Anonymous
12/13/2019 19:18
Subject: teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
I teach in a Loudoun elementary school. Many of my colleagues are on anti anxiety and/or anti depression meds as a result of lack of admin support, parents, etc. People have no idea.
Anonymous
12/13/2019 16:22
Subject: teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:I hate my job. I should be at 26 years, but I took leave to stay home with my kids.
It's so incredibly stressful - so unlike what it once was. I am seeing a wonderful therapist who is encouraging me to quit.
avoiding drugs for the moment . . .
One of my colleagues - 15 years in - is on mental health leave. Another relatively new teacher - 6 years and a rock start when she student taught - just quit.
How did your colleague 15 years in go on mental health leave? I don't think I can make it until the end of the school year with what is going on in life.
Anonymous
12/11/2019 21:43
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I saw my primary care physician yesterday who recommended I start taking an anti anxiety medication. I have also put in some calls to therapists to try and see someone.
I need to stay until I can get my full pension. I'm not suicidal, I'm just massively stressed out. I have one kid in my class who, daily, rips apart my classroom library. He'll pull out hundreds of books and whip them across the room. We regularly have to evacuate the room because he's dangerous. (I'm going into the building tomorrow to pack up everything that belongs to me, including the entire class library, to give him less to damage and less to throw) He's not quite 4 and a half feet tall, but he's 100 pounds and strong. He's already injured a few kids. He shoved one kid into the wall so hard we were worried that kid had a concussion. He didn't, thank god. Then I have a little girl who will sit in the coat area, with her coat over her head and she either cries really loud or screams anytime I ask her to do any work. It is so loud, I can't teach and the other kids can't ignore her. Yes, social work has gotten involved with both kids. We've done an FBA and a BIP on each. I'm implementing "the plan" as best as I can. But I have 27 other students to take care of and my school seems to believe teachers should be able to deliver the work of a 1:1 aide, plus social work, plus psych care, and teach everyone else, too.
I'm going into my building tomorrow and my husband is helping me take home my classroom library and any other items the student can throw or damage. I personally paid for all those things and it doesn't make sense to just let him destroy them. It does mean that none of the other kids will have reading material outside the few school provided resources or games or any fun ways to learn. I'm moving to strictly paper and pencil work. They'll have to read stories from photocopies or from the smart board. I also have a lot of sick days banked and my teacher friends are encouraging me to use them as much as possible. I feel weird about that, especially because I several times, I've been able to step between the boy and other kids to prevent serious harm. If I leave the others alone with a sub, I'm afraid of what will happen.
My school is dragging its feet re: a domain meeting on either kid. It has been a few years in a row of this now. At the end of this year, I am going to put in for a transfer to a more calm school though so many teachers I know are dealing with similar stuff I really don't want to go from the frying pan into the fire.
I taught a similar class. I am so sorry. I am getting stressed just reading your story. Consider taking medical leave. You will take a financial hit this year, but you may still be able to retire at the time you were planning, depending on how long a break you take. Call your union tomorrow to ask about options. Will the kids get less? Yes. But that is not your fault or problem.
Anonymous
12/11/2019 20:29
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
I'm a big fan of therapy whenever one needs it. It can't hurt and it might help. I recommend therapy and exercise. Talk to your doctor and your therapist and if they recommend meds, try them for a while. I cannot believe what teachers have to deal with. You are educators not psychiatrists!
Anonymous
12/10/2019 10:46
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
I became an ESOL teacher and you just need to take and pass the ESOL Praxis since it is an endorsement on your current teaching certificate. I also took grad classes in ESOL. It is easier than classroom teaching because you don't have a classroom but there is a lot of paperwork at the beginning and end of the year. I would recommend it!
Anonymous
12/09/2019 18:45
Subject: teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Keep calm & go swimming. Around 9:00 take Magnesium.
Anonymous
12/09/2019 18:42
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'm the poster just above. To add, the problem isn't that we don't have the guts to leave. The problem is too many seriously disturbed kids in classrooms, full stop.
You can’t halt the supply of kids. They have a legal right to attend. You can NOT be the person who is overwhelmed by the disturbed kids who arrive. You have a legal right to quit your position and seek employment somewhere else.
