I need to make a change of job, now.  I have been looking I would say passively for several months, but I am not sure this job situation could get any worse.  I am a high school teacher, and went back to school for a different career, because this is not working out at all.

The place where I work is...I don't know...really bizarre.  Our old boss quit because she had serious health problems which was impacting her ability to perform her job. She was becoming explosive and irrational.  Someone else was hired who is completely different, but I am not sure how I feel about her at all.  I had one student who was plagiarizing very excessively, like the majority of his class.  He refused to fix it and said to my face that he wouldn't be changing.  I brought this up to my new principal, and she took his side in the matter.

Fast forward to today. I came in after a medical appointment and there is this circle going on that she is leading. Everyone is talking about their feelings-like therapy. People are talking about how they are on medication, their mental illnesses, conflicts with spouses, family, really personal. I am thinking, "what does this have to do with work?"

Then, people were instructed to get up and hug the person they didnt' like or were judging. All these people came over to hug me, which I found annoying and frankly I don't feel like it's my job to go "and be liked."  I am professional and polite and do what I am supposed to and treat people with respect. I didn't initiate any hugs because I wasn't holding any bad feelings toward anyone. Why am I supposed to participate in "group therapy." Then, the guy that was sexually harassing me all this time...well you guessed it...he has to come over and get a hug from me. I don't touch people at work and don't want them touching me, either. This is a job.

Then, she gets up and says (in front of the whole staff) in regards to me, "We don't need people judging others for plagiarizing.  I mean, plagiarizing is the SMART thing to do, when you really think about it-that's the smart and efficient way-anyone would go to Google and just get the work.  Students don't deserved to be judged like this!  I mean what is this-it's not a university or college?!"  These were literally, exactly here words.

I'm sitting there thinking...wtf...earlier this week one of our "popular, well-liked" colleagues had two plainclothes officers come in to work, approach him, read him his rights, cuff him, and escort him out.  I'm not sure what he did, but he is such a popular guy!  So easily relating to students, so cool!  People don't think he is stiff or distant at all, maybe because he isn't really concerned about right or wrong, as in some peoples' worlds this doesn't exist apparently. And a real favorite of our boss. Wow, what a gem. I here on the other hand keep my nose clean and out of trouble and try to do the right thing, but I'm in hot water for attending to the academics-I'm so mean and judgmental.

I hate my job. Really, I mean I hate this career with a passion. I literally think I would be better off doing almost anything else.  I don't know what the chances of being hired in my new career are, but I got a random email this week to be a writer/editor of an online blog/magazine. I was ignoring it, but with no luck in moving forward in the tech sector, maybe I should reconsider.  I've worked at many schools, and it just continues to get worse by the moment. THE reason I am in therapy and on medication is primarily because of my career.