Stress Much?

Personally, I think I initiate enough stress of my own.  I think it breeds and runs rampant through my body.  I try to manage it, but let's be real.  I have a chiropractor who is sick of me saying I try to do things.  He once asked me to try to stand.  So I stood.  He said no, don't actually stand.  Just try to stand.  Point taken.  Do or do not.  There is no try, right?  Hmmm...  I had a point I was going to make here...  Let me get back to it!  It drives me crazy that I have enough stress of my own.  It irritates me even more when others initiate that stress...  Allow me to illustrate...

Early last week, I recieved an email from my principal.  Said he wanted to meet with me on Friday.  Asked if I could get coverage for my class from 2:10-2:40.  Instant panic...  So, being the bold person that I am, I marched down to the office to ask about it.  Well, I disguised it a bit, but my purpose was to find out what this meeting was about.  I asked if we could meet earlier while the students were in Art.  Therefore, I wouldn't need coverage.  Principal said that would be just fine.  So, I casually asked if I needed anything for the meeting, or if I should be worried.  He laughed and said no, he just wanted to talk about the inclusionary model and I didn't need anything.  He again assured me all was fine, and I went on my merry way. 

Friday came and I wandered my way down to the office at 1:00.  When the principal finally showed up, we started the meeting.  He talked for about 30 seconds about full inclusion.  (This year, I shared a classroom with a special education teacher.  We have all the special ed kids in 5th grade in our room, and we co-teach the class.  We've had a great year!  We love working together!)  In that first 30 seconds, he dropped the first little bomb.  He said the special ed kids were not going to be in my classroom next year.  He didn't think my classroom offered the best environment for the full inclusion model, as I have too many absences related to my husband's illness. 

(It gets even better...  Just wait...) 

With a smooth transition, he said speaking of which, my absences were what he really wanted to talk about me with today.  (Uh oh)  He said he understands how difficult my situation is, but my absences were a problem.  He said I wouldn't be able to continue to take off as much next year, as he feels it disrupts the students too much.  He went on to say he doesn't feel as though I'm giving 110%, and 60-70% just wasn't enough.  He went on a bit more, and I finally found some words and asked him if he wanted me to resign.  I was told that if I could guarentee 110% and no absences, I would be fine.  Otherwise, he didn't want me on his team.  He said it wasn't fair to the students. 

The lecture continued, offering a very weak argument.  At one point, I asked if I should be concerned about a  lay-off notice.  He told me no, it was too late for that.  Due process and all.  (Nice, right?)  He went on to say that if I continued to take off next school year for my husband's appointments and miss so much school, he would be forced to take disciplinary action.  (What??!!??!!  Did he really just say that??) 

He went on to say he understands my situation, but the parent perception out there wasn't good.  Any further information he gave at this point was based on parent perceptions.  So, if there were parent concerns, wouldn't you make a point as the administrator to get in to that classroom to see what is, or isn't, going on??  He has never once stepped in our classroom to see us teach.  I was even told that I don't return emails in a timely manner.  Really?  I have my email sent to my phone so I can get parent emails and respond right away. 

As a form of conclusion, I was told that while he understood my situation, my absences were unacceptable and would not be allowed next year.  He said I was going to have to make a decision as to my future at his school.  Here I actually looked at him and said, "Unless my husband passes away over the summer, I don't foresee my situation changing."  He said I was going to have to mull it over and get back to him with my decision.  At this point, I think I was shell-shocked.  It must have showed. 

I had been in his office for almost half an hour.  As the meeting came to a close, he said, "Clearly you're in no condition to be able to teach.  Why don't you leave now and go home."  Ok...  You just talked to me about missing too much school, and now you're telling me to leave early?  Right...   I looked at the clock and said I have til 2:05 (35 minutes) to get myself together, and I'd be fine.  He went further to say that was why he wanted to schedule our appointment toward the end of the day.  He said he knew I'd be upset and that way I could just sneak out.  Nice...

There are so many things about this that bother me...  It's probably better for me not to go into details, as I think I'd still be petty about it.  Instead, I'll just sum up by saying he obviously has NO IDEA what I'm going through, and he obviously doesn't understand FMLA laws...  :(

Even though I know he's completely wrong, and what he did totters on illegal, I find myself even more stressed.  The headache, neck and shoulder pain has only gotten worse.  Ugh!  :(  I need a new job.  Anyone hiring?  :)