Kontan.

Where did the week go? On Tuesday I was distraught that it was ONLY Tuesday and it felt like Thursday. Next time I think about it we are facing Friday! My year long students started projects Wednesday. They work SO well with markers, colored pencils, and colored paper. It is a new method of teaching for me, and I almost like it. However, I fear that they are not absorbing the material. I hope so. The semester class is my own, and I use them to gauge my effectiveness. Their second test is tomorrow and I am hoping for good things. Progress report grades for all class were horrific. They can’t seem to understand the concept that incomplete work, absences, and a low test score is a recipe for failure. I must say, they are all about the group work and poster board.

It has been a really good week, but I am glad to see the weekend. Sometime within the next 90 days I will find out if I make the cut. Apparently schools are facing even great budget woes this year and the “best” way to save money is to cut teachers. Teacher’s do not make up even 50% of the work force in this district, so why should they be the one’s facing the largest cuts? There are admins making 6x more than I am. A recent news article stated that findings indicate a higher degree does not equate to a better classroom teacher. Yeah, a higher degree doesn’t equate to better school leadership either, but a higher degree in my field does give me a greater knowledge base in my subject and this can translate into the classroom. If I suck as a teacher before the higher degree I will likely not improve with it, but don’t use that degree classification as an excuse to add MA level teachers to the cut list. We all know it is b/c you have to pay them more and you want to cut out the MA grant money for teachers.

I understand that cuts have to be made. I also understand that I am low man on the totem. I certainly hope that I am actually evaluated before a decision is made and I also hope that it is an honest evaluation. As of right now I have never met the school principal, and my immediate supervisor speaks only in passing b/c it can’t be avoided. My colleagues are a different story. They have been extremely helpful and welcoming. They are also lobbying for me to stay.

It will be curious to see how this story plays out…