Anonymous
Post 09/27/2019 00:28     Subject: first year teacher
Please, for the sake of the kids, talk to HR and have her removed from the classroom. My kid had an anxious teacher (actually a teacher job share) and it was a mess and the worst year ever. I was trying to be supportive, the teacher ended up forgetting all boundaries and oversharing with me and her thinking was not pretty. Her anxiety made her a truly unpleasant person.
Anonymous
Post 09/27/2019 00:09     Subject: Re:first year teacher
I am glad you mentioned the therapy and meds.

Could you encourage her to keep a journal, just 10 minutes a day, (maybe a goal for the day) and then later ask her to share it with her doctor?
I had a colleague who cried a lot (not daily) and was expecting.
Eventually, I encouraged her to talk to her doctor about her level of stress and if this was good for her/her child.
The doctor suggested modified bed rest (but for depression). It helped her gracefully transition away from what she didn't want to be doing.

I used to puke several mornings a week. I was anxious about one class.
I got an ulcer.

Eventually, I was able to see I needed more training and a different population that had needs different than the position I took on. I was more confident when I had taken more classroom management classes. It took a year.



Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 23:41     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:OP. Wow.
So, so far, I willingly gave up 15 hours of time before school ever even started to meet with and help the new teacher get started. And many, many, many more since. I generally put in at least one extra hour per day to help her. I have connected the teacher with the instructional coach, the technology coach and another teacher who is particularly amazing in classroom management who I thought could help. I've given the new teacher every single set of my lesson plans, all my parent letters, all my games, all my materials and books. I make all the homework copies and other copies we need each week. I have taken the new teacher to lunch and bought her coffee. I have sat and listened through many crying sessions. I have offered to and followed through on modeling lessons in both her classroom (where she watches me teach her class) and in mine (where she watches me teach my class). I have gotten resources for the teacher. I even offered to take her most difficult kid (he'd be transferred into my class) but my principal said no. When another staff member told me gossip that parents were saying about this teacher, I told her that she had to confront the parent or I would.

Yes, she went through a traditional program.

So, I've done more than my part. The teacher is already in therapy and on medication for extreme ongoing anxiety issues. Her medication affects her ability to function in the mornings and she mumbles words, barely answers questions and looks really out of it until the kids walk in. I'm trying to decide at this point if I need to go talk with someone in HR.
No, I do not want her to fail....why anyone would even say that is beyond my comprehension. Some people just aren't cut out for this job.


Thank you for the fuller picture, OP. I really hope that this teacher is able to someday have a job that suits her well. It could be that she heals and excels in the classroom, or it could be that she would be better suited to work with a small group such as ESOL. I'm a former teacher who also struggled with anxiety, and having so many people around to judge me (parents, especially) was no help. Thank you for all of the support that you are giving her. Maybe she can remember what she loved most about student teaching and try to recover a glimpse of that joy?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 21:19     Subject: Re:first year teacher
OP. Wow.
So, so far, I willingly gave up 15 hours of time before school ever even started to meet with and help the new teacher get started. And many, many, many more since. I generally put in at least one extra hour per day to help her. I have connected the teacher with the instructional coach, the technology coach and another teacher who is particularly amazing in classroom management who I thought could help. I've given the new teacher every single set of my lesson plans, all my parent letters, all my games, all my materials and books. I make all the homework copies and other copies we need each week. I have taken the new teacher to lunch and bought her coffee. I have sat and listened through many crying sessions. I have offered to and followed through on modeling lessons in both her classroom (where she watches me teach her class) and in mine (where she watches me teach my class). I have gotten resources for the teacher. I even offered to take her most difficult kid (he'd be transferred into my class) but my principal said no. When another staff member told me gossip that parents were saying about this teacher, I told her that she had to confront the parent or I would.

Yes, she went through a traditional program.

