If you know you know

This is written purely for me to get it off my chest. No names were used on purpose and not a mention of where I worked so if you know, please keep it to yourself. This is the conversation that took place and my side. Yes I know there are two sides to every story.

I play things close to my chest so if you already know this, you are one of the few I trust with my life. 

I was unceremoniously fired from my job simply because I kept pointing out that state law was being broken and because the director of the school has never seemed to like me. The nice way of saying it is difference of opinion on how classroom ratios were handled. 

I could play out the whole morning it happened but honestly there was plenty of signs before that the excuses were just found that day. The main issue ratio has been an issue basically since I started there a year ago February.

Here’s how that morning played out:

I count the kids in my room as the teacher next door counts hers and we figure out how to be in ratio as our ratio is 1 adult to 6 kids. Within a few minutes a bunch of kids show up for the room next door putting her a few over ratio. She’s a newish teacher so she asked me what to do and I said call the front; she did multiple times and no one answered.

All of a sudden the director comes in and says “stop checking kids in” 

Me: (I could have been nicer about how I said it but I was tired of this being a daily occurrence) I’m not… and it doesn’t matter, we are over ratio 

Director: then who is checking them in?

Me: I don’t know (I totally did, but I don’t play that game

Director: why didn’t you call, it comes to my phone I didn’t get any calls 

Me: I just went to 7 kids, but I watched “teacher next door” with my own two eyes call multiple times so yes someone called

Director: I can’t deal with the yelling 

They send another teacher next door I send the kids that belonged there back, with in a few minutes my room is over ratio. I this time I did check my 7th kid in, took off her jacket, got her setttled and then went about sending one of my kids next door. While I was doing rhis rhe director came in and just stood at ehe gate, I didn’t even know she was there until after I put one of the kids in the room next door. 

I go about my day like normal until one of the teachers from my room comes to me and says “they want to see you in the office, it’s probably about this morning just so you know” I said thanks and walked back towards my classroom where the director and curriculum coordinator happened to be standing at the gate into the room. The kids see me and squealed with delight as they normally do. Director and curriculum coordinator turn around and we walk to the hallway, not an office but the literal hallway outside my classroom. 

Director: we are sorry you are so upset but we think your time with us is done

Me: thinking *did she just fire me?* and once my brain figured it out I was mad as fuck and everyone knew it. 

Director lists off bullshit excuses of how I didn’t interact with the kids, to which I vehemently replied that’s all I do to the point I apologize to the other teachers for not cleaning so she amended the comment to be “between 7-8” aka when the kids are getting dropped off and all these ratio problems happen. I was told I didn’t change diapers, also bullshit and I pointed out that they needed to make up their minds as to when diapers where supposed to be done. I then realized that I didn’t need to have this pointlessly conversation of defending myself and said “am I employed here anymore?” To which I got a no so I said this conversation is pointless and done. I was told because of a comment that I made in the heat of things that my attitude “of being sorry for those left after wasn’t needed” 

I had gotten a raise the week before so that 50 cent raise was thrown in my face as if it was God’s gift mankind and I should be grateful that even gave it to me. After that the director kept talking at me and I said I don’t work here anymore do I, she said no but don’t you want to know about payment. I said you’re paying me until today, correct and she said yes and then showed me the door. 

Could I have handled it better, absolutely did I need to get my Irish up and “yell” probably not, but after weeks and weeks of being out of ratio one doesn’t really care. 

So that’s the calm version of what happened. I’m currently looking for something else but I don’t even know if I want to stay in education or just something monotonous to do.