Do teachers really need chairs?


When I first got hired with this school district, I was of course not very demanding. I wanted to make a good impression. But when one of the two schools where I work gave me a small shelf in someone else's classroom for all of my storage and planning needs, I asked,

"Could I possibly have a real desk to sit at?"

"I'll work on that," said my pointy haired boss, the principal. A few days later, when an old metal contraption with drawers that sometimes won't close showed up with my name on it, I was happy. But then I tried to push my luck,

"Could I possibly have a real desk chair to go with my desk?" I asked.

"No. That's not in the budget right now," said the pointy haired principal.

So, it's been a school year now. I've been sitting on crappy plastic kid chairs at my ancient metal desk with the drawers open and borrowing my coworker's chair when she isn't there. (She says it's okay.) It works. I couldn't help but notice though, that every other teacher in the school district, and the secretaries, and librarians, every single one has a beautiful gigantic cushy desk chair to sit on. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm just saying.

I was chastised this week by the school secretary for not turning in my supply list for next year on time. As I was dutifully going through the catalogue and figuring out what I might need, I was sitting on my office mate's chair because she left early and gave me permission to sit on it, and I noticed that there were chairs in the catalogue! Chairs! Cushy chairs! Nice chairs! Grown up chairs!

I put a chair on my supply list.

I don't know what I'll do if the pointy haired principal rejects my supply list. Should I punch him in the nose?

1 comment:

  1. What a jackass. A desk should come with a chair. It's a package deal. I'm sure they have one at the physical plant somewhere. Maybe you should ask the janitor?

    ReplyDelete