Quit my long term assignment after the first day
Thought it would be a good idea to accept a long-term assignment because jobs become scarce around this time, with only a little over two months left of school until summer. So I accepted a vacancy position for mathematics at a middle school in the Bronx that I have subbed at before… BIG MISTAKE.
I’ve only had one problem with a mouthy student in the past, but I was able to have her removed from the classroom without a problem, so I figured it wouldn’t be an issue to sub there again—because one bad apple doesn’t usually spoil the bunch for me.
Immediately when I got there, of course they had me filling in for everyone and everything other than math. Not a problem something I’m kind of used to at this point.
However, I get to this one class, and it happens to be a phonics class. Keep in mind, we are in APRIL, so I have no idea where the children are in terms of their reading capabilities. When I asked them, of course they said they didn’t know. So I advised them to take out their laptops. Two students didn’t have laptops, so one asked if they could go to the library next door to get one. I said yes.
They returned and said a teacher told them to tell me they need to focus on phonics because it’s important. So I asked if that teacher could come show me where the students left off, or at least get me started so I could help them. I didn’t want to come off offensive by starting from the basics (Apple, A “uh”). They told the student no they weren’t coming to help me get started. So it led to the students not doing any work 🤷🏽♂️.
Now, to the next class… 85 degrees in a classroom? When is that okay? How do you expect kids to focus? How do you expect teachers to work in those kinds of conditions without any type of consideration or accommodations? I spoke to a teacher I was sharing the room with for 2 periods and she said this has been something they have been dealing with for the last 3 years and nothing has been done about it.
I brought it to the attention of one of the “deans” or “assistant principals” and asked if I could be switched to a different classroom during my prep period. He said he was going on lunch and would have a class for me to go to 10 minutes before my prep was over. That never happened. Ten minutes into the next class, he apologized, saying he was busy and it slipped his mind.
To end the day and really put the icing on the cake—my final period consisted of about 7–8 kids. They were all on their laptops, and one was playing music. Not a problem, because it was school-appropriate and the students were enjoying it.
However, they started screaming, and that’s when I intervened and let them know we’re not going to do that in this classroom. One student began to mock me. I reminded her to be respectful or she would be asked to leave. She let me know she is NOT the one to be played with.
So I called for admin to have her removed. She was gone for about 2–3 minutes(THANKS TO A HALL MONITOR), came back with a snack, and began talking pure CASH SHIT:
‘Nobody did shit.’
‘He didn’t do shit.’
‘He’s not gonna do shit.’
So I told the student to watch their mouth, and they said they weren’t talking to me and to mind my fucking business—‘gay ass nigga’—and then tried to charge at me 😭.
I called admin again. Once again(HALL MONITOR COMES) , they took her out for 2 minutes… and brought her BACK.
At that point, I just sat there and let her continue to say and do whatever she wanted for the last 25 minutes. Then, with only 4 minutes left in the period, the assistant principal FINALLY came to take her out. By this time, she was saying she wanted to stay because she was too busy calling me names and taunting me with the other students.
Since there were only 4 minutes left, I told the AP to just leave her. It took me saying it one time, and he left so fast he didn’t give a fuck, which is fine.
As the student was leaving, she said, ‘Bye, ugly’ 😭😂😂😂😂 and honestly, I just found it hilarious because if you know, you know 😭😭😭😭😭.
Anyways, IMMEDIATELY after school, I went straight to payroll and asked to be removed from the assignment after explaining what happened.
Now don’t get me wrong I can deal with badass kids. That’s not really my main issue. But badass kids on top of staff not having your back? TUH—PLEASE!
For there to be NO REPERCUSSIONS at all??? That school is raising criminals!
Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.”