One of the male teachers at my school was fired yesterday for hitting a student. At least that's how the story came together in the piecemeal fashion that I heard it---the Administration is not exactly going to issue a news release; they'll do everything they can to suppress it. The teacher's name is D. and he had a reputation for being heavy-handed and short-tempered with students. (But isn't that strong control supposed to be the ideal model, according to the Administration?)
I had lunch duty on Thursday, and while standing in the hall at my post I saw D. walking down the hall, accompanied by an AP, looking grim. I never, ever see him in the main building. His classroom is in the portable. He never visits the main building because his ex-wife works there. Last spring, she filed for divorce, which he contested. Soon she was complaining to the Administration that he was stalking and harrassing her during the work day, and there was some gossip that he would either quit or be terminated over that. It didn't happen. But he stays away from the building to avoid any encounters. So to see him in the main building Thursday made me wonder. On Friday, at lunch duty, I picked up a few phrases bouncing back and forth between teachers at the designated table. About D. and a student. Something about a shove. After school, another teacher, K., stopped by my room asking, "Did you hear?" She said D. had told a student to leave the classroom. He wouldn't. D. gave him a helpful push out the door. The student turned and hit him. Then D. slugged the student. That's what she heard.
I felt empathy for D. BECAUSE I HAVE FELT JUST AS ANGRY AND VIOLENT AS HE DID! The only difference is that, so far, I haven't acted upon it. It's not a good sign that I can easily imagine losing it and doing the same thing. That thin line between professionalism and rage could easily evaporate in a moment of passion, for any teacher. People who are not high school teachers (you listening, darling?) can't possibly imagine how stressful it is to hold in all the fury that builds up towards rude, disrespectful, ignorant, whiny students. L. tries to one-up my stories by telling me he works with rude contractors who shout and employees who whine and inspectors who won't do the work on time. But, I tell him, at least your boss always has your back. In my school and most schools, the Administration will turn on the teachers in a heartbeat.
K., the teacher in the room next door, and I have become friendly. She's a former college professor who teaches seniors. But she's ready to call it quits. She's a lot younger than I am, and is facing many more years in this profession if she doesn't find something else soon. She and I often talk about what bothers us the most about this profession. I so realize any job brings its downsides, but she feels that secondary teaching stands out as a toxic profession today. In no other job, she says, must a person accept so much dissing on a regular basis both from subordinates AND from supervisors. And why can't teachers be allowed to go off campus to eat lunch, like other professionals? What other job requires one to work at home every evening and weekends? Daily mass emails always scold, "Teachers, please don't......" fill in the blank. When do we ever hear one word of praise? You should hear her expound on the subject. Frankly, it fuels my discontent. I know it's all true, but I've tried to hold my nose, take a deep breath, and get through one more year, maybe two, and then kiss it goodbye forever. But I feel that she understands my ongoing conflict a lot better than L. does.
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