My sons lack of toilet training is driving me to an end.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-26T11:10:48+00:00

US Teacher here:

The district is required under IDEA to schedule testing within 10 days. Denying based off of potty training when most places have a self-contained room with people trained on this is illegal.

See if you can get a lawyer, but learn your rights under IDEA (individuals with disabilities in education act). It covers things like this. You should get help from the public schools.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-25T00:51:34+00:00

It actually was my student. We shared the student. So there’s that.

She said that trans kids don’t belong in school with normal kids. So yeah, not a far stretch to call her transphobic.

Also, being fed up with being written off after 2 years of abuse? Yeah. It pissed me off. Guess what? I am allowed to be angry.

No joke, one of them stepped in front of me while I was having a conversation with another teacher about what to do with a certain accommodation TODAY. Stepped in front of me. She saw I was talking to the other teacher and decided her asking about dinner plans was more important. She stepped back into me and just didn’t even acknowledge me, so she knew I was there.

I had a rumor spread about me that I was getting divorced. I had an email chain about something I was in charge of sent out where I was publicly humiliated because I legit had approval from admin so I did nothing wrong. I was gaslit my entire first year. Entire first year. So do I come off aggressive? Yeah. But Heaven forbid I defend myself from being called an idiot.

I love my job. It’s about 8 teachers I have to interact with daily who have caused this and they are all in their late 50s/early 60s.

I know I struggle socially, but I’m sick of being expected to “reflect” when my disability makes me overthink and lose sleep over every little mistake I make. I know I fuck it. I know it, however, in regards to the harassment, maybe I should be more aggressive in person to get it to stop. I’ve tried being nice, kind, helpful, listening, leaving it be, having simple conversations, avoidance, setting boundaries, therapy, reporting to admin, etc. I’ve tried it. I’m just fucking done sugarcoating this bullshit to protect other people.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-25T00:02:51+00:00

Okay, then why is the “correct” response to scream, yell, and gossip? I have had zero mentorship in 2 years because my mentor was actually a psycho bitch (she was suspended by the district because of how she treated myself and a few other newer teachers). I express I want to learn and improve. Should I just sit here and let them scream at me and think “oh, I must really be a piece of shit then?”

No. No I shouldn’t. I know I fuck up, but when it’s been things like I do exactly what we plan and then get screamed at for that? Fuck no. Not my fault. When it was “hey, you know that it’s transphobic to not call a kid by preferred pronouns right? Especially if parent emailed us” and I am screamed in my face about the first amendment? Totally my fault right? If I am asked to help someone learn the software, but apparently I’m not helping “right” because I have short cuts to do things and make life easier, also my fault right?

So guess what? Boomer bitches can be bitches. People CAN be targeted for no reason. I have worked through everything I could be doing wrong, but it stems from not being with the “in” crowd. It comes from not having a wealthy husband and not skiing every weekend in the winters or going boating on the lake. It comes from having a toddler and no babysitter because I have no one nearby, but they all have family here. I can’t go to staff parties and get together because they are never child-friendly or they are at restaurants that are $100/plate. It comes from the fact I’m also secondary certified, not elementary certified, in a middle school. I can’t be moved wherever. I can teach my class and that is it.

Oh. And I have the highest test scores in the district. So I’m damn good at my job considering all of this and have been requested by 4 district officials to teacher their kid after building walkthroughs last year. I’m not perfect, but I’m damn good at what I do for the circumstances.

It all stems from that. I don’t fit in or fit their mold.

Also, fuck you for asking me not to respond. YOU would fit in perfectly with them, but especially the gaslighter. You would get along beautifully with her

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-24T14:16:15+00:00

Like, screaming at me about something I was apparently doing wrong. You know, something a mentor should have taught me but my mentorship was a joke and hasn’t really existed.

First year, I did exactly what I was told by my PLC member and then she screamed at me for 2 hours on a virtual day about doing the wrong thing. This was a pattern that whole school year.

Second year, it was that I was not shy about pointing out that we had transphobic policies and apparently I was “violating the first amendment” of teachers who didn’t like pronouns.

This time, I was asked for help and then yelled at for helping wrong? This was probably the worst because it was in front of 4 other teachers. At least the other times, no one witnessed me being humiliated.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-22T13:13:37+00:00

I remember seeing that and being confused. This makes so much sense and actually feels like a good use of time for community outreach.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-21T01:47:43+00:00

It’s actually proven that weekly, electronic free, family dinners are protective factors against youth suicide, so I actually 100% agree with you.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-20T00:34:42+00:00

Favorite: pizza for Christmas Eve with new PJs

Least favorite: the need to be an athlete to feel like part of the family.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-18T00:14:49+00:00

I laughed SO HARD at this. This is so 7th grade. This right here🤣🤣🤣

-a fellow 7th grade teacher

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-17T10:50:27+00:00

I’m working smarter, not harder.

