It’s that time of the school year. Time for reappointments — and displacements.
You have no control over whether your job gets cut. However, you do have control over your thoughts and behaviors when displacements are mentioned and occur.
Your job may be the victim of budget cuts, but that doesn’t mean YOU have to be the victim.
When a door closes, a window opens. Look for the window.
When my job was cut — twice during my career — I won’t say it didn’t hurt. It did. There was definitely a moment of “Oh boy. What am I gonna do now?” And, the second time, there was a longer moment of “I cannot believe my principal did this to ME.” After all he had begged me to change positions the year before.
However, once I stopped and looked for the window, I found it. Both times, I ended up in MUCH better places. The first time, I left a functioning middle school where I was teaching unmotivated 7th graders and landed in a brand new magnet school of fewer than 200 students — all of whom wanted to learn and had parents who wanted to be involved.
The second time, I had voluntarily left my 8th grade classroom for the media center at the same school. After one year in the media center, which I updated from an average book age of 1982 to 1997, the media specialist position was cut. I was offered a 6th grade position at the school, so I wasn’t technically displaced but I had never taught 6th grade and didn’t want to. So, I took a couple of breaths, looked around, and saw an open window.
I moved to my current position at a high school. I teach 9th grade, work with an amazing team of teachers, and work with the most incredible principal and administration I have ever experienced.
I’ve worked for a dozen different principals in half a dozen different schools. My current principal and administration are by far the best. That’s not to say the others were not good. They were. I have certainly been lucky in that respect. I’ll grant you that some were better than others, but none were terrible. Well, one was close. Anyway, none compare to the administration I now have.
This administration definitely runs the school. They respect the teachers. They respect the students. The students respect them. When the students don’t respect the teachers, the administration handles those situations quickly. Students are not allowed to disrupt class. If they do, the administration handles it. It isn’t a perfect school, by any means, but it is a terrific place to work. And, certainly, was an open window when my last position fell to budget cuts.
My last job was a victim of budget cuts. I was the beneficiary of that budget cut.
Look for the window. It’s there. It’s unlocked. You might need to lift it a bit, but it is open.
Don’t be a victim of budget cuts. Be the beneficiary.
Interesting blog about the scary reality of teaching today. Everything I read says don’t quit your job if you have one. Dr. Kent
I discovered that only veteran teachers who are still on the old “continuing contract” can actually be considered “displaced” now. Anyone hired since last year will simply be designated as “rehireable” from now on. Either way, we always need to look for the window. It is there, but sometimes it’s hidden behind a cloud or even drapes.
Thanks bunches for commenting, Dr. Kent. I really appreciate the response. Hope all is well with you.