Sometimes Knowing Something is Not that Good....

I am a building rep. for my school site, that is, one of the two reps for the local teachers union. Sometimes, we find out things that are not too good about our fellow teachers, such as which probationary teachers or interns are NOT getting their contract renewed for the following year. There is such a case this year. Teacher W will not be back. This was Teacher W's first full year of teaching at our school. Teaching junior high is not a piece of cake during any school year, but this year has been one of the worse years for teaching at this school EVER. It mostly has to do with the lack of discipline in grade 7 and lack of administrative support for the classroom teachers.

Did Teacher W really had a chance? If any of you wannabe or new teachers are reading this, the outcome of losing this teaching job could have been different for Teacher W. Teacher W chose to do certain things against the advice of several of the experienced teachers, such as sponsor after-school clubs instead of working on what needed to be done for Teacher W's classroom/teaching job. Teacher W chose not to do some of the things the Principal suggested might have made a difference in Teacher W's classroom/teaching. Teacher W chose not to accept assistance from those experienced teachers on our campus, even after numerous offers to help. It is almost like Teacher W chose to commit professional suicide.

I see Teacher W almost everyday. It is almost like seeing someone who is dying. Here today, here tomorrow, but GONE next year. Teacher W has not spoken to anyone on the staff about their upcoming departure from our campus, at least not that I know of or have heard about. Callously (?), I can say that in my 21 years of teaching, many have come and gone, that seems to be the way it is in teaching. But, what irks me, is, so many 'lifelines' were tossed out to Teacher W, only to float away. Not a lunge, not a swipe at one. Maybe Teacher W just decided this was not the profession for Teacher W. I don't know. I hope they do well in the future. Teacher W is a nice person. A few years from now, Teacher W will mostly be forgotten at my school. Go in Peace, Teacher W.

Thanks for reading my blog. Your comments are welcome.