Escape From Retail Hell: Never Give Up

Hello my lovelies!

Firstly I must apologize for the extremely lengthy post... but it's worth it, I promise!

Today, my dear friends, is a grand ol' glorious day! Why is that, you ask?

Well, don't you worry, my pretties, I'm gonna tell ya!

First, today (Friday, May 6), I started my brand new, wonderful teaching job. YES, that's right, I got a REAL job in the REAL world! With REAL PAY! And while I'm done with my classes (Yay!), I haven't even officially graduated, nor am I certified yet. But, YAY! The reason I am starting so late into the school year is because the other teacher, who I am replacing, well, let's be blunt, was fired. For a ton of different crazy things she did over the course of the year that just proves she is batshit insane and should never be around children, regardless of age... ever. Not only is she a complete nutjob, she's also a nitwitted fool who has somehow acquired no teaching abilities whatsoever. I walked in today as the new teacher, and the students literally cheered for joy. That's not good – well, for her anyway... it's great for me!

Here's how it happened on my end...

Tuesday, May 3 (the day after my birthday, yay!), I received a call from the foreign language department chairperson at the school where I did my first semester of student teaching. She informed me that they needed a new teacher to replace the second ASL teacher, immediately. Long story short... I sent her my resume, she forwarded it to the principals of the two high schools and the district office, and about an hour later I had an interview for the next morning (Wednesday) at the district office with the Assistant Superintendent of Personnel and the principal of the high school at which I would be teaching. The interview went well, I was hired immediately, I filled out a ton of paperwork, got fingerprinted, ran around collecting the last documents I needed, and was told since I'm not certified (yet!), the Board of Education needed to give the final approval that night at the Board meeting, and I would be given a call the next morning to confirm. The next morning (Thursday) came, the principal called me, and told me I started the next morning (today), and BOOM, I was in! Happy Birthday to me!

Now, in this district, there are two high schools. Teachers of the same subject therefore try to generally be on the same page and pace when it comes to the curriculum, even when at different schools, as the students of the same levels have to take the same final exam. This “teacher,” who I shall affectionately name Crazy Lady, has not kept up with the curriculum and the other ASL teacher at the other school necessary for students to take the final at the end of the year. The students are now three entire units behind where they should be. Additionally, they seem to know bits and pieces of each unit, rather than everything they should actually know by now. And the signs that they do know, half of them are wrong because Crazy Lady doesn't know what she's talking about. So really, I have to play catch-up, review everything, AND teach them the rest of the curriculum for the end of the year final, or the final has to be changed for these classes.

Don't get me wrong, now, I'm completely grateful for this opportunity to have my own classroom and classes, and I'm very excited to work with these kids. It will just be challenging due to the unique situation we are now in.

This post could go on forever about the psychotic nature of Crazy Lady, her teaching methods, and her “unorthodox” (and that's putting it nicely) behaviors. However, this story is not about her. It's about me, and all of you. Stay with me...

Secondly, the next reason why today is as wonderful as it is... starting this teaching job means I finally have the ability to get the HELL out of retail. That's right, you read that correctly. I put in my two weeks notice TODAY. And goddamn, it's a GREAT feeling. This does mean, however, that as of now I have NO income over the summer, but at this moment in time I DO NOT GIVE A FLYING BABOON'S RED MONKEY ASS. Because after six long, exhausting, infuriatingly painful years in retail HELL, this slave is finally free. Although I still now have two weeks left to finish, it no longer matters, because I know there is finally an end to this misery. There IS a very bright light at the end of the dark and gloomy tunnel, and it's finally so close it makes all my Spidey senses tingle.

Now, how is this about the rest of you? Well, my dears, because this story relates to you all who are working endlessly and diligently to finish school and get out in the real world where you are so destined, motivated, and determined to be. I worked my ass off, especially these past two years in graduate school, wrote countless papers, researched tons of articles, conducted my own study while student teaching, and wrote a seemingly endless Master's Thesis, all in the name of graduation and certification as a teacher, while continuing to work in the hell that is retail, and keeping my romantic and familial relationships in tact. I sacrificed countless nights of socializing, drinking, movies, parties, Deaf events, cousins' communions and school concerts, family birthday parties, sporting events (pick a sport – I missed them all), concerts, reading (I'm one of the few who enjoy it), summers (I took summer classes in BOTH sessions), date nights with my wonderful, amazingly supportive and loving boyfriend, and simply taking a day or night to myself to just relax. You name it, I sacrificed and missed it, due to either work, homework, papers, student teaching, lesson planning, or my thesis. And now, finally, after six incessant years, the end has come. I persevered, and I made it through, and you can too.

