Today I visited a charter school in Brooklyn, and I can't wait to work there. Or really anywhere other than a New York City public school.
As I told one of their people, everything that I saw was an antidote of the last three and a half years. All the things I want in a school, all the things I need to be the best teacher I can, it's all there in this place!
The first part of the visit that really clicked with me was that two of the teachers I looked in on were playing music in their classrooms! I thought to myself, "Hurrah! I have found my people!" The teachers were all young and calm yet stern. The students were not perfect, but had no trouble redirecting themselves quietly. Conditions were not shiny and new, but positive and spacious.
The principal talked to us about the school's philosophies and schedules and such. Though the school day is much longer, the teaching load is pretty much the same. Teachers use the rest of their days to plan and collaborate with their colleagues. They all work together to critique and improve lessons, and even work on discipline. They strive to build a sense of teamwork among the students as well as among the staff. Everyone's in it together, and everyone wants to grow and improve.
This is what's been missing, this is what I've been craving. To feel like a professional, to feel like I'm part of a real team of other intelligent and motivated professionals.
My school is not a safe place to be, it's not a fun or creative place to be. It's divisive and difficult, and I feel like I don't know who to trust, I certainly don't have any senior teachers to look up to and learn from.
In August, I submitted my resume to this school. (And I must say, whatever my esteem issues, when it's all written down, I am pretty dang awesome.) Now that I've seen the school in person and it's what I expected (ie, very good), I can't wait to work there. If it doesn't work out, I'll look into other charter schools, including places out of state.
Wherever I go, next year I will not be working in my dreadful, dusty, distrustful New York City public school.
4 comments:
Good luck and good for you for doing something pro-active about your career, rather than letting it fester until you become fed up with teaching all together.
Common planning time! Woo!
As Nancy said -- props for taking action. I'm looking forward to reading more about how your search plays out.
When we had those "50-minute Mondays", I screamed for the type of collaboration you mentioned in this post. (If I had to work extra hours, it would be for planning and collaboration.)
But my principal had other plans that in no way served my grade or my students. That's why I started calling it "Detention Mondays".
Since you were there yesterday, I take it that it's not a "union" school because the rest of us had off. Do they work Saturdays too?
But it sounds like your kind of place. Maybe a position will open up this year. Good luck.
thanks nancy, it is nice to feel excited about possibilities instead of focused on complaining and whining. sorry about that. :)
x--I know, so radical, right? what's better is, they actually use it like it's supposed to be. and it sounds like it works!
schoolgal--we used to have monday PDs, but my old AP was a nazi and usually just lectured us. on occasion (just a few times) we were allowed to work collaboratively as an entire department (in small groups) and that was awesome.
and yes, i do believe this school goes on saturdays. yikes! i'm not excited about that.
i've put my name in for a position for next year, so thanks for your good thoughts! :)
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