My Job Is Making Me...Aghhh!

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So I am nearing the end of my 26th year of working as an educator. In three weeks it will be Summer vacation. Then eleven weeks later, it starts over again.

I am autistic. I require routine. If I don't have routine, I become anxiety ridden and want to run in a corner to hide until my routine returns.

For nineteen years I was a high school English teacher. Each day was a routine. Each period bell rang at the same time. I had the same students each day. It was so routine. Then I became the schools gifted intervention specialist. That was great. It was still routine. Then, the gifted program got cut. I was reassigned in the middle school as a Title teacher (finishing my third year of that). There went my routine. Nothing is routine. On any day I might be asked to cover so and so's classes for the rest of the day because they went home sick. Any day, when I am supposed to work with a student or students assigned to my Title services, I may be asked to watch this class or that class. I feel like I am working in chaos. I no longer like my job. It is making me fear my working life. I have had to go on blood pressure medicine and anxiety medicine as a result. My blood pressure which had been normal, is now 160ish over 110 without medicine since doing the Title job. Then my anxiety resulted in me going to the doctor because I was having terrible headaches that wouldn't go away.

We used to be able to retire at thirty years, but the great state of Ohio has seen a way to screw those teachers of my age and younger. Now we have to work much longer to get our proper retirement. I don't feel like I can take much more of my job the way it is. This coming Monday I was told I was needed to watch Mrs. so and so's class from 12:30 to the end of the school day because she has an appointment. This has been on my mind ever since I was told. It has partially ruined my weekend thinking about it. I need routine. I am miserable with my job now. I can hardly face the thoughts of going back after this summer vacation. I also have middle lunch duty everyday. Talk about the noise level---terrible on my sensory issues.

I am thinking. Should I get some kind of doctor's note explaining my needs due to my autism? Or will they just laugh it off? The older I get, the worse I feel my sensory issues and need for routine is becoming. Right now, I am trying to get a headache. When I went to pick up a take out order at a Chinese restaurant this afternoon, I saw a middle student from my school, I immediately began getting chest pains because it brought my mind to my job. Folks, this is not healthy. What am I to do?

I would talk to your school district's HR and see if you could be fast tracked as an applicant to a position as a regular classroom teacher in HS or middle school.

Nebrets is right.

I wouldn't disclose that you have autism. I'd try to get the Fast Track back to Routine.

Other people might have a different opinion, especially if they work in the school systems in Ohio, or if they believe in disclosure of one's conditions.

But I don't believe any employer, especially one within a school system, would be delighted to offer you accommodations.