New poster. I'm a special education coordinator. Children who assault other children or staff do not have the right to do so. Legally they do not. School staff and students have the right to safety. Any child who is in an educational setting where they are harming others needs a different placement as long as the appropriate steps have been followed (ie, FBA, BIP) and if they have an IEP, the IEP has been met. If after all those things, the student is still harming others, staff members have a right to call a meeting and request either other steps to be put in place or to revisit placement.
To the OP: I recommend calling a meeting. Put it in writing that you are afraid for your safety or the safety of your students (and if a 100 pound student is throwing things around the room, you should be afraid, you or a student could be injured). That alone should get some traction. If your principal or sped coordinator won't help, try the superintendent. I see you've already done that though. Go to the school board. If that doesn't work, go to the state. I'm serious. Either the school needs to provide more support or the district needs to help the child find an alternate setting such as an ED/BD room or a cross cat room or something. Good luck to you.
Anonymous
12/09/2019 07:31
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
NP here. I’d recommend switching within teaching. Technology teacher, ESL, resource, gifted pullouts, anything where you are not the main classroom teacher.
DW and I have looked into a few of these. Our district (FCPS) doesn't have technology teachers, but I guess the closest thing would be the school based tech specialist. Wouldn't ESL require an additional degree? An advanced academic resource teacher (AART) does the gifted pullouts (and a lot more) and requires an additional certification or endorsement. I have the endorsement, but to get a position as an AART you need to teach a number of years in an AAP classroom.
I’m in Loudoun. We have a tech teacher in each ES. ESL requires something but they are so hard up they allow you to teach provisionally until you finish it. I am SAHM looking to go back and my 5th grade teacher friend says ESL is the best kept secret. Resource is a great gig too but requires Sped endorsement. Another friend is AART in FFx and loves it.
Does the teach teacher teach classes? In my building we don't have someone to teach computer classes and we don't have a computer lab. Computers are scarce. Our resource positions such as math resource don't require a Sped endorsement, but there aren't many of them and I get the feeling they usually hire from the younger set, but that seems to be a good option. Remember, we are talking about someone with 25 years of teaching so by the time that person gets the AAP endorsement and teaches 3-5 years in an AAP classroom, he/she will be pretty darn close to retiring anyhow.
Yes, in Loudoun tech is a special (1x a week) and teaches classes. We have a comp lab. We also have 2 FT resource teachers, ours are in their 40’s. I’m just throwing out options in general. I agree at 25 years you may be stuck until retirement.
That’s great that you have those resources in LCPS! We don’t have those at my FCPS ES.
Anonymous
12/08/2019 22:46
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
NP here. I’d recommend switching within teaching. Technology teacher, ESL, resource, gifted pullouts, anything where you are not the main classroom teacher.
DW and I have looked into a few of these. Our district (FCPS) doesn't have technology teachers, but I guess the closest thing would be the school based tech specialist. Wouldn't ESL require an additional degree? An advanced academic resource teacher (AART) does the gifted pullouts (and a lot more) and requires an additional certification or endorsement. I have the endorsement, but to get a position as an AART you need to teach a number of years in an AAP classroom.
I’m in Loudoun. We have a tech teacher in each ES. ESL requires something but they are so hard up they allow you to teach provisionally until you finish it. I am SAHM looking to go back and my 5th grade teacher friend says ESL is the best kept secret. Resource is a great gig too but requires Sped endorsement. Another friend is AART in FFx and loves it.
Does the teach teacher teach classes? In my building we don't have someone to teach computer classes and we don't have a computer lab. Computers are scarce. Our resource positions such as math resource don't require a Sped endorsement, but there aren't many of them and I get the feeling they usually hire from the younger set, but that seems to be a good option. Remember, we are talking about someone with 25 years of teaching so by the time that person gets the AAP endorsement and teaches 3-5 years in an AAP classroom, he/she will be pretty darn close to retiring anyhow.
Yes, in Loudoun tech is a special (1x a week) and teaches classes. We have a comp lab. We also have 2 FT resource teachers, ours are in their 40’s. I’m just throwing out options in general. I agree at 25 years you may be stuck until retirement.
Anonymous
12/08/2019 21:04
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
NP here. I’d recommend switching within teaching. Technology teacher, ESL, resource, gifted pullouts, anything where you are not the main classroom teacher.
