new revelation

I hate my job!! Seriously!! And the funny part, it's not the kids!! I love TEACHING them. It's the other BS that I have to put up with. I guess it is a good thing that Wyatt was sick this week and I stayed home because if not I would be facing: 2 observations from the consultant that works for the company that publishes the phonics program we are required to use.... a formal observation by my principal (required twice a year)... and for the next 8 weeks, we have some person from the state department of education popping in and out of our school to "monitor" and "observe" what we are teaching. She emailed a list of things she would be looking for... umm.. a 6 page list... most I do..but some are just ridiculous adn I refuse to do... my response is FIRE ME! (seriously told my principal that last week)...
1. I refuse to write the "benchmarks" on the board for every lesson I teach... I write an agenda on the board, I write the objectives on the board.. I am not writing the benchmarks on the board too.. I use them to write my objectives, just restate them... no reason to write them on the board... it would take up too much of my time.
2. I refuse to walk around the room with a copy of my lesson plans in my hand. I have them in a binder on my desk (where they are required to be), I have the agenda on the board (which is a brief daily version of my lesson plans).. no need for me to walk around with them in my hand... as it is, I am "required" to walk around with the textbook in my hand... even if we are not using it that day... and a clipboard for "informal observation notes" as I walk around the room.. I have two hands...I can only hold so much stuff.
3. I refuse to "teach the test". Now we are being required to start and end each lesson with a "released test item" from the state test. First, there are not that many test items for my grade level, as we have only been giving the test for 3 years. I have used them when appropriate, but I am not giving a problem that doesn't relate to what I am teaching on that day..
4. I will not attach all hand outs that I give to the students to my lesson plans. There is no need for that. They have workbooks, I am not going to copy pages frm thier workbooks just to appease this one person.

Now while this may seem petty on my part, I would have no problem doing this if they had come to us in AUGUST and said "do these things". Okay... but don't come in January and say "DO it this way or else"!!! I don't care if they are going to make a "report" for the state department of education.

and Don't just pop into my classroom whenever you feel like it, start asking my students questions about what I am teaching, WHILE they should be listening to me!!

THis is not just at my school, it's across the district. They want to see "Why test scores are dropping" and "why teachers aren't teaching".. .but they don't want t ask us. Let's ask the kids, because they know "oh so much" .

I am venting. I know. But I am stressed beyond belief at this point. There are days when I feel that just need a new job. Totally out of the scope of education. Mcdonald's is even sounding good right about now.