A couple weeks ago I noticed a new bulletin board in our front hallway at work. It's title was "What a Grape Bunch of Teachers" (corny school stuff), and it had all the teacher's pictures on a grape. This included all classroom teachers, special teachers (like PE, art & music etc.) all the aides, and even the aide that does our ISS or in school suspension. I thought that was pretty nice. We certainly don't get recognized very often.
I walked a little closer to look at the pictures and didn't see mine. I thought well, maybe they just aren't finished with it yet. So, I asked the secretary, kind of jokingly, where my picture was. They said they didn't know anything about it, and that our assistant principal (AP) had done the board. She has always been a bit cool with me, and I debated about whether to say something to her.
I stewed about it for a few minutes and started to get a bit ticked. I thought, I have a right to a grape too. I teach and help every student in this school every week and some of them several times a week in the library, I'm a certified teacher with a master's degree, and I deserve a *#$@#$ grape.
I went to the AP's office and just stuck my head in and said something like, "Hey, I like the new board, but don't I get a grape too?" She, blew me off as usual, and said that she only put up the classroom teachers. I told her no she didn't, there were special class teachers and aides too. In fact every teacher was up there but me. She started mumbling something, and I said to just forget it and walked away. I definitely had my feelings hurt now, and was feeling very unappreciated. I decided to just go cool off and let it go. This was typical most of the time anyway. Who needed their grape?
Later that afternoon I had hall duty again and what do I see, my picture just stuck up in the middle of one of the bunches of grapes. It wasn't on a grape like the others it was just stapled up there in the middle of one of the bunches like an afterthought. I was not just hurt now but starting to steam.
I almost took my picture down and threw it away, but I thought I deserved to be up there with everyone else. So, I took it down and went and made my own grape. I attached my picture and added it to one of the bunches on the board. The AP has never said another word about it and neither have I.
Now, I know this may sound petty, but it's just one of those little things that drive you stark raving mad. It also goes to show you how much you are thought of and appreciated by the people you work for. I'm sure many people can relate in many different of jobs. I can laugh about it now, and I shouldn't have let it upset me so much, but I really get tired of being forgotten in this school unless they need a duty done or something from me. The AP is still giving me the cold shoulder, but she did that most of the time anyway. Oh well, like they say "Life isn't always fair", but sometimes you just need to stand up for yourself and make your own grape. :)
This is the famous bulletin board.
If you look on the right side of this bunch of grapes, you will see a slightly smaller grape. That's me, a little different, but I'm still there. I think that fits me pretty well, and I'm proud of my grape.
I decided to show some pictures of my library. This is my little office.
This shows some tables used for my classes. The computers are used as an electronic card catalog, research and numerous other things, when they work.
Here's the opposite side where most of the book shelves are.
The reading center for students to come in and read silently.
This is the check-out center where students check-out and return books. They place them on the cart you see to the left, then I shelf them. That's approximately 350 kids checking out and returning several books a week. So, you can see where I spend a lot of my time. This doesn't count the 30 or more teachers I take care of. But, this is my eleventh year in the library, and I love my job!! Thank you God.
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