DW and I have looked into a few of these. Our district (FCPS) doesn't have technology teachers, but I guess the closest thing would be the school based tech specialist. Wouldn't ESL require an additional degree? An advanced academic resource teacher (AART) does the gifted pullouts (and a lot more) and requires an additional certification or endorsement. I have the endorsement, but to get a position as an AART you need to teach a number of years in an AAP classroom.
I’m in Loudoun. We have a tech teacher in each ES. ESL requires something but they are so hard up they allow you to teach provisionally until you finish it. I am SAHM looking to go back and my 5th grade teacher friend says ESL is the best kept secret. Resource is a great gig too but requires Sped endorsement. Another friend is AART in FFx and loves it.
Does the teach teacher teach classes? In my building we don't have someone to teach computer classes and we don't have a computer lab. Computers are scarce. Our resource positions such as math resource don't require a Sped endorsement, but there aren't many of them and I get the feeling they usually hire from the younger set, but that seems to be a good option. Remember, we are talking about someone with 25 years of teaching so by the time that person gets the AAP endorsement and teaches 3-5 years in an AAP classroom, he/she will be pretty darn close to retiring anyhow.
Anonymous
12/08/2019 20:48
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
NP here. I’d recommend switching within teaching. Technology teacher, ESL, resource, gifted pullouts, anything where you are not the main classroom teacher.
DW and I have looked into a few of these. Our district (FCPS) doesn't have technology teachers, but I guess the closest thing would be the school based tech specialist. Wouldn't ESL require an additional degree? An advanced academic resource teacher (AART) does the gifted pullouts (and a lot more) and requires an additional certification or endorsement. I have the endorsement, but to get a position as an AART you need to teach a number of years in an AAP classroom.
I’m in Loudoun. We have a tech teacher in each ES. ESL requires something but they are so hard up they allow you to teach provisionally until you finish it. I am SAHM looking to go back and my 5th grade teacher friend says ESL is the best kept secret. Resource is a great gig too but requires Sped endorsement. Another friend is AART in FFx and loves it.
Anonymous
12/08/2019 20:24
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
NP here. I’d recommend switching within teaching. Technology teacher, ESL, resource, gifted pullouts, anything where you are not the main classroom teacher.
DW and I have looked into a few of these. Our district (FCPS) doesn't have technology teachers, but I guess the closest thing would be the school based tech specialist. Wouldn't ESL require an additional degree? An advanced academic resource teacher (AART) does the gifted pullouts (and a lot more) and requires an additional certification or endorsement. I have the endorsement, but to get a position as an AART you need to teach a number of years in an AAP classroom.
Anonymous
12/08/2019 19:20
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
Where in NoVa is the only private option Catholic schools?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
Anonymous
12/08/2019 19:16
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?
NP here. I’d recommend switching within teaching. Technology teacher, ESL, resource, gifted pullouts, anything where you are not the main classroom teacher.
Anonymous
12/08/2019 19:14
Subject: Re:teachers and anti anxiety meds and or therapy
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I did therapy and took drugs. I also tried part time. The only thing that worked was changing settings. I now teach in a private school. I don’t need therapy or medication anymore. I am a new person. No job is worth falling apart for, and even the small pay cut I took is insignificant now that I don’t need regular therapy and psychiatrist visits!
This is sensible, but the frequent posters don’t want to hear it. It takes guts and effort to leave a bad situation. Easier to stay and complain.
In my area, the only private schools available are Catholic schools. Currently, I make 80K a year. If I were to leave for Catholic school, I'd make 30K and instead of my pension being about 50K a year when I retire, it'll only be about 30K a year. It takes more than guts and effort to leave a bad teaching situation. It takes a wealthy spouse which some of us do not have! This isn't like complaining that one's commute it too long. I have two kids headed to college, a mortgage and need to continue to add to my retirement (on top of pension contributions).
Is public school teaching the best job in your town? What do your kids get if you have a debilitating stroke from the extreme stress? Do you know that antidepressants can affect your liver and kidneys?
I really don’t understand this. NP here. I’m in Northern VA. What would a teacher with 25 years of experience switch to that would even come close to being a substitute for salary, benefits and retirement?