Retire or Go To Jail
I started
working full time when my middle child and only daughter, Jordyn, went to
college. I had pretty much been a full time housewife and mom until then,
working when and where I wanted to if I wanted to.
When I
first started teaching I was fortunate to get the 2nd grade GT (Gifted/Talented)
class. It was like being in heaven!
I taught
second grade (not GT the whole time though) from the beginning until the
2000-2001 school year when I was moved to 5th grade. That was an administrative
decision made without consulting me.
I absolutely
hated teaching 5th grade! I couldn’t get used to the bad attitudes and
disrespect of preadolescence 5th graders. I especially missed the parental support
that the parents of the younger kids had provided.
Needless
to say, I retired from teaching in May of 2002. I couldn’t take it anymore. I HAD to get out before I ended up in
trouble or in jail from dealing with sassy disrespectful 5th graders. I
realized I didn’t have the temperament or the inclination to deal with mouthy preadolescent kids.
Teaching
5th grade was so disheartening and stressful I gave notice of my retirement a
year in advance.
Then God
moved in and took the reins. Administration moved me back to 2nd grade, one of
my favorite age groups for my last year. It was even the GT class … again. It
was like being in hog-heaven is all I can say about it!
BUT, I had to go. I couldn’t hang around and
let administration move me to the older kids again. I certainly didn’t want to end
up in jail or in the National Spotlight News!
I learned
from my daddy, “If you fool me once, shame on YOU! BUT, if you fool me twice .
. . shame on ME”! I wasn’t about to let that happen!
Briefly,
that’s why I retired from a profession I am so passionately in love with
. . .
teaching.
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My wife was a substitute teacher for several school districts. She never knew when they would call or what grade it would be. It could have been kindergarten all the way up to 12th grade. Every once in a while she would get a class that she liked and wanted to be there, like music. She plays the piano and guitar so she knew her way around a music class.
ReplyDeleteMikem Thank you for visiting, and especially for taking the time to leave this great comment. I appreciate that so much.
DeleteGrade 5 is still not that old but I believe you they are not innocent polite little kids anymore.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Christine. They are not innocent polite little kids anymore, they're rude and sassy little characters by 5th grade. I appreciate this nice comment. I like how you said that. Thank you.
DeleteI hadn’t known you were a teacher. I did secondary school.
ReplyDeleteYes AC, I loved teaching until it became impossible for me to adjust to the changing times...disrespectful rude kids, lack of parental support, administrative stuff, and on and on.
DeleteI appreciate what you said. This comment made me smile. Thank you.
I can empathize totally. Even as I got my teacher's certificate, I knew I didn't have the temperament to teach. Too much patience required. I've done some volunteer work tutoring kindergartners on reading and even they require a ton of patience. Some of them anyway.
ReplyDeleteYes Dave, teaching changed so much it became impossible to feel as if I could make a difference in the children's lives. Thank you for stopping by and for taking time to leave this great comment. I appreciate that so much.
DeleteYou did the right thing. Teaching could be hell, and no teacher deserves that.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting and reading here. I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. I am thankful for your support and for the really lovely comment.
Delete**Thank you ALL so much for visiting. I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. I am thankful for your support and for the lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteWishing EVERYONE a wonderful and Blessed Sunday!
I taught kindergarten and then 1st grade which I loved! I’m afraid I don’t have the temperament for teaching the older grades. I give those teachers a lot of credit. Then again, I’ve never taught the upper grades so I’m not speaking from experience.
ReplyDeleteKay, Thank you for visiting, and especially for taking the time to leave this great comment. I appreciate that so much.
Deletei was a first grade teacher then an elementary school librarian but couldn't handle the 6th graders! I got remarried and retired!
ReplyDeleteLin,Thank you for the lovely comment. Your words brought a smile to my face. I appreciate your visit and your comment.
DeleteI have a teaching degree, but became a stay-at-home mom. As they got older I became a substitute teacher at their elementary school. I enjoyed working in the upper grades more than the lower ones.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice comment. It’s a real smile-maker, thank you. I also thank you for taking time to visit and comment here. I appreciate that a lot.
Delete**Thank you ALL so much for visiting. I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. I am thankful for your support and for the lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteWishing EVERYONE a wonderful week!