Always ask!

Let's start the fun of this first year with my first really big mistake as a teacher (IMO):

Now, aside from teaching a subject I have never taught before and NEVER thought I would need to teach, Journalism sounded promising. And it's not as though I am unqualified, just inexperienced, so to speak. Plus, one of my favorite things to do is write, so how can teaching kids to write outside of the 5 paragraph essay be bad?

Well, that's what I thought anyway. And before I REALLY begin (and I will, I promise); I like teaching this class. Being in there puts me in the best mood on any given day. However, there were many unanticipated snags (for lack of a better word) that I have come across. To make this readable, though, I'll get to the major one: Funding.

We (switching to the royal) all know that schools aren't seeing much money coming their way these days. That's a fact. We can agree with that. Let's move on. Because of this there was scramble at the start of the year, trying to figure out where to get money to print a paper. Light bulb moment! We will sell custom silicon bracelets to the student body that encourages school pride and team spirit. Perfect, right!?

Well, fast forward a bit. Non-refundable order placed for 300 bracelets at around $260. Sweet, primed to make about $600 in profit! But wait, what's this? The message on the band is.. "questionable"? Thanks must go out to our older, more experienced, and (dare we say it?) dirty minded colleagues, for enlightening us to the fact that having a bracelet saying our team "goes hard" may not have been the best choice.

I think we just got punched in the gut.

Well, let's follow up with administration. We do, and they say they'll get back to us.

Fast forward another few weeks. Bracelets are due to arrive, and, what is this? No answer from administration. We're good to go! But, no. Again, we thank (not as sarcastically this time) our elders for suggesting we confirm that we have permission to sell the bracelets.

Again, our stomachs do flips, and our hearts race. In fact, the bracelets are in the office waiting for us to pick them up. The AP sees nothing wrong with it, another AP is persuaded, and all is right in the world! Or so we think. Somewhere in the chain of command we get the veto and a simple email stating, "I am sorry to say, but the consensus is 'no'" is what we get.

Ouch.

So, rule number 1 to my fellow new teachers: ALWAYS ask permission. Avoid a $260 mistake.