So last year my bff who worked in the classroom next to mine was fired. She taught math, I taught language arts, and we shared two classes. Same kids in both. In other words we worked closely together, compared data, had mutual parent conferences etc. This year they hired a new teacher; this was only her second year teaching. And since I knew I would have a bias against this person for not being my bff that I miss, I tried extra hard to be friendly to her and give her a chance.
Here is the story:
This bitch. Where do I even start?
The first time I met her, I felt that something was off about her. She didn't jive with my humor, seemed cold and fake, and didn't open up about herself at all. I can tell a fake bitch from 3 miles away, and the Fake was strong with this one. At first I tried to give her a chance, though. I thought she was just guarded, being new and all. But no. The answer was not that complex: she is just a bitch. I can say that confidently after ten months of interactions.
It started the first week before we even had students. She started demanding stupid and time wasting shit from me, like lists of my students, their phone numbers, their parents' names and stuff before the rosters were even finalized! This is info you can easily find online, by the way, no list needed whatsoever. And no, I'm not doing that on plan week anyway! It's pointless! Half those kids won't even end up in your class and you'll get some whole new set the first week. But she would request stuff like that and say, "I need it by the end of the day." Like I was her fucking employee! I decided quickly that her attitude was shit and working with her was gonna suck, but it was soon to get much worse.
Probably because (like an idiot trying to be friendly) I opened up about last year and how rough it was for me, she quickly decided that I was completely incompetent and proceeded to treat me like a joke all year long. She's a second year teacher and I've taught for 13 fucking years in some of the roughest schools in the county. I could not believe how smug and condescending she was to me. It left me speechless at times. She would give me "pointers" about methods I've used for years, stuff that has always worked for me in my classroom, and I'd just be like... okay? Thanks for the advice I didn't ask for, need, or want.
It's one thing to correct me in private, but then she started correcting my CLASS if they were with me but not living up to her ridiculous standards that I do not have them follow when they are in my room. I have decent classroom management, don't get me wrong, but I do let the kids be kids and have as much fun as they can. God knows school is boring enough these days! They get a 20 minute lunch and a 20 minute recess to socialize, while in the 90's we used to get at least 30 for lunch and an hour of recess. Let them have some goddamn fun! God knows this generation already sucks at socializing and, if anything, they need more practice! If they wanna make funny faces in line, who are they hurting? If they wanna hum while they're working and it doesn't bother anyone, fine. If they're not standing in a ruler-straight, single file line, we'll all live to see tomorrow! This isn't fucking prison. They aren't inmates. Just let a human be a fucking human okay?
Like, when it comes to classroom management, I just use a combination of tricks I've learned over the years, common sense and my own experience as a mom to manage the room. It works for me. Am I more laid back than other teachers? Sure, some of them. Am I the most laid back teacher ever? Definitely not. Does my style hurt anyone or hinder their learning? No. If there is a problem or a safety issue, I always address it. But if it's not hurting anyone and their learning or school experience is not negatively impacted by it, chances are I will let it slide. Why the hell not? I've always had a problem with school rules I did not understand, such as having to use a pen instead of a pencil or having to write our name and date in a certain format. Some teachers would get so ridiculous about that shit. I don't even have time to think about those little things, let alone regulate them! Who fucking cares?
This bitch.
She does.
There is a teacher etiquette that all of us just kind of understand, regardless of the school you teach at or how long you have taught. Some of that etiquette includes the following unspoken rules:
1. You do not correct a veteran teacher (teacher of ten+ years), even if you think their methods and teaching suck. You respect their status and ability to stay in this profession despite years of likely bullshit. You accept that they know more than you, and they probably know better too.
2. You do not correct another teacher's class if that teacher is supervising them at the time. It's rude. It says, "You're not doing your job the way I think you should, and I can do it better, so I'm going to despite the fact that you're standing right here." Even if their class is being wild, you simply move on and think, "Not my circus, not my animals." In other words, mind your own goddamn business. You have your own class to worry about.
3. You do not give advice unasked for. If they aren't asking, keep your opinions to yourself. If they want your help, they will ask.
4. We are all on the same boat that is rapidly sinking, and you therefore have respect and compassion for one another. If a teacher needs to vent, you don't contradict them or belittle them. Just let them vent. If they need to cry, you give them a listening ear and a tissue. You basically have common human decency. It's not that goddamn hard.
At some point this year, this bitch broke every single one of these unspoken taboos. In fact she has broken them multiple times, and each time I've had to fight to control myself and my anger. She has made me feel like a complete idiot. She really has the ability to make me think I suck as much as she thinks I suck! I can't name the number of times she has disrespected me and undermined me in front of our students.
But the absolute last motherfucking straw, the straw that broke me, was when I got sick and was hospitalized a few weeks ago.
I have some real sweetheart students this year, some who are very attached to me and worry if they even sense that I'm having a tough day. Some of them really need the stability of seeing a loving adult on a daily basis, and I've become that person for them. Because of that, I knew they would be worried when I missed work for more than one day with no explanation. I never miss work, and they notice the littlest things, like even being able to tell when I've had a rough morning! So I decided to make them a video to show them I was okay, recovering and would be coming back to school on May 4. I didn't say that I had pneumonia or sepsis or that I'd been close to death. I simply said I was sick and had needed some medical intervention, which was why I was in the hospital, but I was recovering quickly and couldn't wait to see them soon. That's all. It was just a couple minutes, short and sweet, to set their minds at ease and explain my lengthy absence without saying too much or scaring them.
I had to ask her to show it to our shared classes, because no one else has our students. She said she would. I went into the hospital on Friday, sent her the video on Monday, and on Thursday afternoon I was still getting messages from worried parents saying their kids were wondering if I was okay. I texted her and asked if she ever showed my video. Her response? "No, I thought it might scare them."
What?!?
I saw red. I flipped ALL the way the fuck out. My kids had been sitting there all week, worried and in the dark, and she wasn't even going to bother to TELL me that she never planned on showing my video. I told her, "Look, I know I have no makeup on in that video and look sick, but you could have at least played the audio for them. Will you at least do that?" She said she would, but I didn't believe her and sent out a message to all the parents about where I was and when I would return. THIS WAS THURSDAY!!!
I bawled my fucking eyes out that night. She knew. She fucking KNEW that I was worried about my students not knowing and spreading wild rumors, which they DID. They were all talking about me getting fired or dying from some disease! She just let that go on ALL week unchecked. The fucking bitch. Don't mess with my students or my own kids. Just fucking don't. Nothing will make me rage faster. She fucked with their heads and made a call that was NOT her call to make! But that's the thing; she thinks she knows better than I do, about EVERYTHING!! I'm shocked she hasn't started giving me parenting advice even though she has no kids of her own. It would be the sort of thing she would feel entitled to do.
She's 22, new to the teaching game and still treats me like I'm her subordinate or employee. I haven't said a word about this at work by the way. I try not to get into any drama and don't trust anyone enough not to snitch. I found out awhile ago they are breaking us up and moving me to a different room next year, and I am absolutely certain it's because she complained about me. Not that I'm sad about not working with her again, trust me, but it's just the audacity of her, you know? This uppity bitch.
That's all. I'm done. I've kept my mouth shut all year about this girl, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. lol