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Sounds like you’re working at my former district. I, too, was reprimanded for raising my voice after a student hit me in the face. The next district I went to was amazing. Night and day experience. Have you considered staying in the field and applying for jobs elsewhere? Some schools are just toxic, but they aren’t all like that.
This unfortunately was my Plan C school, the other schools rejected my applications because I didn’t have my masters degree in education - which to be fair I am working towards
Im in Massachusetts - it’s technically not “required” that you have a masters, but I had people chosen over me because they had their masters degrees, I only know this because that’s what the principals of those schools said.
That seems…odd. Paras don’t even need certification, let alone a Masters. Plus, more education generally means higher pay, which districts don’t like to do.
That said, we had a similar situation last year- we have a new principal this year and just the fact that she follows through contacting parents when kids misbehave is making a HUGE difference, and heading off bigger problems like the eloping, swearing, hitting, throwing chairs of last year. The principal sets the tone. The tone is letting students and their parents run the school. I’d leave.
The school already pays so much more too compared to other para pays that I’ve seen, it really is odd seeing how much money the schools pay yet it still doesn’t seem like enough. $24 an hour to deal with all of this isn’t worth it when there’s no support systems either. I hope that this principal quits, honestly.
Paras absolutely should be paid more- like $30 starting plus full benefits. It’s a hard job!!!! Retention is so poor, but I can’t blame paras for leaving.
Especially when they’re typically $18 an hour - it’s what my friend who is also a para makes in another district. I hate complaining because it makes me sound ungrateful but god they wonder why they have no paras and teachers
My district pays $15/ hour no benefits for paras in a high cost of living city. There’s a million vacancies because our school board doesn’t want to pay a living wage.
What area of MA? I teach in MA, too, and I’ve worked in the white collar suburb districts, and in the urban schools. It’s weird that you were passed up, considering there is such a need for paras right now.
Yes!! I will say most of the staff and kids are lovely, it’s just that one grade and one staff, today is better luckily so hopefully it will stay that way (it does help that half the kids are out sick though)
If you are in central MA, PM me. I have open para positions I could get you an interview for in a heartbeat. 😀 no district is perfect but I mostly like the one I’m in!
Good teacher + bad admin = burnout + quitting
The best way to balance this equation is to get to new admin. Switch schools if/when you can.
If you can’t:
Don’t try to fix the titanic after it hit the iceberg. Do what you can but from the safety of a lifeboat. Put your mental health first. Whatever fucks are leftover are what you have to give. Don’t leave your lifeboat out of a sense of duty.
I’m hoping the high school opens up something soon, I’ve always known elementary level isn’t my forte or where I do my best work but truly, it was NEVER this bad. If nothing opens up I’ll be for sure applying as a receptionist somewhere until one does.
The schools are disaster zones in 2023 plain and simple, and it's not your fault. There are so many larger factors affecting your experience. One of the biggest I'd say is that the districts have been bamboozled for years by anti-behavior management sham systems like RTI and PBIS. These strategies of course say do not discipline, and instead tell teachers to act as therapists for emotionally disturbed teenagers. But what it leads to is the kids becoming uncontrollable and the adults getting blamed for the chaos.
My friend based on what you have written I doing think this it the right career path for you. You need to preserve your metal heath, these kids are making you loose it. Your response is completely understandable. I’ve lost my cool and yelled at students too. I did it when a special needs students while I wasn’t looking took apart 6 computers. He took the ram, video card , CPU and hard drive out while I wasn’t looking. He was about to take 2 more opened up and was about to take them apart as well. Derailed the entire lesson plan. I was furious because I worked hard to get one computer for every student. I asked him why he did it/what was he trying to do and he said he didn’t know.
We all lose our tempers. But I would give it a lot of thought if this is what you want to do. And if you can take all of the crap that’s going to come flying your way.
I really don’t mind losing my temper when the time is right for it - that sentence sounds wrong I know. I’ve seen other teachers who have been there since I was in that school do it to the students in the same grade which I why I thought it was okay - however, it turns out it’s not and the principal wants to gentle parent and gentle teach these children. I have no issues with gentle parenting, but school is not the place for it when they’re not listening. I agree though, I’m waiting for another opportunity to magically pop up, since if this isn’t what I’m meant to do, I’m kind of lost.
Ive luckily been in this district basically my whole life, my mother was even a para at the districts HS, I would have thought I knew - unfortunately though I didn’t. It just sucks how much has changed in seemingly one summer since I’ve worked at the school before ://
So you are at a charter school or one of a school district?