I've felt the stress, I've felt the anger, the anxiety, sadness, nervousness, and pain. I've felt the urge to procrastinate, to deal with things later, the stress of time management, money management, the apathy, the hunger, the fear, and the absolute exhaustion. I've felt it all. And I made it through.

Don't feel discouraged. Don't feel hopeless. The end of the stress is near. I know it's hard, believe me, I know how difficult it really is, but it's there, and it's worth it. I also have an interview on Thursday for a teaching position in the fall at another high school. That doesn't mean I'll get it, but the opportunity is there. If I can make it through, and find jobs, especially in this economy where teachers are being cut left and right, you can too.

Hang in there, RHUers, and keep your head up.

Best of luck to you all. You got this!

Love,

--K-Fit!

Comments

[snuzzle]

Congratulations on your job... no your CAREER! Because retail is a job, something to get you from day to day without starving. What you've got now is a CAREER where you enjoy it and feel fulfilled and meaningful.

So go you! You deserve it.

[Token Female]

HOORAY FOR K-FIT!

Congratulations on your new career as a teacher of ASL - not only do you get what you deserve, it sounds like the kids who are in your new classes get what they deserve as well and actually have a competent teacher that they'll probably like way more than the crazy bitch they had previously. Best of luck with it!

[Spritzy]

Splee! Huzzah for thou! I got a little misty eyed reading that, I was so happy for you.

[Michelle C]

Congratulations!! It sounds like you've worked so hard to deserve this chance, and I wish you the best of luck in it. Retail is good for teaching us that there is both good and bad in all walks of life, whether you work or shop, manage or clean...rich, poor, middle-class- it doesn't matter. What you've learned in the past 6 years, you will never forget. Bonne chance!

[severus6]

Congrats on getting a better job! It must be really heartening that you don't have to deal with crusties anymore.

[Care Plan Pimp]

Congrats!

Although I kinda want detail about this crazy teacher.

[shoedevil]

Congrats, K-Fit!!!

[RockerChic]

Awesome! Congrats! I also want details about this crazy teacher!

[Caper]

Congrats K-Fit ! :)

[bizhub bitch]

CONGRATS!!!! :) Good for you sweetie. Now, mind you, sometimes teaching can have it's own special little hell to, when it comes to kids, but it will be FAR better than dealing with the ridiculous disgusting pigs that seem to horde our society. Maybe you would be able to put a flea in their ear here and there about manners and shopping! ;) Again, very proud of you, and good luck!

[K-Fit]

Awww, Spritzy, thanks!
Thanks so much everyone!! After only two days I already love it! It feels amazing! =)
As for info on the crazy teacher, I'm not sure I can really disclose that information on the web, despite names and places being hidden. I don't want to jeopardize this job already!

[Whatevs]

Ooh, congratulations!! As much as I love reading the hellish stories, it's good to know some of us make it out of the trenches.

[highend slave]

congratulations. i really want to finish school, but i get scared that it wont happen. im not even in school right now, i'm working at a crappy store.

[EnglishSlave]

Congrats!! I've been teaching for three years now and can't think of doing anything else. While I've had days that drove me insane and students/parents/coworkers I wanted to punch, in the end, having that one parent be nice to you, that one student come up and thank you, or that one coworker tell you your lesson was interesting and they want to try it makes it all worthwhile!! Good luck and enjoy!!!!

[NC Tony]

Congrats! I bet it's nice to see that light at the end of the retail tunnel.

[aoirann]

Godspeed good person!

[MrsWolf]

WOW, congrats!! I am sooo happy for you!

After 6 longs years of everything you just described, I'm graduating this weekend with 2 BA's! I've had all my coursework done since December though and have spent the last 6 months applying for a bunch of career-like jobs with no success, the ones I wanted the most (and went to school for) I haven't even gotten interviews for. =( I finally had to apply for a job in the same customer service industry I thought I had left for good, and have been back in that hell for a month now. I hope one of these days I have a story like yours!

[KS]

Congrats!

Crazy Lady makes me think of Peggy Hill teaching Spanish from King of the Hill. Did she happen to have size 16 feet?

Does this mean you'll now be Ms. K-Fit?

