go, so I went. Towards the end, Mr. Principal asked if I could come into his office to discuss "the concern." I said sure, and went into his office. I immediately asked, "So, who made a complaint?" My students are happy, this I know, and I was really not sure what this would be about. Turns out the Substitute Teacher had shared with him my brief statement in my plans regarding John. She apparently was a retired special ed teacher, and mother of a special needs kid. She felt my brief statement implied that I had already given up on John, and it had only been a month of school. I was floored. I was floored at the thought of this brazen sub who didn't even know a damn thing about me bringing this to my principal. And I was further floored that Mr. Principal, instead of showing that he supported me, called me in for a talking to. Like a naughty child. I even questioned his motives, basically asking him if he really believed that I had given up on a kid. He assured me that no, he most definitley didn't think that, and why would I even think so (Ummmm...Maybe because you called me into here?). Anyway, he just suggested I write a statement about John giving it a more positive, proactive spin (I am not at all suggesting my statement was a good one...), and also make sure to point out other potential problem kids. OK, I can do that. I left still miffed, but it wasn't too bad. Until the next day. About 8:30 that morning I get an email from Mr. Principal, following up on our "conversation." He said that he expected me to get right on to creating that statement about different students in my room for a sub, especially putting a positive spin on John. He wrote very formally and it sounded as if he copied and pasted from some education tome. He said he wanted it by Thursday for his "review." Geesh. I replied that I'd get right on it, and as I was sure he didn't intend me to feel singled out, I'd look forward to him making the same request to the whole staff. He has not. So I forwarded the email to our union president, expressing my incredible displeasure at this sub and at Mr. Principal. She got back to me agreeing it was bad, and should not have happened. She was mad also at the sub; substitute teachers are part of our bargaining group, and the contract protects them as well. Also, she felt Mr. Principal should have taken my side and not the side of someone he didn't know in the least. She came out to my class on Friday and we talked. She also went over John's Individual Education Program, looking for areas that my brief note seemed to support. She found them. She met with Mr. Principal after meeting with me. So far, I have no idea what transpired. I don't like Mr. Principal.