Friday, April 29, 2011

For posterities sake...and my sanity.

I thought back on the week and realized there were a couple things I need to document so in 20 years I can look back and realize it wasn't as bad as it seemed at the time. Also, so my posterity can look back and say "Yep she was just as crazy as we thought she was." Just kidding. Hopefully they won't say that, but I do need to jot this down so I remember how I felt and I can look back and learn from it. Consider this to be a journal entry and ignore it if you don't want to read my blues...

To my future self and Posterity,

Remember a couple of posts back when I posted the mean email Jake's 4th grade teacher sent the whole class? Well, it's got nothing on the 2 she sent me personally. I will not post them here because it would be to lengthy. You will stumble across them somewhere in my file cabinet. It will be the file marked: "I only forgive these people because Heavenly Father is making me." (That is a joke, and very irreverent I know but I am just keeping it real and saying how I am feeling at this very moment. In a few days I will probably feel the same way...I mean be over it. Can anyone tell me how you do that cool thing where you type something and then make a line through it and then type something else? That would be extremely useful for me...) Any who, she sent an email to me saying Jake should have talked to her about an assignment before he left school on Thursday early...because he had to go to the doctor and wasn't feeling well. (He has some kind of a bug bite on his neck that has caused all the glands on that side to swell and be hard as a rock. It hurts to turn his head and he is now on what the pharmacist called, and I quote, "a whale of a dose". It is a dose usually reserved for adults, but the doctor felt we really needed to treat as if it is Lyme's Disease to be on the safe side. The pharmacist even called and spoke directly to the doctor to verify it was indeed the right dose...Fun times people! The poor kiddo has to take a HUGE horse pill twice a day for 14 days. We will get the lab work back next week, which I am sure will verify it isn't Lyme's Disease, but better safe than sorry...Back to the email). I was upset due to her poor choice of words, I read it to Aaron (it was his long day so I read it to him over the phone on his way from school to work..), we agreed on our response, and I hit the send button. (Again to long to post here...especially since this is already long enough...) I waited, checked my emails, waited some more, and then checked again...This went on until I finally hit the sack. When I woke up in the morning I figured I would check one more time...and there it was. A long, nasty, and critical email back. Critical (in a mean way) of MY CHILD. I pointed out in my email that he is intimidated by her and doesn't always feel comfortable talking to her because she cuts him off. In her email she actually said: "I listened to him (and walked with him) quite a bit on the trip yesterday, but even then it would be something he had already told me, or he would begin talking when the guide was talking to us or I wasn't quite finished with someone else and he would begin. It is very awkward sometimes on how to respond to him." Wow lady. He is 9 1/2, likes to talk, and on occasion gets excited and interrupts. In your 20 years of teaching is the first time you have come across this? Or are you just completely on the defensive and need to take a dig at a kid to make yourself feel better? I could go on, but I won't because it makes me want to send her an email saying: "You are a really big bully to all the kids in your class and the parents. But guess what lady? My child has never caused problems or gotten in trouble in your class. He does his homework and gets good grades. I am the class parent and have shelled out countless amounts of money and made sure everything is always taken care of for class events whether I can be there or not. I feel really bad for the children who are trouble makers, get bad grades, and have slacker parents. I wonder how you treat those poor kids, because you treat MY CHILD like crap"

I am giving myself a day before I respond, but I will respond. I am printing the emails and bringing them to talk to the Principal on Monday. I realize it will make no difference but it will make me feel better. If I had my choice Jake would only be back in his school long enough to pack up his desk, but there are laws on how many days you have to be in school and how much notice you have to give before you can home school. In the meantime we are literally counting down the days until school is over. There are 23 left. He still technically has 5 days he can miss so we will use them if we have to. On the last day we will throw a party that will rival the Royal wedding and we will be happy as can be. Until then I will cry myself to sleep on most nights, and toss and turn and feel an overwhelming guilt that I am making my child spend 7 hours of his day with Satan's Sister. That may be a little dramatic, but it did make me smile and I needed that. :) I am sure at some point she was an adequate teacher, but she is burnt out now. And Heaven knows that all 9 and 10 year old's and their parents are horrible, idiotic, and slack people so I guess I should cut her some slack. :) Now I feel even better. I have been called a doormat before and I admit I most definitely am-but this week I wasn't...It seems easier at times to be a doormat-but not when it comes to my baby. My mother bear instincts are lethal women, and you are messing with the wrong cub! :) Am I terrified of coming face to face with her because I finally told her how I feel? You bet I am...

Could my life be so much worse? Absolutely! I could have lost my home or worse yet loved ones in one of the horrible tornado's that hit our country this week. Some one in my family could have a terminal illness. We could be homeless. It can always be worse-I realize that and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for all he has blessed me with. But at this particular moment I needed to let it all out, feel a moment of pity for myself and family, and now I can move on. I am not proofreading this so ignore my ramblings if they make no sense...
Ahhhh. I feel so much better now.
Blogging is so much cheaper than therapy.
Okay, I am done.

4 comments:

  1. Carrie, I am so sorry about what you have been going through this school year with Jake's teacher. I can't believe what she wrote back to you!!! I totally understand what you mean about the mama bear coming out. I loved it when you said, "and she is messing with the wrong cub!". It really does make me wonder how she treats the other children in her class who are not as obedient. I think it is great that you are going to go to the principal and show her the emails. She needs to know what is going on in with that teacher. It is definitely hard work being a teacher but that does not give you the right to be so disrespectful to the children in your class or to the parents, especially a parent like you who is so supportive and helpful. Again, I'm so sorry you've had to go through this, but it will make you stronger and make next year that much better. :)

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  2. Oh dear. That teacher is not a keeper. Sorry it takes 23 days for you to be rid of her.

    On the other note, to make the little cross out thing...

    On the compose screen there is a little button at the top that has ABC crossed out. Highlight the words you want crossed out and hit that button. Easy peesy. Hope that helps you.

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  3. I am so sad about the bumps you are going through...but I love that you write about it like you do! Satan's Sister...how can I not laugh!!! I don't mean to find smiles in your trials but you sure know how to talk it through. You are going to have so much fun homeschooling! It will be challenging, but worthwhile challenges...not frustrating, out of control, dealing with grumpy people challenges (ok so maybe they will be like that but at least those grumpy people will be the ones you love!)
    love ya!

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  4. Keep on keeping on as Margie White says. Satan's sister!!! I'm smiling as I write. Keep writing Carrie...you have a gift. Don't forget to write down somewhere that Jake said he never got a chance to talk with his teacher on the class trip. Maybe that's one of the reasons he had such a wonderful day.
    OOOOHHHH! The Grandmother Nee bear is coming out in me.

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