It's time for a new school year.

It's time for a new school year. I got a phone call from the Administrator (aka the Boss) while on a PD trip prior to the year beginning. It totally stressed me out! Not only was I not supposed to be with my students from last year (to whom I had become attached) but I was going to be in a classroom with a student who cannot remain in a chair for 30 seconds at a time. (I teach Special Education at a school for kids with significant behavioral issues - and I'm in the Autism program). I was going to be responsible for teaching 6 grade levels through the entire day AND we couldn't get in to set up our rooms until the week school started. The school moved buildings over the summer because of incremental growth - a good problem to have, until teachers can't work! I got a desk (with zero drawers) on the Friday before school started. On the Tuesday of the first week of school, I had a computer, but no log-in information. My key card still does not open the doors to the building. At the end of the first week, the Boss told me I was doing a great job because the kids were engaged and learning. That's when I told him that I ugly cried the entire commute home the day before from the stress. My job has been reduced to something approximating reasonable this week. Then the Academic Coordinator showed up to tell me my gradebook wasn't up to date. Tell me something I didn't know. She wanted grades, so I put in participation grades for everyone yesterday. I may not grade anything except data samples for the entire year. With the extreme teacher shortage in the United States, due to overwork, mostly ugly pay (I'm well compensated, thank you), and unreasonable expectations from those NOT in a classroom regularly, the boss wants to keep me happy and employed. As a senior citizen, I have the opportunity to walk if I'm not happy. There's a teacher shortage, so I could go to my local district and tell them I want to sub, and be employed all year. The Academic Coordinator also wants weekly meetings with me to ensure I'm following guidelines. OK, I can't leave the room to have a conversation without taking half of my class with me. I guess when I go see her next week, I'll take the cling-wrap twins with me (they really aren't twins, but they get upset if I'm not in proximity. Both are non-verbal and shut down if someone isn't close enough to translate behavior into communication).

Anyone else frustrated by those who think they are motivating others by criticizing them for not completing tasks that are non-essential on a regular basis? I know that last year my gradebook was updated every Thursday after school, which was also when I wrote my lesson plans for the following week. I just got put two weeks behind due to the construction and lack of equipment necessary to do my job with the move to the new location.