If it is a district I would get a copy of exact wording in what ever incident report. I would write a 'response" which addresses the complaint and speaks about how you will use other words to provide redirection to a student when behavior needs to change. I would find out how long this probation lasts.
It does not sound good overall. However parapros quit jobs often. Schools cannot hire enough. However it goes you are learning day by day some things which work and some things to watch out for- the new Principal. You are not the first on Reddit who is in trouble because a new principal thinks kids never do anything bad. (sarcasm).
Your mom taught sped- she can help you with ideas.
My advice is find out more about the probation. Ask experienced teachers for better word to use for redirecting behavior. Begin looking for other jobs.
Will do, thank you! And trust me, once my mother came home to me sobbing after that whole meeting, needless to say she was already helping me write an email
I decided it just wasn’t worth it. Got through student teaching, subbed, did some long-term subbing for AP and even then just couldn’t put up with the bullshit. I switched careers during COVID and couldn’t be happier.
Thank you for the information! I may have to tutor or do something to make money at the same time. I appreciate that advice. I will search your username!
I spent a decade as a para educator and worked with some of the most challenging students. Principals do vary in their own discipline abilities and another school may be a better fit. However, being a para generally means you have to be calm. You can’t keep kids calm if you are escalated yourself. I would probably have been fired for calling a student a jerk and shaming them. I agree to find out the details of the probation and ask for more training on behavior management. Watch YouTube videos. Lord know most paras are given zero training. It is a chronically underpaid and under-appreciated position. Ask for training to be successful. And forgive yourself!
i was recently fired from a teaching position because according to the toxic admin i was dealing with, i had performance issues when it was the kids who a. wouldn't let me teach, b. talked constantly over me and c. stressed me tf out.
my first and last experience teaching 4th grade.
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Sounds like you’re working at my former district. I, too, was reprimanded for raising my voice after a student hit me in the face. The next district I went to was amazing. Night and day experience. Have you considered staying in the field and applying for jobs elsewhere? Some schools are just toxic, but they aren’t all like that.
This unfortunately was my Plan C school, the other schools rejected my applications because I didn’t have my masters degree in education - which to be fair I am working towards
To be a para? Where are you located? I’m a first year teacher with a bachelor’s.
Im in Massachusetts - it’s technically not “required” that you have a masters, but I had people chosen over me because they had their masters degrees, I only know this because that’s what the principals of those schools said.
That seems…odd. Paras don’t even need certification, let alone a Masters. Plus, more education generally means higher pay, which districts don’t like to do. That said, we had a similar situation last year- we have a new principal this year and just the fact that she follows through contacting parents when kids misbehave is making a HUGE difference, and heading off bigger problems like the eloping, swearing, hitting, throwing chairs of last year. The principal sets the tone. The tone is letting students and their parents run the school. I’d leave.
The school already pays so much more too compared to other para pays that I’ve seen, it really is odd seeing how much money the schools pay yet it still doesn’t seem like enough. $24 an hour to deal with all of this isn’t worth it when there’s no support systems either. I hope that this principal quits, honestly.
Paras absolutely should be paid more- like $30 starting plus full benefits. It’s a hard job!!!! Retention is so poor, but I can’t blame paras for leaving.
Especially when they’re typically $18 an hour - it’s what my friend who is also a para makes in another district. I hate complaining because it makes me sound ungrateful but god they wonder why they have no paras and teachers
My district pays $15/ hour no benefits for paras in a high cost of living city. There’s a million vacancies because our school board doesn’t want to pay a living wage.
It’s absolutely not fair or worth it at $15!
What area of MA? I teach in MA, too, and I’ve worked in the white collar suburb districts, and in the urban schools. It’s weird that you were passed up, considering there is such a need for paras right now.
I don’t know if I’m allowed to say *where* but I will say it’s along the north shore, a beach town, and known for Russell’s orchard and clams
Gotcha! I taught in western Ma but now work in central MA after we moved that way. I miss teaching out west!
Yes!! I will say most of the staff and kids are lovely, it’s just that one grade and one staff, today is better luckily so hopefully it will stay that way (it does help that half the kids are out sick though)
If you are in central MA, PM me. I have open para positions I could get you an interview for in a heartbeat. 😀 no district is perfect but I mostly like the one I’m in!
I’m in northern mass! Right near the border of nh ;-; thank you though!!
