Part 1: Chapter 4: The Parents Thought I Got In Trouble Over A Classroom Door (nope, not made up!)

Dec 4 2008

things seem to be going very well.. kids are great...i am amazed at their progess.... they have really matured nicely..and i know you are having a great time teaching them...they are truly adorable....see you next week... with that woman Sarah...just remember to make the parents happy...so christmas is a big thing.... make wreaths, trees....and stockings..that would be great with your gingerbread cookies... see you next thursday

Again, Carla said it all here. Things are going well and she was amazed  at the childrens progress and she was satisfied with my progress (Too bad she was not the principal. Carla is definitely kinder, more intelligent and professional when it comes to matters).

Dec 5 2008

sorry about your tush...yes....the gingerbread hunt will be great for period three...good that the parents want to come to help and be involved....but i am concerned as to what you are upset about...please call me to talk...hope i had nothing to do about it...if it is Jane Wilkes...that we certainly can talk about..be happy..you're doing a great job. [SIC]

Other than being reassured that I am doing a great job, sometimes we have to work with people who are not very collegial or supportive of us. This is a part of life and  we all have to learn how to deal with a bit more difficult situations.   Carla was referring to Jane Wilkes, the co-worker on grade level. She is not what would call hospitable, collegial, professional or nice. Fortunately for me, Carla was a witness and observed first hand Jane's second class treatment over me. Carla believed that Jane may have been jealous because I was young, a hard worker, really making great progress, making the parents happy and adding a little extra energy to the pre-kindergarten wing. Jane is quite the opposite: lazy, not a hard worker and a backstabber. Jane is notoriously known for sitting on her derriere at the computer and not doing any work or interacting with the children for most of the day. We needed to watch our backs whenever situations arose. The particular situation that occurred this December was because of a classroom door. One day in the morning, Jane decided to come by my classroom door at arrival time and say in front of all of the parents, "Remind me to talk to Ms Scarlet about her door. Something needs to be done here.". The parents heard that and thought I got in trouble with the principal. The parents came over to me and asked me if they can decorate my classroom door for the holidays. I said, "sure why not?" even though I was a bit skeptical as to why I was being asked. I was skeptical because for an entire day, I had to hear random questions and ideas about a classroom door. My initial thought when someone brought up decorating the door for the holidays, "What is this fuss (okay I may have used the other f-word) about my classroom door? It is JUST A DOOR. WHO FREAKING CARES ABOUT  A CLASSROOM DOOR??!?!?!? Well basically, the parents came over to me and told me that they thought I got in trouble with the principal after they heard Jane made her comment. They wanted to come in the following day to begin making a festive door and protect me from the administration afraid that I was in trouble. I told this to my mentor Carla and she was astonished that parents would come up and support a teacher like that. Carla said that she never saw parents support a teacher like the way they did for me in her 30+ years of teaching.

I have to say, listening to Carla and hearing her praise me for the upteenth time again made me feel good.