let go
let go
just let it go
and let it be
for it is done
And nothing
can be done
to change it
they’ve let me go
decided they don’t
need me
i’ll survive
but I still
cannot believe
i won’t be there
to see you smile
to hear you laugh
to see your faces
light up with joy
to talk to you
to listen to you
to help you
i was your teacher
you were my happiness
and my frustration
but they don’t need me
though I think
you still need me
but I won’t be there
to share your triumphs
you may miss me
but soon i’ll be
no longer
in your memory
you’ll let go
of me
for it is done
just let it be
and let it go
let go
let go
Random Misanthrope 
True story? I hope not.
Yes, unfortunately, it is true. I was recently let go from my job as an English teacher. It’s sad and unfair and unexpected, but so what? People lose their jobs everyday all over the world. What still gets to me is having to abandon my students. The school doesn’t need me anymore, but the students do.
I’d like to say all kinds of optimistic constuctive stuff about doors opening and closing, blah blah blah, but it just sucks. Seems like it’s war on teachers. Barbro’s sister has been a teacher at the same school here in Tyresö for 40 years. They are closing the school and opening another, newly renovated school in Tyresö. Instead of staff moving over to the new school, as they all reasonably expected, they were all told they were surplus and would have to reapply, including Anja. So after 40 years, nothing,, nada, zilch. Thankfully parents and students are in an uproar, and have told the politicians and the school principal what they think, and apparently the new school is having trouble finding staff. Go figure.
I keep hearing this story over and over. You would think that all those years of service, of putting up with the demands of students, parents, and administrators would amount to something. Would mean something. But they don’t. When it comes down to it, you’re just another redundant employee.
But the new school having difficulty finding staff is just the beginning of a serious teacher shortage in Sweden. They’re giving us until 2015 to get licensed, and of course most teachers will wait until the last minute. And they will send all the experienced teachers back to school and the fresh out of school rookies will take over. Of course the schools don’t really want to hire rookies, and I know why. I’ve seem them come and go. I’ve seen them get eaten alive by students. Some of them learn how to handle it and become exceptional teachers, but most of them end up leaving in tears.
Not just anyone can be teacher, you know.
It does happen everyday all over the world but that doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you.
No, it doesn’t. And you’re never quite prepared for it.
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