I have been teaching at a self-directed outreach centre since February 2015 and I have learned a few things along the way. Most of these things are obvious to most people but I am a bit of a slow learner sometimes.
1. Parents can be your greatest allies and your greatest enemies. Learn as quickly as possible which ones are which and deal with them accordingly.
I called a parent to let them know that their son hadn’t been in lately and when I called him he said he had said that he left his last few assignments at the cottage. Her response? “I’m sorry but that is a crock of shit! He hasn’t been to the cottage in the last two weeks and I will be calling him to attend asap.” She has been a wonderful ally and a great motivator for this particular student.
I called another student’s home to let them know that their assignment was late but that it was ok (we are super flexible) and that if she needed any help she could give me a call or email. I also mentioned that we had an upcoming test and asked her to call me as to when she would like to write it. Super chill right? Apparently not. The momma called me back and ripped me a new one.
2. Admin Staff are your greatest friends. I befriended the admin and printer (?) staff at my practicum school and they were pivotal to my success in the printer room (where I spent most of my mornings). At the outreach center I have become friends with our Admin staff member with whom we only get to see 3 days out of the week. She mentioned to me that often new teachers would become friendly with the admin staff but then would drift away once they became closer friends with their fellow teachers. I am going to make an effort not to let that happen.
Soapbox Rhetoric 