I've Been to Hell

And hopefully I'll make it back.

You know, after I auditioned for the music program at the U, I had this thought, "Ah crap!  I should have applied for the music education program.  I would have definitely gotten into that." 

And now I'm grateful I didn't.  Seriously.  Every day this week, it's been a new reason why I won't be teaching, especially at a Junior High.  Actually, it's the same reason every day:  Parents.  I have had the unfortunate displeasure of dealing with some of the world's most manipulative, vindictive, and stupid parents this week.  I've been told I'm incapable of speaking for myself.  I've been told I'm a bad teacher.  I've been told I have no control over a classroom environment.  I've been bullied as the parents try to get U's changed.  These parents have done their very best to try to destroy every shred of self-esteem I have.  They've tried to get me to quit.  They've tried to get me fired.

And to be perfectly honest, I was really close to quitting this week.  But then I decided I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of thinking they had successfully bullied me into quitting.

I only have 9 more days.  The boys got reamed out by the teacher and assistant principal on Wednesday.  And they got to write letters about what had been going on in the class.  My good students competely backed up everything I'd told the teacher and administration had been happening.  They named names and specific examples, including things they had overheard before school.  These little buttfaces had been geting together before class and discussing how they were going to belittle me in front of the rest of the class.  The planned what they were going to do to undermine my teaching.  I spent hours pouring over papers on classroom management and such trying to determine the best way to handle this class.  And clearly everything was doomed to fail because they were working hard to make it fail. 

And then they have the nerve to look at their parents and tell them they don't understand why they are getting a U.  And of course the parents believe them. 

So this week has been so absolutely awful.  I'm determined to make it through the last 9 days I have to teach relatively unscathed.  Everyone from the teacher, to administration, to the counselors have told me that I've handled everything perfectly by the book and performed admirably with the arrogant parents I had to meet with.

And I have a nice 3-day weekend to recuperate.  Wish I could go on a vacation.  I seriously need one.  Of course, going alone isn't fun...but I REALLY need a vacation!  Try and disagree with me.