Today was our end of the year meeting/celebration for my ESL study group. It was the most fabulous meeting I have ever been to. It was held at the Water Street Restaurant in DUMBO and after a few short presentations we had a delicious lunch (paid for by a book company that gave us a presentation). After the meeting I walked around the waterfront and took some pictures before returning to school (because I had a paid PD I needed to get back for).
At the meeting I talked to my supervisor/ELL specialist/CLSO-whatever-you-call-her about how I wanted to move to teaching Kindergarten. She thought that was a great idea and asked if it was a self contained ESL. I said no, just a regular class. I told her about the whole situation with my principal saying she couldn't post a vacancy. She replied that she could and SHOULD post it on the open market. She also said that she would try to send some ESL teachers my way. She had a suggestion for me as well. She said that I could have all of the incoming Kindergarten ELLs in my class (along with some other students) and I could have a self-contained ESL kindergarten (my ideal class). This would lighten the load of the pull-out ESL teacher who would then only have to service grades 1-5. A good situation all around, in my opinion.
When I got back to school I relayed all these ideas to my principal. She interjected ways that it wasn't possible and I countered with how it was since I was told by our district ESL know-it-all that it was!! I also told her firmly that I CANNOT teach the same thing again next year. I am in a rut doing the same thing three years in a row! I am a kind of person who needs CHANGE! (She tried to get me to distinguish between 'unhappy' and 'in a rut' "because they are different." I can't distinguish between the two because it is both, I told her.) She listened to everything that I had to say and said she would consider it and get back to me by the end of the week.
I really hope this works because I seriously need a change for next year. Oh, and at the meeting I gave my email address to two schools that need self-contained ESL teachers for next year. Networking, networking.
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8 comments:
I would have your district ESL person (or who it was you spoke to and they stated it was possible to have a self-contained class) put what she said IN WRITING both to your Principal and yourself. Have her outline the ways the vacancy can be created, using the appropriate 'system' and have this person state that there may be active ESL teachers looking to move schools, and some who (may) be interested specifically in your school.
Tessa (and hope you found my response to your email useful!)
She doesn't seem to particularly interested in you and your wishes. That's a concern.
BTW, you know that they are hiring in Marrakech:)
I hope you get the position you want... half of teaching is believing you are supposed to be in that space. Otherwise, it's just too hard to stay.
This just proves to me that I was correct about your principal not wanting to post a vacancy.
Be careful- administrators don't like it when you know more than they do. She's not going to like it that you spoke about the situation with your district ESL person, because they don't like when you talk outside of your building.
Have you tried emailing people at TFA to check about vacancies? A lot of times schools will email them and ask to hire alums.
Jeff Anderson and Cara Velope do alumni stuff - Jeff is mostly school leadership, but you could email both of them.
Have you tried emailing people at TFA to check about vacancies? A lot of times schools will email them and ask to hire alums.
Jeff Anderson and Cara Velope do alumni stuff - Jeff is mostly school leadership, but you could email both of them.
Miss G,
I did not know that. Thanks for the tip. I really wasn't serious about changing schools but maybe I should be.
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