Walking Away

There has been a LOT of discussion of late about just what teachers should and shouldn't be allowed to post online. The general consensus seems to be that while Natalie Munroe certainly shouldn't be prosecuted (free speech and all that), workers shouldn't curse about their work in public and expect to keep their jobs.

And, I dunno, I can kinda see that? I mean, in fairness, that's one of the reasons I blog pseudonymously. If I'm giving you money, and I find out that you're ragging on me to all your friends, I will probably want to stop giving you money. Pretty simple. So I keep this pseudonymous so that hopefully the people who give ME money will keep doing so. Because I like money.

[Side note: Money is nice. Money lets you do fun things. Yaaay money!]

But what I don't get are the people who are saying "she said mean things about children! how could such a person EVER become a teacher!!!" Seriously? Get a grip, people. If everyone who ever said anything negative about children was barred from the profession, there wouldn't be any teachers left! Anyone who has been around children for any length of time can tell you that loving children doesn't mean you are suddenly blind to their faults.

So awhile back I let Mrs. Procrastinator (the AP to whom I am forced to report for all things Journalisty) that I am interested in NOT advising the yearbook-and-newspaper next year.

And ONLY because this blog is pseudonymous am I saying anything about it online. My department head knows (I spoke with her before going to the AP) and several of the other teachers in the department, but most significantly, I will not be saying anything to my students.

Of course, what I did NOT say to Mrs. Procrastinator (who has demanded the right of prior review for all our publications and sat on our first 25 yearbook pages for like a month and a half) was that the reason I'm throwing in the towel is because I can't stand the thought of working with her any longer.

It was a tough decision to make, and it's been tough sticking to it, especially when students talk to me about their ideas for next year's theme or layouts or cover, or when I get PMs on Facebook asking me about next year's classes and next year's publications. And I don't want to say anything either way, because it's entirely possible that they won't find anyone to take the spot and they'll drop me right back into it.

But as time goes on, I'm starting to think more and more about what I'll do with my time when I'm not always drowning in photo shoots and pages and dead netowrks and sales receipts and deadlines - OH, the deadlines - and I can do other things instead.

I'm really looking forward to being able to focus on my language arts classes. And I'll get to play with costumes and jewelry and wigs more. I'll re-hem my white jeans (I lengthened the hems but now they roll). I'll read even more!

And maybe some years in the future (when AP Procrastinator is gone) I will feel completely secure in my language arts classes and I'll want to challenge myself in another way again, and I can come back to it.

But for now, it's time to close the book for awhile.