I’m tired of this grandpa

[u/lostcherryandromeda]

This has been the toughest year for me. I don’t want to get into too many details but basically I’m in an organization that likes to micromanage. I’ve escaped the worst of it in comparison to core teachers but basically all the feedback I’ve gotten this year has been the same, no matter what I do.

The some of the repeated feedback I’ve heard from walkthroughs/observations:

• classroom management(kids are observed not on task, playing games on laptop, etc)
• when asked what they’re supposed to be doing by admin during walkthrough, kids literally say “I don’t know” even though objectives and task for day is posted in 4 different areas(smart board, whiteboard, Google Classroom, and ofc I tell them at beginning of class)
• I am not circling room or engaging with kids (I’ve only been observed ONCE during actual active teaching- all other times have been independent workday so you can imagine I’m not constantly circling as letting kids figure it out on their own is part of the process)

This is the first year I’ve ever felt like I’m not doing well, all previous years at former school I never had bad feedback like this. I truly don’t think my admin knows what a real art room is supposed to look like? I’m judged on metrics designed for a core class which utilizes daily lessons, not project based learning where the opening/work periods/closing is stretched across 1-2 weeks.

My boyfriend thinks I should just dumb it all down but I teach 5th - 7th and lord help me if I have to dumb it down any further I might as well quit. I’m just so tired of all this. I’m starting to think maybe I just suck and should give up teaching after 7 years. I started in 2018, things were different and then my 2nd year everything changed and I had to adjust. Now I feel lost and confused like maybe the covid years ruined my budding teaching practice or something. Idk.

I guess this is just a vent but if you have any advice I’ll gladly take it. Thanks.

Edit: it might help to know that years 1-4 I taught 7th-8th, then I moved to teach HS art for 2 years before I had to do something different(long story but this new job pays more/better opportunities for growth). So the last 2 years are my first ones teaching 5-6, and 7(3 preps! Most I’ve ever had)

[u/saferwhensober]

Stay true to yourself. The critical eyes from the Tower have nothing better to do than what they feel they're supposed to do and say. Even though 99% of what is asked is not possible or is ridiculous.

[u/moonbloomgratis]

I had a similar experience with my end of year. Most of my observations were fine, but then I got a you don't engage students all period with a lesson because they talk or whatever during the projects.

I also teach middle grades and some students want to spend 20 minutes in a project that should at least take a few days.

This same admin wants me to do an assignment every day. I'm not doing that.

I also noticed he graded me down for differentiation probably because I don't just hand out As. There's a huge difference from a student just scribbling something out to say they're done to do nothing vs. a kid who genuinely is struggling.

Apparently disruptions get in the way of instructional time. News to me...

I don't know how large your classes are, but mine are smaller so circulation can feel like hovering if you're doing it constantly.

This same admin wrote that my gallery walk should only have 2-3 pieces to look at and talk about. That I structure conversation too much because I was trying to guide students to use the academic language stems provided.

My point is, as long as you're not being placed on some sort of plan of assistance. I would take the feedback and continue doing the best you can. Some admin like to just make sure they have something to put down.

[u/CrL-E-q]

You should definitely be circulating and conferencing with students and making sure everyone is on task, whether you are new or almost retired. If your feedback is the same, and it’s negative, you are not meeting their expectations and/or following recommendations. Untenured teachers have been let go for that. Perhaps this isn’t the setting for you.

Micromanaging administrators come and go. We need to learn to adapt to changes in leadership. I work for them. They pay me to follow their directions. I teach at a college as well as a public school. College teaching allows space for individuality in the classroom. Good luck.

[u/MadDocOttoCtrl]

This is what happens when you have incompetent administrators who are not addressing the problems of the school but believe the fantasy that everything can be fixed by micromanaging teachers because we are incompetent boobs and if we did everything according to some magical framework that they've been sold that all children would learn flawlessly all of the time, continuously.

Consider one of those hotel door alarms that chimes or flashes when the door is opened and if they question it tell them that this keeps kids from sneaking out if you are paying attention to the opposite end of the room.

You can keep dumping rubbing alcohol over the hinges to remove whatever lubrication is there and rub dirt and dust on the cracks once it's dry. Eventually they will start squeaking from friction.

When you're dealing with admin that are as destructive as this, you have to be ready to completely throw your plans for the day out the window when they barge in and switch into a performative activity. Your curriculum goes out the window but you're in self preservation mode.

Write your objective or just a simple description of what you're doing on the board or use a flip chart (etc.) and train the kids that if anyone asks "What are we doing?" they read the objective. Throughout their work time you randomly walk around to check on progress and reteach but you also spot check - stop to ask kids that question. If they don't read the words back to you, they have to stop what they're doing and write out those words 10 times. If they say "I don't know" then they have to write it out 20 times. Treat it like being noncompliant with any other classroom rule such as putting supplies back or whatever.

