Cat's Litterbox

Being More Like A Duck

So this Friday, Steve and I went to the Christmas get together for my work at the comedy club. I usually NEVER go to these things and I wasn't going to go but I decided to "suck it up" and go. I now regret it and probably should have just gone with my instincts and not gone.

Basically I am at the end of my patience when it comes to my team members (the fifth grade teachers that I teach with) constantly talking about how mean I am... how overly organized I am... and just constantly giving me (pardon my French here) SHIT about everything I do. I was telling Emily and her husband about my tutoring and that when one of the parents had a bounced check it totally screwed up my account. Steve said, "I told her to tell the mom to pay her for the overdraft fees caused by her bounced check, but Cathy was too nice." At that... Emily busted out laughing, turned to Mike and said, "Ahhh... get this... he actually just said that Kramer was too nice." And Mike rolled his eyes, laughed, and said, "Yeah right."

Emily made a comment about the tests that I give and that she and Kylie had been talking about how hard my tests are. This totally pissed me off because they obviously were talking about me behind my back, and I give Kylie the tests and study guides and worksheets that I use out of the kindness of my heart. I had no idea that she was talking behind my back about how hard my tests are. I got really pissed about it and I've decided to just not give her anymore of my stuff. If she thinks my stuff is too hard she can make up her own. I just find it interesting that they think it's too hard, when my kids rise to the challenge. I think kids will give you what you expect of them. On this test in particular, there were at least ten kids that got above a 90% and only two that were below a 60% and the rest were mostly mid 70's to 80's. I was very proud of my kids and how much they studied.

There was also a comment when I said that my kids were awful on Friday (which they were) Emily said, "Well maybe it's all the tests you give." I gave them their social studies test... that they were given a study guide for ten days ago and have been studying each day for it. I also gave the Friday spelling test and a pre-test for the states and capitals. Just because I choose not to show movies on Friday doesn't mean that I give too many tests.

Anyway... the rest of the night was just bad because all I did was sit there and think about things that were said during dinner. I've decided that at work I'm not going to talk about what I'm teaching, how I'm teaching it, or how my kids are. I'm sick of them talking about me and I'm sick of being the constant brunt of their jokes. My biggest thing is why do they care if I have lesson plans done for the next two weeks? I don't rag on them for NEVER having their plans done. I don't constantly talk about how unorganized they are... so why is it that they feel so comfortable to constantly give me crap for being organized? I can't help the fact that I take my job seriously and I need things to be organized for my own sanity. I don't walk into their rooms and tell them they're in the wrong for not being like me... I let them be as they are and I don't get why they can't let me be as I am.

Again... one of many reasons why I'm going to be looking for a new place to work for the fall. If I can get a job somewhere else... I'm outta there and I'll be glad to move on and get on with my life.

:(
Cat