The Squeaky Wheel

There has been a traveling teacher using my classroom on my conference period every year for the past four years. This means I cannot use my desk, pick up my phone, access my file cabinets, or use any other resource in the room to review, plan, prepare, write, or anything else one might do with an office hour. I usually sit in the "teachers lounge," with slapping copy machines, rumbling soda vending machines, and the conversations that have to be loud enough to rise above that din. Not much of a lounge; visions of sofas and coffee pots must be left at the theater.

I've asked to be rotated out of the traveling teacher parade (poor homeless wretches that they are) and have a real conference period this year. After all, isn't four years enough? But we're over-crowded, and there isn't much physical space to put teachers and students. This situation has not changed in the fifteen years I've worked here.

Yesterday my room was given to the Special Ed. department to conduct an in-service. I understood they were to be there from 10:30 until noon. Fine, I'll go have lunch. But when I walk in, the instructor told me she was setting up camp until 3:30. On the day before classes begin, I'm displaced from my room. With a new subject to prepare for.

Well, this is just too much. I've been nothing but sympathetic and accommodating, but now I'm exiled from my room on the day before school starts. I'm done being nice about this, and if it's the squeaky wheel what gets the greasing, that's just what I'm going to have to do.

I've tried to be nice, and sympathetic, and understanding, and patient. But this was the straw that has broken the camel's back. I've spent my patience. I've gone from team player to irritant. Something has to change, and I don't care if it's my conference period, or if someone else takes a turn at being inconvenienced.

I'm going to raise the awareness of the larger issue, our need for more physical classrooms to accommodate the greater number of physical teachers and physical students. This problem needs to be addressed, and plans need to be drawn up and implemented for a final resolution. I'm afraid there are going to be people who are not going to like me, because there may be some toes that need to be stepped on. Well, a lot of change will only happen when enough discomfort is felt with the way things are, so I'm going to start wearing my boots to work.