Normally tonight I am picking out a new outfit for my first day of school…stressing about whether I am prepared enough…worrying about whether they will be chaos and anarchy or whether I will keep control of a room of 30 teenagers divided into 82 minute blocks, rehearsing my opening speeches to them, going over classroom rules and expectations, and lastly having that crazy dream where I cant find my classes, my kids cant figure out where to go and we end the week with no one knowing anything because Ive been lost all week lol. I am still anxious, and nervous…Im terrified about what it will look like when and if we finally go back because I have never worked through a full blown strike before…I have never had to prepare to start teaching a class after September 2nd…can I switch gears mentally? Can I figure it out again? I am anxious that we will never go back, or that if we go back before a contract we will have made the worst move…but that if we dont go back well all be financially devastated. Im anxious that parents will hate us again…weve never had such high public approval…Ive never been more proud to tell random people that I am a teacher in a public school (normally I avoid it…I dont need to hear what I do is wrong and that Im greedy). I am sad that I live in a province where a government was elected that is so quick to bully teachers and to lie and to treat my son and my students like second class citizens because they cant afford to attend private schools. I feel anxious that in the face of this government we will never get good working and learning conditions…that they just dont care…I fluctuate between hope that we will figure this out and despair that they will break this system and they will win. I wish all my teacher friends and parents who are walking the line with us tomorrow all the strength and courage to face this government. Please dont stop writing to your MLAs…please dont give up on public education…the alternative is too horrible to imagine. Tomorrow I will work my 8 hour shift, trying to find some optimism so that I can spread that to my members…it gets harder and harder. We all need to remember that we are in this together…and we need to watch what we say and how we say it because more than anything we all need support right now, and parents need it too…they have kids who were excited to see us again, as we were excited to see them…and they are dealing with that heartbreak. My son isnt one of them…hes torn between recognizing that Im completely broke, but really not caring if he ever goes back to school lol. Hope tomorrow brings something new and good for us all…#iwillholdtheline In solidarity,
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 03:53:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015