Blowing Off Steam

[Veronica]

Yesterday a coworker told me that a our new pull out schedule was made a certain way so that I wouldn't "make waves." This really ticked me off and caused me to lie awake thinking about it around midnight this morning, which ticked me off even more. This came from a person who p!ssed and moaned all last year about how terrible it was to have preps on Mondays and Fridays because of all the holidays and in-service days. I make the prep schedule. She doesn't have Mondays and Friday preps this year. This same person will complain about something in a staff meeting, but never voices her concerns. I end up doing it for her either at the staff meeting or at our leadership meetings. She has students who write on a test, "I don't want to do this." and then turn in their test blank. She thinks I have all the "good kids" because my students don't do that - EVER. I don't think she knows how to inspire and motivate her students and she complains incessantly about them.. Her glass is always half empty.

I will freely admit that if I don't like something, think it's wrong, unfair or can see what I think is a better solution; I'm going to speak up. Sometimes I wish I never had to interact with adults.

Tucker Cat just got in my lap. It's hard to be annoyed when you have a 17 pound purring machine. I just need to let the adult drama go.

Veronica

[Sky King]

Veronica,
Can I borrow your cat...

[Veronica]

He's the best. Tucker has a really loud rumble and he looks up at you like he thinks you're perfect. He gets in your lap, rolls on his back and wants his belly rubbed. It makes any trouble seem better.

Veronica

[Catrin]

Oh my, I really need Tucker to come visit! You could hire him out for some spare income

[Crankin]

Ugh, been there, done that. Teachers don't like to have difficult conversations or be truthful. I hated this. I'm like you and it rankled quite a few of my colleagues.
Being a therapist allows me to have as much or as little interaction with colleagues as I desire. My boss sees me as a team player, but I think it's because I do my paperwork in a timely manner. Others complain and I say it's nothing compared to what teachers do. Then I finish with, "I don't mind it because I am used to assessing 60-100 writing pieces every 10 days or so."

[Wahine]

I've always been a proponent of if-you-have-a-problem-or-concern-lay-it-out-there-so-it-can-be-dealt-with kind of person. Except in my former marriage, but that's way off topic and it's a big part of why it's former, so we don't need to go there. But at work, I can't stand that crap.

Good luck to you. Let off your steam here when you need to. We're listening.

[Veronica]

Today's topic of conversation was how they are looking at other options for employment. I almost shouted "Hallelujah!" Their rational is that the parents don't care or value education and neither do the students. Funny, I don't get that vibe from my students and parents. They do care, sometimes they just don't have a clue and if you have not connected to them, you're not going to win them over. Oh wait... I have all the "good" kids. They complained that they can never do any correcting or other work while the students are working because all hell breaks loose in their rooms if they are not fully engaged in monitoring. What's up with that? My kids will work silently for thirty - forty minutes, then as they finish up the assignment, they start to get a little chatty. I can get a LOT of work done while my students are working.

We got a new VP today. Two of his kids are former students of mine. He asked me how my class was and I told him I had good kids. He asked about the other classes. I told him they didn't think they had good classes and then I said that they always think that. His reply was cool, " What's the constant in this equation?"

Just tired of the negativity.

Veronica