A Set Up

I have been in room assignment Hell. I know it's really not personal, but it's starting to feel personal.

I show up on Friday to pick up my key. There is no key to be found. I find the head custodian to let me in my room; he says it's not my room. After a whole bunch of back-and-forth, he decides (based on the master schedule) that it IS my room. Theoretically, they will move all of my stuff from my old room to my new room (all of which I tagged before I left from summer school). I even review with him that there's a bit of furniture, some boxes in the cabinets, and I'll need the filing cabinet since everyone else took theirs.

Of course, I can't get in on Saturday, because I don't have a key. It's still with the previous teacher.

Today, I corral the previous teacher, and he says that he does have the key: no one had time to take it back from him on Thursday when he tried to turn it in.

So I get my key (finally), around 11:30am. I stick my head in my room, and I see my bookshelf and my stool, but none of my stuff. No books, no paper, no files, no filing cabinet. Nada.

After more staff development, I get the head custodian to meet me at my old room so I can get the rest of my stuff. He shows up with the key and a dolly (as requested), and leaves me. Actually, he does stick around long enough for me to give him some brownies (which I origially baked to thank them all for moving my stuff --- WHICH THEY DIDN'T DO). I thought it might get me some help. Nope. He just left. So all the other teachers who changed classrooms got the custodial staff to move their stuff, but not me. I got to take 6 trips with the dolly between my old room and my new room.

I have nothing on the walls. I have no syllabus. I have no lesson plans. I have nothing. But I did have the chance to waste two hours moving boxes. With two guys and a Gator, it probably would have taken 30 mintues to move the boxes/furniture. I am still new enough at this whole teaching thing that I need every moment I can get. But help? That I can not get.

I did get my friend to help me move my stack of posters (which can not be loaded onto a dolly). She realized I was at my last straw when I almost started crying. I did not cry last year. I didn't cry during student teaching. But this? It has been one frustration after another and I am fed up. I do not feel welcome or valued. I feel like I'm being set up for failure, actually.