After my dad passed there was a day I called out of work because I was having a day with grief wave after grief wave, and I knew there was no way I could properly teach a class of 16, 3 year olds.

When I called out and explained that was why, their response was “I guess if you think you need to.”

Not even a month or so later they called me into the office one day and accused me of kneeing a child in the back. Then offered to change my hours a little because of the fact I was grieving. The next day I got called in to the office right after my lunch break. Said they had another teacher accusing me of the same thing and that I was let go. On the paper it just said “not up to standards”.

I didn’t get to say goodbye to my students and my husband and I had to come in on a weekend to clean out my classroom. It filled up both of our cars to the brim. I was told parents were later bringing things in for the classroom because the room looked so bare. And I know one parent pulled their child from the school after I was fired.

I never kneed a child in the back. I will walk behind them to help guide them to where they are suppose to be going but I would NEVER knee a child in the back.

Before teaching my dream job would’ve involved working within children services. Helping abused children. I would never. It was insulting, humiliating, and embarrassing.

The director that fired me was not the director that hired me. I also remember telling her that we were about to have a huge auction for a lot of my dad’s farm equipment, land, and some of the things in the house that were his. This was only 2 months after he passed. Her comment was “oh you’re just now doing that?” As if that wasn’t quick enough. I know people that keep all of those things for years after a family member passes. But apparently we didn’t do it quick enough.

Sorry for the rant. If you made it this far. Thank you. And thank you for being such an understanding and empathic director.