So, I've done more than my part. The teacher is already in therapy and on medication for extreme ongoing anxiety issues. Her medication affects her ability to function in the mornings and she mumbles words, barely answers questions and looks really out of it until the kids walk in. I'm trying to decide at this point if I need to go talk with someone in HR.
No, I do not want her to fail....why anyone would even say that is beyond my comprehension. Some people just aren't cut out for this job.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 18:27     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did she go through a teacher prep program with student teaching? Or is she a career changer? Our new teachers who have never done student teaching tend to be much more emotional and overwhelmed and quit frequently. I cry less and less each year. It's usually just at the beginning of the year when they dump so much on us. Why is she writing curriculum as a first year teacher?



She's writing curriculum, along with the rest of us, because we only have curriculum for one subject. Everything else we don't have any curriculum at all.


Wow. Where do you work?

I’d be crying too
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 18:25     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did she go through a teacher prep program with student teaching? Or is she a career changer? Our new teachers who have never done student teaching tend to be much more emotional and overwhelmed and quit frequently. I cry less and less each year. It's usually just at the beginning of the year when they dump so much on us. Why is she writing curriculum as a first year teacher?



She's writing curriculum, along with the rest of us, because we only have curriculum for one subject. Everything else we don't have any curriculum at all.


Wow. Where do you work?
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 16:54     Subject: first year teacher
I'm going to hell for laughing at your responses OP. We've all been there. I don't think I ever cried outwardly, but I definitely wondered about my life choices several times throughout the day.

My school got seven first year teachers this year. Four of them have somehow forced their way under my wing. One of them cries in the bathroom in between periods. Another broke down when I stopped by to borrow a dry erase marker. I just console and keep moving.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 16:35     Subject: first year teacher
Someone that is crying every day like that needs professional help. I would steer her to employee assistance and if she doesn’t bite, I’d ask admin to step in and help her. I’m an experienced teacher who has mentored a lot of teachers and I’ve never seen this level of falling apart. Teaching is incredibly demanding and she needs help to be able to manage.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 16:30     Subject: Re:first year teacher
There are many things OP could do to help the teacher. Bring on an instructional coach to provide support, get the team to collectively support the teacher, introduce the teacher to others in the building who might be able to provide assistance, particularly if the new teacher has a lot of SPED students (major paperwork, fwiw). There are things she can do beyond what she has identified. But she's pretty much settled into her opinion of the situation and I just see it going as she believes it to be.


We really don't know the circumstances.

I remember once that our school (not FCPS) had a teacher assigned to us on probation from another school. The teacher was high strung and very tense---I'm not sure what happened at the other school, but she really was kind of a basket case. Was it because of earlier treatment, or just her makeup? I don't know. I did not know her before.

I do know that she was on a team with kind, caring teachers who tried to help her. She would not accept their help. It could have been a bad experience in the past or it could have just been her nature. She was fired at the end of the year. The issue was classroom management. Parents were demanding to pull their kids from her class.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 12:19     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes, crying, sobbing, real tears daily. Not in front of kids, but before school, at lunch, after school. Constant. Yes, I will continue to be gentle and caring and will help as much as possible. But wow, its a lot.


Maybe It's time for a different mentor.

It's possible this isn't all job related. Sick/dying parent... Who knows.

Have you asked or do you just roll your eyes?


I hate to say it, but this. OP sounds like a terrible mentor. I am sure OP is going through the motions, but I imagine that teacher is picking up on OP's disdain. That probably makes things worse and creates a cycle of struggle.

If anything, I'd try to team up with another teacher or get the team to support this teacher. We were in this situation many times when I taught and we rallied around that new struggling teacher because we've all been there. As long as she is trying and is not resistant to direction and support, it is pretty much certain the teacher will be cruising by Jan.

Honestly, I feel like on some level OP is just waiting for the teacher to fail. Since she is in such a vulnerable state, she probably will and OP will have confirmation of her bias.


Troll.

OP is frustrated because she cannot seem to help.

I worked with a teacher who was experienced and cried to get her way. It's frustrating. That does not sound like the situation here at all, but having someone constantly cry is disturbing. It also hinders discussion.

If the teacher is crying all the time, there is a problem that a mentor cannot fix.


PP here. I've seen this dynamic before and OP's post definitely ticks a lot of the boxes. I imagine OP is doing everything she says...through a smile and gritted teeth. And she's entitled to be frustrated like the new teacher is entitled to be overwhelmed and cry (though not in front of students).

