I left the classroom, after teaching second grade for 6 years, in 2014. I left because of atrocious leadership—like seriously abusive to an unbelievable extent. I would sit in the faculty meetings in shock but also a little entertained. Remember the staff meetings from The Office where Michael was completely inappropriate? Yeah, like that, though sometimes our ED would target a specific teacher and lay into them, red-faced, raised voice, and shaming—those times were less amusing. Once I’d done all I could to try to shift the culture of the school—to no avail—I left, knowing I could no longer tolerate the toxic environment.
Here’s the deal: I couldn’t be more grateful for that guy.
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