Hey! As alot of you know, I am a brand new pre-k teacher. Today was the second day of school. Besides a few mix ups and bussing issues, its going really great. However, I do have a problem. I am off campus compared to my collegues who are at the actual school even though I am nearby. I feel left out though. I feel like I am often forgotten about by administration and others. I had an issue with a parent and was unsure so I called the P for some advice. I felt like she was cold towards me and unsupportive and almost annoyed. I know she has a ton of things to worry about, but cant she give a teacher some quick advice. I also knew this parent would probably be calling her about the situation too, so I wanted her to be aware of it. Then later, I went over to the office and I was told my the secretary that I need to be more "tough" with the parents and grow a tough skin. After she said that, I really felt offended and left out. I am brand new, a new teacher on the job and just wanted to make sure I was handling the situation right and giving her the heads up on it before a parent called. Also, I should mention that the Principal or anyone else from the school hasnt come by to see the room or meet the kids until this afternoon after this incident to see if I was okay. I also was not given an orientation or an explaination on procedures or anything. I was thrown in the classroom and told "good luck." When asking questions about how things like bussing and other things are ran, i get the "i dont know" answer or a "ask this person", who then doesnt know either. I am getting the run around. I feel as if this admin could care less about the program. It is very confusing and frustrating trying to get any answers out of anyone. Does anyone have any suggestions? Am I being too needy? I just would like to be included in things and have my students thought about instead of being put to the side. Thanks!
I would ask for a mentor teacher, someone you can go to, call or e-mail when you have questions about procedures and policies or just some advice. Are there any other preschool teachers with you or are you the only one?
There will come a time when you will appreciate the solitude, but for now, keep bugging till you get some support.
EDUK, that is my biggest problem. I dont have any mentors. During the interview process I asked about it and she said she would pair me with a special ed teacher (who has already offered to help but she is kinda in the dark too) and then probably a kinder teacher. However, I havnt heard anything since then. There are two other teachers that are new and they teach smiliar grades so I feel like atleast they can pair together and get some help. Unfortantly, I am the only preschool teacher. I do have a wonderful aide who has been wonderful in answering things, but as for bigger issues I need someone a little higher up. It is also confusing because I work for the school district, but my program is also funded by another program so I am supposed to be contacting them as well and getting answers. It is impossible to contact them though since they are now only half day and I am teaching when they are in their office. I have sent an email and called and left a message and I got no response when they are funding my program. Blue, I actually have come to like the solitude. Unfortantly, I am new to the area so I cant really meet new people when I am alone, but there is alot of drama between teachers from what I have observed that causes headaches so I am glad I do not have to experience that. Thanks for your help. I will hang in there and try to find myself a mentor at the school since I dont think I will be getting one through the school.
I know how you feel bre. My program was in another school my first year to encourage the inclusion of my students. The principal in the school that I was placed in was clueless in what was going on. I only knew 2 teachers and the principal in "my school". I felt like I didn't belong anywhere and I was also taken advantage of by the principal of the school I was placed in. She made me do extra supervisions and start earlier than the other teachers because she did not want my students in the playground with the regular ed. students when their bus arrived early. I was so grateful when my program was moved back into my school. My principal asked me last year if I would teach a transition class in another school this year and I told him that I wouldn't consider it.
I believe next year (If I stay and if the program is still around...) will be in the same school. The school is already crowded so they will all probably move over across the street to the same building as me since its alot larger. However, I am hoping I wouldnt loose the two rooms that I have right now, which Im sure I will. I just need to hang in there and breathe.
Are there no other teachers in the pre-k section where you are? It seems like you would have a coordinator or someone over there who would have the answers.
There is no other teachers. There are other teachers in other districts that are in the same program and I have talked to one of them and she has helped me understand paperwork and things like that but she is limited since she has her own classroom to figure out and she doesnt work in my district. I have two different coordinators who fund my program but are not apart of the school. The one is supposed to be the head coordinator but she hasnt returned my calls and she is in her office for half a day when im teaching. The other is a special ed coordinator and she has been helpful but she is limited on what she knows for the program since her main focus is my students with special needs.