There are many things OP could do to help the teacher. Bring on an instructional coach to provide support, get the team to collectively support the teacher, introduce the teacher to others in the building who might be able to provide assistance, particularly if the new teacher has a lot of SPED students (major paperwork, fwiw). There are things she can do beyond what she has identified. But she's pretty much settled into her opinion of the situation and I just see it going as she believes it to be.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 11:07     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes, crying, sobbing, real tears daily. Not in front of kids, but before school, at lunch, after school. Constant. Yes, I will continue to be gentle and caring and will help as much as possible. But wow, its a lot.


Maybe It's time for a different mentor.

It's possible this isn't all job related. Sick/dying parent... Who knows.

Have you asked or do you just roll your eyes?


I hate to say it, but this. OP sounds like a terrible mentor. I am sure OP is going through the motions, but I imagine that teacher is picking up on OP's disdain. That probably makes things worse and creates a cycle of struggle.

If anything, I'd try to team up with another teacher or get the team to support this teacher. We were in this situation many times when I taught and we rallied around that new struggling teacher because we've all been there. As long as she is trying and is not resistant to direction and support, it is pretty much certain the teacher will be cruising by Jan.

Honestly, I feel like on some level OP is just waiting for the teacher to fail. Since she is in such a vulnerable state, she probably will and OP will have confirmation of her bias.


Troll.

OP is frustrated because she cannot seem to help.

I worked with a teacher who was experienced and cried to get her way. It's frustrating. That does not sound like the situation here at all, but having someone constantly cry is disturbing. It also hinders discussion.

If the teacher is crying all the time, there is a problem that a mentor cannot fix.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 10:41     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yes, crying, sobbing, real tears daily. Not in front of kids, but before school, at lunch, after school. Constant. Yes, I will continue to be gentle and caring and will help as much as possible. But wow, its a lot.


Maybe It's time for a different mentor.

It's possible this isn't all job related. Sick/dying parent... Who knows.

Have you asked or do you just roll your eyes?


I hate to say it, but this. OP sounds like a terrible mentor. I am sure OP is going through the motions, but I imagine that teacher is picking up on OP's disdain. That probably makes things worse and creates a cycle of struggle.

If anything, I'd try to team up with another teacher or get the team to support this teacher. We were in this situation many times when I taught and we rallied around that new struggling teacher because we've all been there. As long as she is trying and is not resistant to direction and support, it is pretty much certain the teacher will be cruising by Jan.

Honestly, I feel like on some level OP is just waiting for the teacher to fail. Since she is in such a vulnerable state, she probably will and OP will have confirmation of her bias.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 10:21     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Did she go through a teacher prep program with student teaching? Or is she a career changer? Our new teachers who have never done student teaching tend to be much more emotional and overwhelmed and quit frequently. I cry less and less each year. It's usually just at the beginning of the year when they dump so much on us. Why is she writing curriculum as a first year teacher?



She's writing curriculum, along with the rest of us, because we only have curriculum for one subject. Everything else we don't have any curriculum at all.



Do you get paid extra to write curriculum? Did you know this prior to being hired? We get paid extra to write curriculum.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 09:32     Subject: Re:first year teacher
This was me my first year of teaching. I also was pregnant which the hormones didn't help. I had gotten married that spring before, just moved to a new place, etc etc. It was just A LOT. Also my husband had a corporate job that was more money and a lot more prestige and I just felt like he thought teaching was fun and easy and a dream job because of the hours etc etc. My advice is to just give her a "free" year where you don't judge her. In my experience the good teachers have a first year like this. Its the teachers who come in and act like its a breeze I worry about TBH.
Anonymous
Post 09/26/2019 09:29     Subject: Re:first year teacher
Anonymous wrote:Yes, crying, sobbing, real tears daily. Not in front of kids, but before school, at lunch, after school. Constant. Yes, I will continue to be gentle and caring and will help as much as possible. But wow, its a lot.


Maybe It's time for a different mentor.

It's possible this isn't all job related. Sick/dying parent... Who knows.

Have you asked or do you just roll your eyes?