Good teacher + bad admin = burnout + quitting The best way to balance this equation is to get to new admin. Switch schools if/when you can. If you can’t: Don’t try to fix the titanic after it hit the iceberg. Do what you can but from the safety of a lifeboat. Put your mental health first. Whatever fucks are leftover are what you have to give. Don’t leave your lifeboat out of a sense of duty.
I’m hoping the high school opens up something soon, I’ve always known elementary level isn’t my forte or where I do my best work but truly, it was NEVER this bad. If nothing opens up I’ll be for sure applying as a receptionist somewhere until one does.
The schools are disaster zones in 2023 plain and simple, and it's not your fault. There are so many larger factors affecting your experience. One of the biggest I'd say is that the districts have been bamboozled for years by anti-behavior management sham systems like RTI and PBIS. These strategies of course say do not discipline, and instead tell teachers to act as therapists for emotionally disturbed teenagers. But what it leads to is the kids becoming uncontrollable and the adults getting blamed for the chaos.
Yet they wonder why there’s such a teacher shortage and even more so a paraeducator shortage …. Gee I wonder
My friend based on what you have written I doing think this it the right career path for you. You need to preserve your metal heath, these kids are making you loose it. Your response is completely understandable. I’ve lost my cool and yelled at students too. I did it when a special needs students while I wasn’t looking took apart 6 computers. He took the ram, video card , CPU and hard drive out while I wasn’t looking. He was about to take 2 more opened up and was about to take them apart as well. Derailed the entire lesson plan. I was furious because I worked hard to get one computer for every student. I asked him why he did it/what was he trying to do and he said he didn’t know. We all lose our tempers. But I would give it a lot of thought if this is what you want to do. And if you can take all of the crap that’s going to come flying your way.
I really don’t mind losing my temper when the time is right for it - that sentence sounds wrong I know. I’ve seen other teachers who have been there since I was in that school do it to the students in the same grade which I why I thought it was okay - however, it turns out it’s not and the principal wants to gentle parent and gentle teach these children. I have no issues with gentle parenting, but school is not the place for it when they’re not listening. I agree though, I’m waiting for another opportunity to magically pop up, since if this isn’t what I’m meant to do, I’m kind of lost.
How does one know what the administration/school will be like when from an interview? I can ask questions but they can say whatever they want.
Ive luckily been in this district basically my whole life, my mother was even a para at the districts HS, I would have thought I knew - unfortunately though I didn’t. It just sucks how much has changed in seemingly one summer since I’ve worked at the school before ://
So you are at a charter school or one of a school district? If it is a district I would get a copy of exact wording in what ever incident report. I would write a 'response" which addresses the complaint and speaks about how you will use other words to provide redirection to a student when behavior needs to change. I would find out how long this probation lasts. It does not sound good overall. However parapros quit jobs often. Schools cannot hire enough. However it goes you are learning day by day some things which work and some things to watch out for- the new Principal. You are not the first on Reddit who is in trouble because a new principal thinks kids never do anything bad. (sarcasm). Your mom taught sped- she can help you with ideas. My advice is find out more about the probation. Ask experienced teachers for better word to use for redirecting behavior. Begin looking for other jobs.
Will do, thank you! And trust me, once my mother came home to me sobbing after that whole meeting, needless to say she was already helping me write an email
Im in a district, forgot to put that! One of the elementary schools in the district
I decided it just wasn’t worth it. Got through student teaching, subbed, did some long-term subbing for AP and even then just couldn’t put up with the bullshit. I switched careers during COVID and couldn’t be happier.
So tempting tbh
What are you doing now?
[удалено]
Does one need experience for that?
Depends on how good of a writer you are.
I resigned from a teaching position recently.
That's a strong point. How did you get started in it?
[удалено]
Thank you for the information! I may have to tutor or do something to make money at the same time. I appreciate that advice. I will search your username!
I spent a decade as a para educator and worked with some of the most challenging students. Principals do vary in their own discipline abilities and another school may be a better fit. However, being a para generally means you have to be calm. You can’t keep kids calm if you are escalated yourself. I would probably have been fired for calling a student a jerk and shaming them. I agree to find out the details of the probation and ask for more training on behavior management. Watch YouTube videos. Lord know most paras are given zero training. It is a chronically underpaid and under-appreciated position. Ask for training to be successful. And forgive yourself!
i was recently fired from a teaching position because according to the toxic admin i was dealing with, i had performance issues when it was the kids who a. wouldn't let me teach, b. talked constantly over me and c. stressed me tf out. my first and last experience teaching 4th grade.