I regularly drop in on a site for teachers...there's a chatboard and we talk about all kinds of things but mainly about teaching and how it makes us crazy and the NCLB and how THAT makes us crazy. I'm one of the few who doesn't work in a traditional school anymore.
So I'm posting, whining about my shoulder (which hurts, which is why I'm up at 3:17) and talking about how it looks as if I'm going to be out until September.
And I get about 50-50 of sympathy and anger. (The sympathy was what I was looking for.) The anger really surprised me. (Really? Surprised me? Only sort of.)
First off, teachers are an odd bunch. They look at their job as REALLY important. (ANd while I like to think that my "company" will grind to a halt without me, it won't.) So I get some comments like "I had major surgery and was back at school in three days. It was hard, but I had a responsibility" or "Some people will do anything to get out of work" , "I'm just not the type to take pain meds"and my favorite, "People like you abuse the system".
For educated people, these teachers sure don't understand how worker's comp works and I really can't fault them because in general, school districts don't tell the teachers that they HAVE worker's comp; if you get hurt at school, it is pretty much your own problem. And most teachers are unsophisticated about this stuff and they don't know that their employer is responsible for injuries incurred at work, even if you are clumsy.
Years ago, a friend was on yard duty and got hit in the face with a soccer ball. Broke her glasses and knocked out three teeth. The principal told her, well, that's the price you pay for being a teacher. He wanted her to wait until after school to go to the dentist, because it would be inconvienient to get coverage for her class. In the real world, that just doesn't happen. Even in little bitty businesses, an employee would be TAKEN to the worker's comp doctor and taken care of.
So I'm sort of surprised at the venom of some of these posts..and that they are all anonymous, to boot.
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2 comments:
I always find it strange that people feel it's all right to say such negative things. Perhaps it is a kind of escape from their everyday 'nice' selves, and the board is so anonymous. Still, you know what is happening is right and you are managing the situation well. Shame you are in so much pain though :o(
Hope you get dates for appointments and surgery very soon, and that all goes smoothly.
I left a comment but somehow it did not post. I don'tknow why. . . I typed those darn letters. I am trying again.
I really feel for you/yur rotator cuff injury. . . praying that it will get fixed really soon. Glad you had workmen's comp. Glad to see you post more.
You know the anons that post that crap aren't worth it. They don't have . to pick on anymore so they pick on k. . or me or some other innocent person like you. Lately, I have been responding to them once or twice to give my side and then stopping even if they try to get another response. It works.
I enjoy your posts so don't stop and do write that book! I started writing a few essays years ago. . . maybe someday I will have enough for a book. Maybe not.
Now, lets see if I can post this.
Paulie
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