[Jordie]

I'm a third year education student becoming a high school teacher..god I hope i don't have to spend six years out of school working not in my field :((((

[EnglishSlave]

@Jordie: I wouldn't worry. In the next few years, there's going to be a MAJOR teacher shortage due to the older teachers deciding to retire and there not being enough teachers to replace them. And you never know when something will come through. My first job was one that I cold contacted. The day they offered me a job, I got four more calls. If you can't find a teaching job, subbing is a great way to get experience, build contacts, and get your foot in the door! You'll make it, just keep swimming!!

[MastersJuggler]

Congrats K-Fit this is fantastic news! I would have liked to email you personally but will have to settle for this more public forum. I just returned to school after relieving all afternoon (and studying before that) and decided to flick through RHU before getting back to study. I have been feeling more stressed than ever before and was seriously wondering how in the heck I'd keep up. Then I read your story. That bit at the end completely made my day and makes me feel like I actually have a snowballs chance in hell at finishing this degree (I'm at the post-graduate stage now not long to go!) So sincerely, and from the very bottom of my heart; THANK YOU.

[Erich H]

i hope there's one last story about encountering some entitled shitbag and being able to tell him/her to get fucked since she's outta there anyway

[Yingafred]

:'D CONGRATS K-Fit! You've definitely earned your freedom! <3 Good luck with the teaching career!! <3

[AnotherNoName]

What an awesome story! I bet you'll be a great teacher, and the students will really appreciate you if they have any sense at all. I'm also going to be a teacher someday, but not for a subject as cool as yours.

[K-Fit]

Again, thank you so much for your congrats and kind words everyone! It means a lot.

highend slave: Don't let your fear hold you back. I was scared too, but I kept going and did what I had to do, always trying to think about the end result and keeping my ultimate goal in mind. You can do it.

Mrs Wolf: Don't give up! I may be in the same boat for the next school year depending on how my interview goes on Thursday, but right now I'm focusing on all the positives that have happened lately. Although it may take a while, it will happen for you. I have faith. You should too. And congrats on graduating too!

KS: Haha, I don't watch King of the Hill, so I'm not sure how the two would correlate. But she doesn't have a size 16 shoe! And only my students have to add the "Ms." in front of my name. ;-)

Jordie: I agree with EnglishSlave. Teachers will be retiring, and since I took over for this teacher who only had two classes at this school, I'm also on as a sub for the rest of the day. You can always get your foot in the door that way.

MastersJuggler: Awww, thank you so much! You made me tear up! I'm glad I could brighten your day and motivate you to continue to achieve your goals! As stressful as it is, it's all worth it in the end when you accomplish what you set out to do. It's a great feeling, and although I don't think it's fully hit me yet (maybe it will at graduation), it's amazing. You'll get there. Keep your head up, don't give up, and stay motivated. You can do it! If you want to talk more personally, I give Freddy my permission to give you my email and you can contact me. =) Hang in there!

Erich H: I hope so too! Maybe all that pent up anger will come out in my last days. =P

AnotherNoName: I love it so far, and the students seem to feel the same! I've only been there three days now, and so far once a day I've heard at least one of them say, "I think we learn more in one day than we have the entire year!" And yesterday at the end of the lesson (I always do this), I ask if they have any questions and if they're okay so far, and one girl said, "Yeah we're great, we love you!" It's really cute, and makes me feel great as a teacher!
P.S. You need to change your nickname! There's no reason for you to be NoName or anonymous or faceless person in the crowd, especially if you're a teacher. You're capable of making great and meaningful impacts on students' lives, and I bet you will do just that as long as you stay with it and persevere. =)

Again, everyone, thank you so much! I really appreciate your well wishes. You're all amazing!

[Humor_Me]

K-Fit, CONGRATULATIONS!!! I looked into ASL at one point, but it didn't work out for me... personal reasons. I'm so glad you were finally able to get get the career you always wanted. Students that are motivated and want to learn are the most pleasant to work with. I hope things go stellar for you :-D

My daughter who has been working as a nanny just found out that the twin boys she's been watching will be starting full time pre-school. With the baby and her bf's schedule, she decided it was probably a really good idea to finally get her teacher's license. She just ordered the study guide. I'm sure hoping that the cost for the upper grades test isn't any more expensive than it is for the elementary grades. YIKES! You'd have to take out another student loan!

We know you won't disappear completely. You still have to go shopping! <3