I just got my last paycheck.
For three days I was paid $198.75. Not too bad huh? The government took $150 in federal taxes along with $2.86 for Medicare (that I will probably never be able to use) and $12.32 for Social Security (ditto).
Grand total for my last week of work where I worked all day PLUS one whole evening due to the graduation:
$33.55
That's about 85% straight to the government.
WTF?
And they tell me we get a tax break because we work for a church.
The hell.
And I got four end-of-school gifts out of fourteen students.
I don't teach to get gifts, I actually really, really love it and I am really, really good at it. My boss even told me I was the best one there, so there's your proof. But. How hard would it be to write a sentence telling me thank you on an index card as you're walking out the door? Teachers do need that because their paycheck isn't giving them the warm fuzzies.
PLEASE remember your teachers on the last day of school. I know we just had Mother's Day and Teacher Appreciation and Father's Day is coming up and you want to go on vacation this summer, but PLEASE if you had a good teacher let them know you thought so somehow so they stay there.
I am doing one of two things next year:
Quitting
Or
Posting this paycheck stub at the entrance of my classroom just so they see what teachers sacrifice to educate their children.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Saturday, May 07, 2016
It's My Blog and I'll Cry if I Want to.......
Ugh.
I swear I must be going through menopause. If so, at least give me the joy of never buying tampons again. I guess I just get the crappy part.
I am pissed off this week. No one knows it because I wouldn't be a good mother, teacher, wife, friend if I let that out, so that's why I keep the blog I guess.
Let me first start by saying: I LOVE MY JOB! It deserves all caps. I really, really do. It's almost a volunteer position but I love my job.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Who the hell came up with this?
ONE day for Mothers Day and a whole freaking week for teachers?
You would think I would be all over this but NO, I am not.
I spent $164 bucks on Elizabeth's teacher and French teacher and Adam's three teachers PLUS his two band teachers (whole other story, but they totally deserved it). Never mind that I did absolutely nothing for Jacob's seven high school teachers because by then I was just so hopelessly overwhelmed I could not even remember their names (I will hook them up at the end of the year). I didn't do much more than a candy bar, a bag of chips, some school supplies and a very low amount gift card in a thank-you card. $164. The same week as Mother's Day.
Dear, Whoever-Came-Up-With-This-And-Makes-The-Rules, please separate these holidays. Some of us don't have well paying jobs. Thank you.
No. You don't have to do anything for the teachers, but here's the list of what we are doing every day. Please let your teacher know you appreciate her said the mass emails. Of course you have to get something. Who wants to be the only family appearing unappreciative?
My student's families. I guess they have no problem appearing unappreciative.
You know how that makes a preschool teacher feel when the "real teachers" get a gift but you don't because, "it's just preschool"? You feel like a babysitter. I feel like my student's parents think of me as their babysitter and it really does make me feel unappreciated.
When is Babysitters Day?
I do have to say a handful did bring a small token and the best were the notes, sweet ones from the kids but heartfelt ones from the moms just saying, hey, thanks. That's all I needed. Thanks for getting my child from knowing no letters to reading small words. Thanks. Thanks for cleaning my kid's puke off of him after I sent him to school with a 101 degree fever thinking it was just allergies. (Yeah right) Thanks. Thanks for not yelling at my kid when he wiped his nose on your pant leg. Thanks for getting completely soaked in a flooding rainstorm to walk my child to the other side of the car when I locked the door and screamed at you to go around away from the dry overhang because, HEY, that's easiest FOR ME. Thanks.
