New teacher advice: be the squeaky wheel.

Hey friends. I’m a veteran teacher here. I wanted to share my situation here.

I taught middle school at a tough school for just about a decade. I became a leader in that school. Often given student teachers and asked to lead meetings.

Unfortunately, because my classroom management was tough, the admin gave me kids nobody else could handle.

By year 8, my class was hardly learning content. It was just a bad environment where I had to be mean.

But admin loved me because I was tough and didn’t complain.

It nearly put me in the hospital and it left me with anger issues.

I quit and moved schools to a high school.

All of a sudden, I was given a bunch of tough kids. Those feelings came back. I got angry. I got mean, I yelled at kids.

But I checked myself.

I was upfront with admin. I told them I can’t return to my room unless it’s a safe environment for me and the other students.

They pushed back. I got the union involved.

2 weeks later now, my classes are incredible.

Students who were harming others or disrupting were moved because I wouldn’t stop being the squeaky wheel. I just had my first observation and passed with flying colors.

I love work now.

I know it’s scary being new, but be the squeaky wheel. Complain. Use your union, use “unsafe work environment” because it is.

But leave no excuse to offload you.

I know this sounds awful to say, but what made me make this post was that the students were moved out of my class and placed in another teachers class.

A younger, harder teacher than myself.

But I see my former self in that teacher.

Taking pride in “dealing with it” until you’re in the hospital.

Be. The. Squeaky. Wheel.