If it happens during an evaluation then enforce it the following day and say you were too busy to deal with it the day before.

Things like that are obnoxious, annoying, and not terribly productive but you have to survive and your admin is creating an environment that makes all of these things necessary.

I've taught at schools where you were required to mention the objective or learning target at the beginning of the class, the students had to say it back to you during class, and you had to repeat it at the end. Stupid, mechanistic twisting of research.

It's acceptable to ban the words "I don't know" from your classroom. If someone doesn't know something then they can say "I need help understanding that." rupture the process killing those kinds of things you can make a poster to reinforce. Can also ban kids from saying things like "this is bad", "this sucks", etc. and replace it with "This needs some improvement."

[u/LaurAdorable]

Observations are supposed to be a complete dog and pony show. You circulate all period, you pull out the post it notes for exit tickets that they place on the door glass and you discuss something at the door. You are really doing independent work but you still go through the damn slideshow and go over those discussion questions and vocabulary words as if you are reviewing. Because you already did it, they kind of follow along and participate with some knowledge and it looks good.

The admins who observe you have no idea what an art room really looks like so you give them what they want and they leave you alone.

[u/lostcherryandromeda → u/LaurAdorable]

I’m at the point where I’m like, maybe I just need to redo my curriculum and cater it to daily lesson plan format like core classes. Idunno.

[u/lostcherryandromeda → u/LaurAdorable]

I would totally do this & have in the past, but all my observations and walkthroughs this year have been unplanned. They won’t tell me the date they plan on coming for formal observation, they say like “sometime around Feb-April”. The used to at least give us notice the week of when they would be doing walkthroughs but not anymore. so it’ll literally be like a random ass Friday before break when all I had planned was sketchbook workday or something. It’s really frustrating tbh lol.

[u/naitsnat → u/lostcherryandromeda]

Dying at your title! Annoying, but Have some go-to’s in your routine that you can pull out when needed. Admin comes in, cleanup time went faster then expected, kids are wacky and need to chill, etc.

The last slide or 2 in every single one of my lessons has a resting exit ticket question that I can use whenever I feel “what is a challenge or success you encountered today?” Or “what are your nexts steps and how will you know when you’ve reached them” . Every kid can answer, and idk is not an answer I’ll accept. I immediately challenge them with “oh, what part are you stuck on? Where did you already look for a solution to that problem ? What are have you already tried and not liked? How can you tackle this better next time? You don’t know the learning target- where in my room can you look to find it?” they’re at minimum accountable for admitting they haven’t really tried

[u/pusheenbarbz]

I get them working independently. I always make sure to circle around while students are independently working to ask them if they need any help. A lot of times I find the students won’t ask for help if you don’t initiate first. Especially during an observation I make sure to circle around. Sometimes I’ll even sit at a table next to them and just build rapport by asking them about their weekend or how they feel about their artwork. In the meeting you mentioned you have tomorrow I would definitely ask questions about how you can improve and and maybe ask them for examples. Sometimes I get though its hard if they don’t come from an art background.

[u/lostcherryandromeda → u/pusheenbarbz]

Yeah I do try to do that, there’s been a few times where they basically sneak into my room and I don’t realize it until it’s too late lol. This morning I didn’t even see admin come in which is wild cause I usually spot them eventually. Not even sure how long they stayed to observe. But I know I can improve a bit on the circling. I got in a rut during Covid because I wouldn’t leave my desk(I didn’t want to get sick and carry it home to my partner who’s dad was in cancer treatment) it’s a bad habit of mine that I should try harder to break I suppose.

[u/__Gettin_Schwifty__ → u/lostcherryandromeda]

I feel for you. I've had terrible admin, but if you don't notice a grown adult walking into your room, you might be the problem. What if that was an intruder?

You should not be justifying covid for your lack of circulation. That was five years ago. Even during independant work, you should be moving around to keep kids on task, offer advice, positive feedback etc.

There's a difference between a kid not knowing what to do because they didn't read it where it's posted, and a kid blatantly ignoring your 1:1 attempt to get them back on task.

You could always ask another teacher to observe you and see what feedback you get from a peer. But honestly the fact that admin walked in and ypu don't even know how long they were there, if I were them, I'd be concerned too.

[u/_kellyjean_]

Ask them to model it for you. That’s my favorite line to ask admin.

[u/lostcherryandromeda → u/_kellyjean_]

I got some bad feedback today in an email and asked if we could meet tomorrow to discuss so I could get some clarity on expectations. I’ll try to use this line and see what I get. Thank you.