I get that they pay tuition and feel like they shouldn't have to pony up more money but what they do not realize is that I just spent almost fifty bucks on picture frames and printing of the graduation pictures so they could have a nice graduation gift. My school did not pay for that. That butter your kids had so much fun making, I spent $10 on the cream and $7 on the baby food so each child could have their own jar to take home to YOU to share. That memory book you love so much? I spent $137 on photo developing and $77 on scrapbooking supplies to make that happen. That was an entire paycheck for me. I got $30 to spend on classroom supplies at the beginning of the year. I bought a lesson plan book and a bulletin board set. Everything else that made the room pretty throughout the year came from my Discover card. The birthday book each child gets, made by me. At home, while my own children are doing their homework. While I frequently ignore them because, I am making that damn birthday book. I could list so much more, but I have lesson plans to finish and name sheets to scan, animal paper plates to go buy because wouldn't it be fun to have them for Animal week next week?
I really don't think Teacher Appreciation Week should be a thing. No one should have to be told to show your teacher that they are appreciated. People who are appreciative have already shown it.
I swear I must be going through menopause. If so, at least give me the joy of never buying tampons again. I guess I just get the crappy part.
I am pissed off this week. No one knows it because I wouldn't be a good mother, teacher, wife, friend if I let that out, so that's why I keep the blog I guess.
Let me first start by saying: I LOVE MY JOB! It deserves all caps. I really, really do. It's almost a volunteer position but I love my job.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Who the hell came up with this?
ONE day for Mothers Day and a whole freaking week for teachers?
You would think I would be all over this but NO, I am not.
I spent $164 bucks on Elizabeth's teacher and French teacher and Adam's three teachers PLUS his two band teachers (whole other story, but they totally deserved it). Never mind that I did absolutely nothing for Jacob's seven high school teachers because by then I was just so hopelessly overwhelmed I could not even remember their names (I will hook them up at the end of the year). I didn't do much more than a candy bar, a bag of chips, some school supplies and a very low amount gift card in a thank-you card. $164. The same week as Mother's Day.
Dear, Whoever-Came-Up-With-This-And-Makes-The-Rules, please separate these holidays. Some of us don't have well paying jobs. Thank you.
No. You don't have to do anything for the teachers, but here's the list of what we are doing every day. Please let your teacher know you appreciate her said the mass emails. Of course you have to get something. Who wants to be the only family appearing unappreciative?
My student's families. I guess they have no problem appearing unappreciative.
You know how that makes a preschool teacher feel when the "real teachers" get a gift but you don't because, "it's just preschool"? You feel like a babysitter. I feel like my student's parents think of me as their babysitter and it really does make me feel unappreciated.
When is Babysitters Day?
I do have to say a handful did bring a small token and the best were the notes, sweet ones from the kids but heartfelt ones from the moms just saying, hey, thanks. That's all I needed. Thanks for getting my child from knowing no letters to reading small words. Thanks. Thanks for cleaning my kid's puke off of him after I sent him to school with a 101 degree fever thinking it was just allergies. (Yeah right) Thanks. Thanks for not yelling at my kid when he wiped his nose on your pant leg. Thanks for getting completely soaked in a flooding rainstorm to walk my child to the other side of the car when I locked the door and screamed at you to go around away from the dry overhang because, HEY, that's easiest FOR ME. Thanks.
I get that they pay tuition and feel like they shouldn't have to pony up more money but what they do not realize is that I just spent almost fifty bucks on picture frames and printing of the graduation pictures so they could have a nice graduation gift. My school did not pay for that. That butter your kids had so much fun making, I spent $10 on the cream and $7 on the baby food so each child could have their own jar to take home to YOU to share. That memory book you love so much? I spent $137 on photo developing and $77 on scrapbooking supplies to make that happen. That was an entire paycheck for me. I got $30 to spend on classroom supplies at the beginning of the year. I bought a lesson plan book and a bulletin board set. Everything else that made the room pretty throughout the year came from my Discover card. The birthday book each child gets, made by me. At home, while my own children are doing their homework. While I frequently ignore them because, I am making that damn birthday book. I could list so much more, but I have lesson plans to finish and name sheets to scan, animal paper plates to go buy because wouldn't it be fun to have them for Animal week next week?
I really don't think Teacher Appreciation Week should be a thing. No one should have to be told to show your teacher that they are appreciated. People who are appreciative have already shown it.
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