The Vice Principal at the school I was working at was the past band director, and is in his first year as an administrator (all the while, I am in my first year of teaching). He had a VERY difficult time letting go and letting me make my own decisions on how to teach. I thought I was doing a very good job, and I was learning a lot (I will be the first to admit that I make mistakes...AND I AM a first year teacher after all...)! I was getting big time results from the students and had received compliments from other educators and administrators that I was doing a fabulous job with the students and that the groups sounded better than they ever had before! Then I got called into the office for three days and told that I was a horrible teacher, had no curriculum and was going to have an incident report placed in my file. Luckily I had the weekend to review the report. It was very poorly written. Terrible grammar, VERY generalized...no specific complaints. In fact, he used, word for word almost, my GLOWING fall evaluation and just spun the words around so that it would sound negative. I had no opportunity to defend myself or ask him to come in and watch me teach. I simply had to sign it and accept that I would be 'micromanaged' for the rest of the year. I don't think my blood pressure has been so high since Mr. Kenyon's class in high school. I didn't eat for a week, I couldn't sleep. My health was suffering, and Sam was suffering, too.
Since I had the weekend to mull over this "report," I called several mentors and fellow to teachers to discuss my options. My middle school band director asked me to describe how I ran my class, what music we were playing, and the situation in the office with the VP. She told me I was being bullied and harassed, that my teaching methods were right on, and I should get out as soon as possible so that the "report" would not hurt my career in the future. Then I met with our student teaching supervisor and his wife (he is the past president of MENC and she is a principal), and they said to get out on MONDAY. Sam and I talked a lot with each other, with these mentors, and with our parents. It was a very hard and big decision, but before I had to sign anything, I resigned first thing that Monday morning. I felt horrible for leaving the kids without saying goodbye or giving a reason. My phone rang off the hook for almost two days. But, my reputation as a teacher is intact, Sam and I are much healthier and happier, and there are a couple of possible...maybe...job prospects for the fall.
BIG life change! Unexpected, but so far, God has continued to provide for us in miraculous ways. And I am learning to be that dutiful housewife! ;-)
So, with now 45 days to go until Sam and I get married, we can focus on the more beautiful things in life, rather than on the stress that was unnecessary and unhealthy. I know that I am a good teacher, and that I have a lot of support, from other professionals, our families, from Sam, and from God.
Cheers to life!