It's too bad. I don't have any advice for you, but I do know that our Pre-K room is kind of in their own little world. They have a different schedule than the rest of the school, so they don't interact much with us. Last year I got much closer to both our AM and PM Pre-K teachers because they are just two doors down and I wanted to do book buddies with them. The kids loved it, and it gave us the chance to work and interact with each other more! Is there any possibility that you could do something like this? You could do book buddies or another project that work with other grades. My students wrote books and then took their books to the Pre-K room to read.
I totally get it. I am in the same building, but my room is down a long hallway by itself. It was never meant to be used as a classroom. I spend my day wanting adult conversation. The office is pretty far and I don't have an intercom or anyway of communicating with the office. I can't hear bells from my room. I am the only teacher in my grade level. I hate my job because of it. I understand your frustration. Let me know if I can do anything to help you.
Thank you for the suggestions!! I met with part of my team for special ed today, (ec coordinator, spl, and social worker.) I really let them have it and expressed my frustration. The social worker is going to get me answers and find resources for things i need within the community (I have students who are horading food and are coming to school dirty) so that was nice. She listened and agreeded. The ec coordinator has been doing this for a long time so she went and sent an email out to others in order to get me answers. I just told them excatly how I felt and how I feel like my students needs are not getting met since no one cares about them. The SLP is brand new, but she was with me for most of the day and at the end she commented on how organized and how smoothly things are going for me being a first year teacher. I was so happy she said that. Its the little things like those comments that I think we all enjoy hearing and can thrive on. I just need to tell myself to keep swimming like Dori from Finding Nemo
I seriously had to look and see what state you were from. I thought you were talking about MY school, lol. I have worked at all different kinds of schools - schools where teachers receive a lot of administrative support, and at schools where they receive zero support and must fend for themselves. I agree with the previous posters. Keep asking about that mentor. You deserve much more support than you are being given.
Thanks. Its really no wonder to me now why they cant find a pre-k teacher who wants to stay employed at their school. No one would like to be in a situation like this. Another important aspect is most of the other teachers have been at this school 20 plus years so they need limited support because they know the school in and out. I feel married to my job. I need to stop bringing work home and just have to do my best and realize this is going to be a work in progress all year.
I don't have much advice, just support because I have soooo been there and done that! Your situation sounds very similar to the one I was in at Head Start. Our program served something like 12 different towns and each town had their own HS classroom or rooms depending on numbers, however the administrators were all housed in one central location in the largest town. If you were employed in town X you could be as far away from the central office as 1 hour! None of the "administrators" had any knowledge or background in education and didn't even have degrees, the whole program was totally corrupt. Some of the "satellite" classrooms, as they called them, were located in places like gyms and community centers so those poor teachers had absolutely no support at all. My first year I was in a satellite classroom working with 6 other teachers in the largest town, the other teachers had all been there f-o-r-e-v-e-r and knew the program inside and out while I drowned in paperwork and red tape, nobody would help me - I hated it. The next year I moved to a satellite classroom, the only one housed in a public school, and then I ran into some more of what you are experiencing with two different programs under one roof with two entirely different programs and bosses- talk about frustration! It's great that you stood up for yourself and your students- good for you! Stay strong and keep us posted, we will serve as your mentors if your school won't give you one
Its wonderful to know I have the support here and I come vent here. Its eating me up and I cant take it anymore. Im sure my boyfriend is so sick of hearing me complain and complain but I have no one to talk to besides here and to him. I am a very shy person at first and I HATE confortation so I was very proud of myself that I was able to mention something and make it a point to express my concerns. I guess now that I am responsible for teeny tiny lives too I have no problem trying to get them the support and services they deserve. Blue, thats another thing I am worried about. I do not want to loose my job just because I make a misteak when really no one has told me how to do anything. Ive just been doing things how I think they should be done and hoping its working. Thank goodness I have an aide who has worked in the program a few years back and has been at the school for years. She is really a lifesaver on knowing polices and stuff like that.
