The Meeting With The Principal

Thursday was not my lucky day.

I was called in for my review and it was not good. It was bad. It was awful.

I could see the handwriting on the wall when someone from the district office was there for our meeting. I didn't really know what to do at that point.

As we went through my review, I could see all the marks that said needs improvement or unsatisfactory. I don't think I've ever had such a bad review in my life, except for the first one. At least now there were a few marks the said meets or exceeds expectations. I started looking at the next page.

Principal: I'm still on the first page.
MissD: I'm sorry. I was just wondering, if we could skip to the end like a book. Sometimes you want to know what's coming.
Principal: There's a process I have to go through.

With me, because I am the choir teacher, there are things on my review that are rather unexpected. They mentioned low enrollment in the choral program, kids asking for schedule changes, the last choir concert not going very well. Honestly, after the things I have been through, I sort of knew there wouldn't be any chance of recovering. I should have quit. I thought I could overcome. My mistake.

I ended up in tears. There has been so much to overcome. Things that were unexpected, things that weren't made clear, secret expectations I could in no way meet. The guy who left the position spent 10 years building up his program. It was based largely on his personality. How could anyone measure up?

Part of the reason for my sick day was because I am very sick, but the other part is that I have to gather myself up somehow to face my students for the next few months knowing I won't be back.

I would have preferred an impersonal pink slip.

Observation Day

I like to make my kids laugh to help them remember stuff. It's taken a long time to be able to really joke around with them without things getting out of control, but I just think humor is essential in the classroom. Sometimes my junior high kids even encourage me to act a little bit crazier.

I have one student who always wants to know about my love life. However, today I was being observed by my support provider, so I was really not expecting the joking. Maybe it was OK because it shows I have good rapport with my students.

I made them repeat after me in a choral response:

In the key of F major...

LOUDER!!! I can't hear half of you!

In the key of F major
you must always play
B flat.
Play what? B flat!

I went to each of their keyboards to make sure they understood how to apply this to the new songs they are learning.

Miss Diaz? Have you ever been married?
Me? Why do you want to know?
Cause...
Well, dear, I'm so glad you are concerned about my happiness. That's really sweet. How about I have you be my flower girl when I get married? Now get to work. B flat!!

She smiled. She can be kind of manipulative and conniving at times, but she's also cute in that endearing way 12 year old girls have about them. It tickles me.

No, I've never been married.