Tomorrow is the meet and greet night for my school. My coworkers rooms are all set up, organized, beautifully decorated, and they have these cute scavenger hunts for the kids to do with little treats as prizes at the end.
Over the summer my room was changed. They literally (yes, literally) put up a wall in the hallway and are considering that my classroom. You can almost touch both walls with your hands stretched out. It's so small that there's no room for computers, shelves, my full rug, or a teacher's desk. In order to fit the 25 students into the room I have to put 7 kids at tables made for 3. Instead of decorating today I spent the day staring at my room trying to figure out how the fuck they're going to make it work.
But even if I could set it up, I have nothing to set it up with! Since I won't be returning I took everything home that was mine. That has left my classroom with approximately zero things. There are some books and a few math manipulatives and that's it. Every puzzle, every letter magnet, every whiteboard- all mine. My sub doesn't come in until Monday, so she's not there to get it set up with her things. If she has any yet.
These poor fucking kids are going to come in so excited to see their room, meet their teacher, etc. They're going to see the other K classrooms all nice and set up, and then see theirs. Basically empty. Tiny. With a very pregnant lady that won't be their teacher on the first day anyway. No cute scavenger hunt, because there's nothing in the room to find. And I have no idea how to handle the many complaints and questions I'm sure to get about the size of the room. I have no answers for them because I have no idea how it's going to work either. Fuck.
Post by vanillacourage on Aug 6, 2014 22:30:26 GMT -5
That totally sucks. As the mom of a kid who started K last year, I would have totally freaked out, I won't lie to you.
I would be prepared to (brightly!) refer any questions about the room or it's set-up to your principal. Like, have their number memorized and be able to write it on a post-it to give to parents that night.
ETA - if I were a betting woman I'd say that when you go on leave and then quit, they won't hire a FT teacher. They'll absorb the kids into the other classes. Putting up the wall In the hallway (?!!) is just a fake-it-till-you-make-it effort to get past your leave.
Can you throw anything together at the last minute? Crayons? Play dough? Dress up photo booth? Snacks? Anything?
The thing that sucks the most is that they have us at an all day PD completely across town until an hour before the meet and greet starts. So we'll be walking in with the parents.
Damn. What does the principal have to say about it? Will he/she be there? If this were my kid I think I would cry.
Think? I'd cry for sure. Then I'd be on the phone with thr principal and superintendent the next day. This is the special charter experience? Fuck that noise.
Post by flamingeaux on Aug 6, 2014 22:32:32 GMT -5
I would put the blame where it belongs. Tell the parents it was an administrative decision to build the room like that. If they ask about the supplies, say you wanted the sub to be able to create the environment, since she'll be leading the classroom, for the first several weeks, and will gradually transition when you come back from maternity leave.
That totally sucks. As the mom of a kid who started K last year, I would have totally freaked out, I won't lie to you.
I would be prepared to (brightly!) refer any questions about the room or it's set-up to your principal. Like, have their number memorized and be able to write it on a post-it to give to parents that night.
At this point my only plan is to answer everything with "That's a great question for my principal"
Post by whattheheck on Aug 6, 2014 22:33:49 GMT -5
Have paper and pens available and when the parents complain/ask questions, tell them you understand their concerns and ask them to write them down so you can forward them to the principal.
Have paper and pens available and when the parents complain/ask questions, tell them you understand their concerns and ask them to write them down so you can forward them to the principal.
Can you throw anything together at the last minute? Crayons? Play dough? Dress up photo booth? Snacks? Anything?
The thing that sucks the most is that they have us at an all day PD completely across town until an hour before the meet and greet starts. So we'll be walking in with the parents.Â
It's a clusterfuck all over.Â
How long have you known about this? Can you talk to your p about skipping pd to prepare?
I'm getting all verklempt. I'd want the principal's head on a pike. Were I one of the parents I might refuse to leave until s/he came in to discuss THAT NIGHT. Be prepared to haul his or her ass in there
The thing that sucks the most is that they have us at an all day PD completely across town until an hour before the meet and greet starts. So we'll be walking in with the parents.
It's a clusterfuck all over.
How long have you known about this? Can you talk to your p about skipping pd to prepare?
I just saw the room for the first time this week when I stopped by. There's no way to miss this PD- it's mandatory.
Yeah, not room for a teacher's desk, and 7 kids at a table meant for 3? No way is that safe in the slightest. Please, go over your principal's head & turn that shit in NOW.
I am so angry for you! As a fellow kindergarten teacher with a giant room (that I still can't find space for everything in), I can't imagine welcoming kids and families into a room that is completely insufficient. I would talk with your union rep and make sure all complaints are forwarded onto administration. This sounds completely unacceptable. Good luck!
I'm not even kidding though, you should report it. If there's not enough space, it's not okay. And if they just "put a wall up" the fire department may not even be aware. They will take complaints like that very seriously, as they should in this situation.
Surely the other teachers agree with you? Was there really no better solution for the school? Sharing rooms during specials/recess/lunch? My mom had to do that in a Title 1 school and it was hectic but it wasn't violating any codes.
The other teachers were calling/messaging me about it when they saw it to prepare me. Everyone is scratching their heads trying to figure out wtf they were thinking. In fact, the custodian (who I love) pulled aside one of the other teachers and asked her to make sure I knew he had nothing to do with it!
And yes, they just threw up a wall with a door.
OH! and the real kicker? The new grades each have 2 rooms. TWO! and they're both bigger than mine!
Have paper and pens available and when the parents complain/ask questions, tell them you understand their concerns and ask them to write them down so you can forward them to the principal.
This is a great idea, and I would make no secret about my plans to do so. I'd also be tempted to call the fire marshall and ask for a building inspection. Then I'd print out my class roster and superglue it to the wall so there would be no question about how many kids were supposed to be in that "room."
Your whole situation makes me so angry, but this is beyond the pale. It's one thing to fuck over teachers, but something else entirely to do it to kids. Kindergarteners! Hell, at this point I'd be printing out cards for each parent with the principal's name, direct phone number, and e-mail address so they could complain in the most efficient ways possible.
Without a union (I know you're at a charter) the best way to get this shit shut down is to mobilize the parents. It's reprehensible that you're being put in this position, but they've backed you into a real corner here and you need to stand up for these poor little kids who have no idea what kind of shitshow they're walking into thanks to the idiocy of your administrators.
I know you're 39 weeks and you have enough going on right now for an army of people, but if you can, please update us on this. I will worry about those kids.
My girl starts kindergarten next year so I know I'm getting way too invested here, but I'm worried about them too. I'm seriously getting teary thinking about how L would react.
You're 39w. I think you're getting some wicked Braxton Hicks.
Lol. I toyed with this idea earlier. I'm just nervous about not going and not having anyone there to meet the kids : (
Although then my principal would have to stand in my room and explain it. Hmmmm....
No, I think you should go to the event, just skip the PD beforehand so you have time to be prepped and ready when parents roll in. Having no teacher there in combination with the state of the room would make a bad situation worse.