Unforseen

After the International Job Fair, I found a great opportunity for a long term sub job at an IB school.

Many of the International schools around the globe use the "International Baccalaureate" or IB curriculum. I had worked at several schools in a certain Twin Cities urban district. The district has a lot of great schools, but the one's I've been in are run like prisons and founded on hyprocracy. Teacher speak in fluent TLA ( three letter acronym) and rally behind initiative after initiative--which is really just the same old Emperor's New Clothes.

Once again into the breach, I stormed, Don Quixote like, lance of idealism in hand, ready to believe.

My first day I could not get the students to stop shouting for more than 5 minutes. I had the behavior specialist, Ms. Tami in there half the day, just so we could function. It was marshall law. I wanted to quit after the first day. But I didn't. I ended up staying a full 3 weeks, longer than any of the 5 previous subs had stayed during the previous month. Between January 5th and February 3rd those students had burned through 5 subs!

I learned more than I thought I would--but nothing about IB.

These are my stories:

Chapter Last:


Less than two days after I made the decision in my therapist's office to "commit" to the full 7 weeks at Stronghold IB School, I was fired. I had requested my usual Thursday meeting with the principal. She e-mailed me back that she had some 'concerns' and we met Friday, after school.

Our 'conversation' , which was not a conversation, lasted less than 2 minutes. The principal and assistant principal escorted me into a conference room. The principal did all the talking. She told me that she had talked to several adults and that she felt I had been "disrespectful' to her "precious" students. I told her that I was glad that her students were "precious" to her and had she also consulted with Ms. Tami ( the behavior specialist who spent about half of her day in my room at my request). She said that no, she hadn't but it was none of my concern. I asked if I could leave a note for the next sub and she said that would be fine.

On my way back to my room to write the note and pack up i passed several co-workers in the hall. One said, in a friendly tone, "oh I thought you had left for the day." I said, "today is my last day. I just got fired." and walked to the classroom. The other 5th grade teacher, Bridgett, and three other colleagues were all shocked to hear the news. just that morning, Ms. Tami had asked me if they had approached me regarding subbing for Bridgett (who is going on maternity leave in May) after I was done subbing for Christine.

So, clearly, this principal knew little of my work in classroom, consulted almost no one, and fired me with little consideration for the larger ramifications for the children.

I think a wise leader would have at least tried to work with me. when I heard she had concerns I had envisioned being fired but also possibly a conversation like , "hey, Max, could you yell at the children a little bit less?" or "Max, why have there been so many suspensions in your room?"

I did not put a lot of thought or energy into "processing" this set back and the week after has certainly put things in to perspective.

This week I worked in Suburbia for 5 days (including tomorrow if there's not a snow day). In Suburbia, the kids do not come with the emotional baggage of street kids and the schools are not run like prisons. At Parkview, where I spent Monday, Wednesday, and today, Thursday:
1. teacher go by first names
2. 3rd and 4th graders are given responsibility and freedom like walking in the halls by themselves and policing each other when it comes to being quiet in the halls.
3. Students are inquisitive, intelligent, and polite.
4. After 1 minute with any student at Parkview, I already had their immediate respect and attention. After 5- 20 minutes, they thought I was the "coolest teacher ever" ( one student actually wrote this) because I "knew more about robots and superheroes then all of them put together" ( part of my self- introduction.
5. After subbing for just one day, I have received compliments from the teachers I subbed for. One told me today, "I can tell you are really willing to go the extra mile."

So what have I learned;
1. Life has a grand design even if it is like staring through murky water sometime to see it.
2. intelligent kids who have had their basic needs met, "get me" and I have better chance of "getting" them back. Not so with the urban poor. I feel compassion for the complexities of their lives and equal compassion for those who choose to work with them--but it's not for me.
3. Environment and context is everything. Put me in a school run like a nut house or a prison and I am "disrespectful." Put me in a positive environment and I "go the extra mile." Look at the environment. Environment produces action, and over time, molds the will.

Also,
4. You can't go through life owning EVERY mistake. As Riker says in STNG, "Sometimes you can make no mistakes and still lose. Somedays you get the bear and somedays the bear gets you." He is trying to console Data, the android, who has just lost an electronic game of strategy to a superior opponent. I lost the job at Stronghold IB school not because I made mistakes but because the situation was unwinnable. Getting rid of the sub who is most committed and has stayed the longest with a group of kids so used to adults walking out on them without even trying to WORK with that person? If the principal really wanted to sabotage those kids and any chance they had of getting an education during that 7 week period, there is no surer way she could have accomplished that. Sabotage. And firing me? Best reward ever. I get to spend my remaining 4 weeks doing more of the things I enjoy--like teaching children who actually want to learn, like being in a place where I actually fit.


Tomorrow I have an appointment to observe a Montessori training class. Tonight I apply for a job at Dewey Prep. I know the Chinese teacher there. Maybe that will help. We'll see.

Life is full of opportunities and unforseen possibilities.