Have you ever reached the point that you are ready to walk out on your job (with no other job already secured)?

I am at that point. I am being verbally harassed at the school I work at…by the students. Almost everyday, several times a day, three or four students in the class (we only have six students in our classroom) start cussing me out and making very mean comments to me (about my appearance, the fact I don’t have a man, etc.) They often wait until staff are out of the room to start in on me, when I have no option of stepping out to gather myself.

Staff are no help. This situation started developing when a new teacher with insecurities (I guess) came in the classroom and started overriding everything I said. This put her on the kids’ good side, so of course they get away with murder now. One day, while I was not in the room (but she was present with another staff), the kids put paint and pencil sharpener shavings all over my seat…and somehow staff didn’t see anything. Hmm…

I have been asking my supervisor for almost two months to be moved from the classroom. The stress is starting to affect my physical health…half the time I wake up with a migraine and/or an upset stomach because I am so stressed at the thought of going to work. She just keeps telling me to work things out with my classroom team. Today, after the kids were disrespectful most of one class, the staff took them to the gym (they have a free period when they don’t have group therapy scheduled). It was like she rewarded them for their obnoxious behavior.

Well today I took a stand. When the supervisor still kept repeating her ineffectual advice, I let her know I was going to talk to HR. I was prepared to walk out on the spot if they told me I had to go back in that classroom. HR went to talk to my supervisor, and until she has a chance to meet with both of us tomorrow, she arranged for me to be in another classroom for the day (a class that is short staffed anyway because the teacher is out sick.)

I don’t know what time the meeting is tomorrow, but I am not going back into the old classroom for anything. I am prepared to be fired over that. In the meeting, I am prepared to let them know I will not work in the classroom.

One can only take so much mental duress before even financial insecurity looks preferable.