An End and A Beginning

My troubles with the Difficult Teacher are over.
On Monday, this teacher once again randomly decided to have me to an entire lesson on my own. She has increasingly surprising me with lessons for a couple of weeks now. I have no problem ad-libbing a lesson everyone once and a while. Doing it on a regular basis is another thing. I asked her after class if she could give me a two day warning. This way I have time to write a good lesson plan. She thought I should always write a lesson plan. I tried first explaining that just following the book exercises in order is not a lesson plan, especially not for such a terrible old book. I also tried to explain that my writing a lesson plan without her doesn't work if I don't know what she's going to cover before or after my lesson. I offered to meet with her once a week so we could discuss plans. This is where she told me, "I don't want your help planning. I don't want your help in my class. I never wanted you in my classes." She also went on to describe how I was inexperienced. She believes that I need lesson plans only because I've never taught this class before. She doesn't need lesson plans because she's been doing the same lesson plan for the last forty years. (I didn't even try to explain how a lesson forty years ago was not going to work for students today in the 21st century) I will admit that at this point I was a bit frustrated. I've been trying for three months to establish re-pore with this woman with no success.  I gave her my volunteer experience and education university work. She seemed socked that I actually had some experience. She quickly recovered and said, "All of that doesn't matter. You have not finished University. You have no experience."

The discussion did not work well. I decided that since she really felt so strongly about not wanting me, I would honor that desire. I asked the director to give me another co-teacher to work with. I have left all my classes with the Difficult Teacher. Now I work with a nice woman for 7th, 9th and 10th grade. She's already asked me to bring in media for the class. I'm allowed to read and correct student's work. We already work better together after four lessons than Difficult Teacher and I ever did. I'm excited for what we can do together. I think the change will improve my mood immensely. I will miss my other students. However, I'll still see them around school. They know that I care about them and their education.