There is not much I can do about this, but am exceptionally frustrated all the same. I have a room that I share with another teacher and our two aides. Our room also serves as a locker for our 20 students because there are not any available (don't ask). Anyways, because of the three grades she and I teach, her one subject and I another, plus inclusion courses (we or the aides go into the core classrooms with the kids depending on our schedule which we developed), which boils down to she and I teaching six classes a day, and also scheduling six inclusion classes, as well as the tests we must give for the regular teachers in our room in the back for whatever grade needs it. Anyways, it is always noisy and always much movement in our classroom not by the students I am teaching but the other kids who have to get their stuff, which cannot be avoided. All this leaves me very, very tired at the end of the day. I go home at night and on the weekends to do alternative assessments and lesson plans for the students. The problem that I am experiencing, among the ones that I have written about, is that my co-teacher has a best friend that, when I am teaching and my co-teacher is in the room in which we are respectful of each other at that time, continually comes in about seven or eight times a day to chat with her. She comes in before the bell rings in the morning when I need a little down time to get my thoughts together, and at the end of the day when I am trying to relax. My co teacher does not mind of course, but it is my room also. The most irritating is when she comes in when I am teaching and the kids stop whatever they are doing, and these are students with multiple challenges in their environmental education. No room of my own, constant noise and movement, people coming in all the time, etc. I do not know what to do about this. No room for me to have a room of my own, no lockers for kids, and her friend does not take hints.

[MrsDriver]

not going to say I understand your situation because I am not in it. My thoughts for you:

1. Is there anyway maybe you can strike a deal with a regular ed teacher that might have space for your kids to put their bags? If not is there any way the kids can just take their bags with them when they leave?

2. Why don't you just tell the other teacher to please not come in during class time unless it is absolutely necessary? Explain to her about the kids and their needs and that it is hard enough to keep them on task with constant interruptions and by her coming in to chat it doesn't help the situation.

I know this is probably harder than it sounds but I hope things work out for you. Good Luck!

[Hideeho]

and she had the compassion of a gnat. At the end of the day when I would try to maybe get a little paperwork done or even gather my things, she would tutor a student in "our" room.

Not such a big deal, except when you factor in the part about our "space" being the size of a smallish office! To work around those two at the end of the day was not in the least bit the way I wanted to end any day.

I kept thinking "surely this woman knows how rude this is". Believe me, she didn't have a clue.

Unfortunately, I let it go on just long enough when it started bugging me that I couldn't figure out a way to nip it in the bud. It had already gone on too long, and I spent the rest of the year resenting the instrusion into my space. The space was mine to begin with (long story), but after school started I shared it with this other teacher.

You must say something in as a diplomatic way as you can now or realize you will spend the rest of the school year being dissatisfied with the arrangement.

Stinks, doesn't it? You have my sympathies.

[Lady Teacher]

what happened when you tried to talk to her about it? Since you didn't mention it I'm kinda assuming that you haven't. The first step is to have a conversation. There are probably a lot of things that you can't really change like sharing the space but why can't students take their things with them? It's also her space so her friend has the right to come visit in her space but just like you would negotiate with a new roommate, you have to sit down and negotiate the "house" rules.

I'm sorry that you are having such a stressful year, that would drive me nuts too.

[rhubarb]

I shared a room (so to speak as I had one little eensy table behinder her desk) and I was so glad when that year ended. She was nice but it never felt right. The next year I had a room for sixth grade which in the pm became a kinder room.

I have had my own room for 4 years now and it is so nice. Your time will come.

I have talked to her and her feelings were so hurt I actually had to apologize although I was really nice to her. As far as the "lockers" in our room, that deal is that we have so many students this year that "our" 21 kids had no locker. The lockers are supposedly on order, but since the money comes from outside sources (county or state), as we all know it may take forever. Oh well, my time for my own space will come.