Um yeah.

So my last post was all warm, fuzzy feelings of hope and optimism! Rainbows and Unicorns! With 53 days left of school (yes, I'm counting down. Don't judge me.), this is how I'm feeling:

Except the June picture is right now.

This year didn't start out much better than last year, then I took a couple of classes, made some changes and was optimistic (a wee bit more at least). Then the s#!t hit the fan. My second grade colleague and I find out that a MANDATED CURRICULUM was (and still isn't, I'm venturing) being taught in two grade team colleagues classes. When we talk about how it's going, teaching this BRAND NEW MANDATED CURRICULUM, both teachers never really said anything and just talked around the question. Hmm. Interesting. Red flag warning.

Then a para (teacher's assistant for those not in on the school lingo) told my second grade colleague that she was concerned because she worked in one of the classes and knew it wasn't being taught and didn't know what to do and if she should tell the principal. So I'm like, um, yeah, the principal needs to know! They need to be held accountable! But my colleague, calm, cool, and collected teacher she is, said that we should talk to other teachers in our k-2 team about it and what we should do as a team. So we did, and we all came up with the idea of bringing it up in our next team meeting causally asking "how's it going teaching THE MANDATED CURRICULUM" (saying the name of the program instead of the mandated curriculum...). I facilitated our meeting (as best as I could...) and my grade and kindergarten talked about their struggles and what it looked like to teach the program in our rooms. Then I gently asked the teachers in question how it was going in their room and one of the teachers got snippy and snappy and never really answered the question. The other teacher didn't really answer, but was honest in saying that she hadn't started the program (OMG it was about the 100th day of school!?!?!?) and then we had to stop our meeting because we were out of time... alas, it didn't go as planned.

But oh, it get's crazier.

That night, the perturbed "teacher" emailed us about going behind her back and questioning if she was teaching the program or not. Not only did said "teacher" email our grade team (or at least my grade colleague and myself) she emailed the principal, too! So I, as calmly (not my style...) but very diplomatic (I thought) replied and said we want to help in any way we can- we weren't trying to get anyone in trouble (really!) but know that it's a new program and that there's a lot to it and to be HONEST in talking about how it's going in everyone's classes. Fair enough, right?

Well, apparently she wanted to change the discussion from talking about teaching the curriculum into slamming her jealousy of the principal's working relationship/friendship with my grade colleague. What the..? There were some offensive crap emailed (my grade colleague didn't email offensive crap, she just emailed questions like "what are you talking about?" over and over)... I still don't understand how this said "teacher" could go from talking about a curriculum to this jealousy thing. It really shook my grade colleague up. And our whole team.

The next day, the principal talked with her and wanted to talk with a few of us (no, she didn't talk to me) and then set up an "team time intervention" where we talked about expectations for about a week. It took a few weeks for our team time meetings to feel not-so-awkward, but we're a bit better. I still can't look at that "teacher" and respect her as a colleague and apparently the feeling is mutual. AWESOME. I always wanted to relive junior high again in my thirties...

So yeah. Not the happiest, best workplace environments to work in. But time moves on. As I see it, there's bull s#!t everywhere, in every job. You just have to put on those barn boots and do what you have to do. I just don't like it and don't think it's fair when people don't do their job and LIE about it. AND aren't being held accountable. Maybe this "teacher" is. Me thinks she's not, but I'm a pessimist. No, make that a REALIST. You're not making me feel any better by telling me what you THINK I want to hear. 

Seriously. I get that enough from my students. Well no, actually. They could work on saying more things that I want to hear.... like "Here's my homework that I worked REALLY hard on!" or "Here's some candy for you Miss Park" or "You need a hug". Yes, yes I do. Everyday, little grasshopper. Everyday. 

Maybe I'll get a hug tomorrow. That would make my day. And week, for that matter.

53 more days. 53. Gotta get through it.