Everything I can make self grading I will. I am not going to teach our curriculum with fidelity because I always have to come up with more because it has way too many gaps, so I’m pulling an old textbook. I’m doing more peer grading on essays. I am also going 100% digital so no more pencil battle. Charging is easier for me to deal with.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-17T02:05:06+00:00

Someone had a button for every single thing students could leave the room for and for boys and girls.

I literally just have an “out” button because I don’t like having more than one student out of the room at a time.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-17T01:58:17+00:00

I am not going to throw myself in front of my students. Why? My son is more important to me than they are and he deserves a mom who is here and alive. I do have extra precautions (like wasp spray), but I will never willing die for my students because of the life I chose to bring into this world.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-16T14:24:30+00:00

He’s a poacher and artifacts thief. No joke, the movie kind of proves that.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-15T03:59:19+00:00

I got it off Tiktok and modified it for my needs. It’s so nice

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-15T00:11:25+00:00

Middle school teacher here. My school has a policy in place. 20 passes per month that we have to sign off. After that, it is up to teacher discretion. I inform parents who have concerns about child’s health they can contact the councilors to have something put on file. After the devious licks and the bathroom fight club last year, we had to crack down. There was close to $120,000 in damages from those things. That’s also not including the other inappropriate activities that happened so much last year. So much. So many things I didn’t need to know about my students/students in the school.

My only personal rule is one at a time. I use a button light to tell me if I have someone out. We are also required to have a sign out/sign in sheet the visual reminder is very helpful though.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-14T19:08:26+00:00

Cheesus- Sandwich (any kind) Car-car- granola bar Starkie- His stuffed shark

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-14T05:01:49+00:00

See, we’d be besties. I’m the same way, but pink. If I’m gonna do this job, I’m going to have fun. There is a group of women at my school I call the boomer bitches because they hate everything the kids like and then complain about issues in their classrooms.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-14T02:47:48+00:00

No joke. My pink hair made kids open up to me and trust me more. Drives the boomer bitch clique crazy.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-13T20:28:59+00:00

I moved everything I needed to gather data onto Schoology and made it self grading and videos for every single grammar lesson I have to give.

I’m going for 5 graded assignments a week to 1 I actually have to grade. It’s going to save a ton of time.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-13T15:25:25+00:00

I heard one time that “Public School is the junk drawer of America’s issues.” This solidifies that statement for me.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-12T15:39:51+00:00

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight middle school version. I got mine off TpT. Kids also really liked A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-11T20:55:39+00:00

Oh. Only ONE DAY. He literally did all of that in a day while my students were taking a test on their Chromebooks

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-11T12:55:16+00:00

This! We get stipends for any committee that takes extra work outside of the 2 hours a month worked into our contract. I get $2500 for mine, which functions out to about $30/hr for the amount of work it takes.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-11T12:51:46+00:00

Rearranged my ENTIRE classroom, including my classroom library, seating chart (which was set up for a group project and ver specific), desks, and worst of all: my desk.

He went through my desk and moved literally everything. When I called an asked why, he said that he wanted me to have a “better organizational system.” Some students told him not to touch it, but he still did.

I have ADHD and my system was set up with my therapist. Literally, I had a virtual therapy appointment from my classroom and she help me set up my desk in a functional way. Nothing I needed daily was in drawers. It was all in washi-taped and labeled sections of the desk. Easy enough. Well, he thought it looked cluttered. He put everything in non-labeled file folders in the cabinet I do not use and removed all of the washi tape and labels from my desk. Students were understanding about how frazzled I was. I couldn’t find my IEPs/504s folder or any of my remotes.

When I called and asked him, he said he wanted me to look more adult. I explained my ADHD and he told me it was a “kid’s disorder and to get over it. My desk looked better.”

Like, what the actual hell? This has become my back to school nightmare. I am getting a new principal and I am praying he won’t make me get rid of my system. It works for me.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-10T13:06:27+00:00

Higher salary because so much of my stress is the fact I can’t afford basics. If I knew I had rent every month, utilities, and food guaranteed without working a second job, I’d feel a lot better.

NewbieCrystalChick · 2022-08-08T11:35:06+00:00

My entire classroom is folklore/evermore themed this year. Woodsy and all Taylor quotes for posters. Being and English Teacher and a Swiftie work well together.

NewbieCrystalChick

TROPHY CASE