This enthusiastic comment from a principal who is actively working to fire me is making me feel really confused

This past week, I received a glowing evaluation that was extremely unusual for our school. At the time I got it, I was baffled because my principal has been actively trying to make my life difficult in a quest to push me out because of the way I teach. <br><br>I work in an inner-city school with very few resources. However, we hold high standards, and our test scores, as well as our students’ college and career placement, show that we are doing something right.<br> <br>The students in my classes are the ones no one else wants to teach. However, I have always felt a connection to them because I come from a similar environment and can identify with their experiences.<br><br>However, my principal doesn't understand this approach. He constantly urges me to follow the prescribed curriculum, fearing that my methods aren't doing enough academically. But to argue my point, I showed him a video from a former student who went from failing and feeling completely disconnected from his learning, to finishing his college degree in three years, all because he was shown kindness and compassion by one of his teachers.<br><br>The principal wasn't very moved by it, so I decided to walk out of his office and say, “I’m okay if you want to fire me. I’d rather be teaching these students than trying to meet some standard where they never have the chance to grow into who they are capable of becoming.”<br><br>I was proud of myself for standing up for what I believed in. But the principal was still unmoved. He said that he was trying to help me keep my job. I left, confused and frustrated.<br><br>And yet, today, I received a comment from him on YouTube saying that I am “one of the best in our school district” and that he is “incredibly grateful” for all that I do.<br><br>It left me feeling confused and conflicted. I am wondering why he chose to express such appreciation when he actively works to undermine my methods.<br><br>I hope that one day he will understand that the holistic approach I take is making a positive impact on my students’ lives.<br> <br>**TLDR:** I got what seemed like a glowing review from a principal who is actively working to fire me, because of the unconventional way I teach my students from low-income backgrounds. I got a video from a former student that went from failing to graduating college in three years in part because a teacher treated him like a person and showed him they cared. The principal didn’t seem very moved by it, and I stood up for myself and told him I’d rather be fired than what he is asking me to do.