Teacher Behavior
I have always been a big cheerleader and supporter of teachers.
That is why I founded The Spirit of Teaching and my podcast, Teacher Tales.
However, in the past year or so, I have been losing faith and hope as I witness more and more inappropriate behaviors on the part of some teachers…
…in fact, too many teachers!
Let me explain and give some examples.
Too much “mean girl” behavior:
Teachers forming cliques and excluding, gossiping and targeting other teachers.
True story example:
Group of 5th grade teammates create group text and leave one teammate out. They give everyone on the team birthday gifts, share baked goods, sit together at lunch, celebrate together, get together outside of school, but exclude that same teacher.
My question:
Would those same teachers approve of such bullying behavior in their students?
Not enough sharing and caring:
Teachers isolating, being territorial, seeking the “favorite teacher” status, not sharing with other teachers and not checking in with each other with support and kindness.
True story example:
Two teachers in a department “stick together”, create plans together, share everything. Other teacher in the department isolates and tries to do everything without the others, and resents PLC time.
My questions:
What is the real risk and downside to not collaborating and working together as a team? What is everyone afraid of?
Overcommitting to perfectionism and “I need to do it all” mentality:
Teachers burning out and then, feel resentments that lead to blaming, guilt-throwing, shaming, gossiping and attacking other teachers.
True story example:
Teacher burns out from doing too much and not setting boundaries. Teacher starts resenting the other teachers who “leave right at the bell and never take home anything”. Teacher starts making passive-aggressive comments to make others feel guilty and shame them. Teacher gossips and talks badly about the other teachers. Teacher starts taking too many “sick days”, which then puts a burden on the team and also denies students of the education they should have.
My questions:
Why doesn’t the teacher ask teammates for help? Why don’t the teammates check in with the teacher and offer help? What can the teacher let go of and then, be okay with it? Where is the admin support? What can the teacher do to get help outside of school to lighten their burden and manage the stress better?
“I want to be cool, popular and the kids’ friend” mentality:
Teachers who do not behave as good role models for students and join with them in making fun of everything from students to fellow teachers to administrators to…you name it!
True story example:
Teacher allow students to make fun of others in class and joke right along with the bullies. Teacher makes certain students the “butt of their jokes” to get everyone to laugh. Teacher singles out certain students and makes snarky comments or asks rhetorical questions in front of the class for “not doing HW AGAIN” or “did you mean to dress like that today?” or “can’t you do anything right?” or “what were you thinking? I guess you weren’t by the look of your answers!”
My questions:
What happened to that teacher in school to make them want to now be the adult bully and cool kid that they weren’t in their school years? Do they ever stop to think that they are just modeling, validating and propagating poor choices and behaviors for the students?
Lying, cheating, stealing, tattling:
These teacher behaviors really need no further elaboration (although maybe an ELA teacher might disagree – lol!)
True story example:
Teacher tells an admin. that their colleague is not sharing with them. Teacher sneaks into classroom and steals material from other teacher. When asked about it by admin, teacher denies it and starts talking badly about the other teacher in order to re-direct conversation away from them.
My questions:
What the H—-? In what world does this teacher live where they think this kind of behavior is acceptable??? Didn’t you sign a code of conduct and ethical behavior?
“Not my problem” and throwing others “under the bus”:
Teacher who armors up, constantly complains, is negative, disagreeable and critical of everyone and everything. Often this teacher becomes defiant and aggressive and attacks others in order to keep themselves from being vulnerable or having to reflect on their own behavior.
True story example:
During a department meeting, (IF that teacher even shows up!), this teacher sits down, crosses arms and starts complaining about everything and everyone in the department. Not my problem that the parents are stupid”, “not my problem that the kid didn’t learn that from you last year”, “not my problem that the kid is lazy” and so on.
My questions:
What is that teacher’s problem? Why is that teacher so armored up?” What will it take to get the to come around from the dark side to the (en)lightning side of teaching?
Jealousy, favoritism, competition, personalization and “out to get you”
Teacher who is jealous of others in school whom they feel get more attention or are considered to be a “favorite” of the admin. The teacher personalizes everything and feels everyone else is “out to get me” and that everything is a competition and a need to “be the winner”.
True story example:
Teacher gets “Teacher of the Year” at a school or admin treats faculty differently and allows some to do things that others are not allowed to do. Jealousy and competition simmers and brews until it causes high resentments and a big fight among the teachers. Comments like “why is she such an attention hog and showing off and making the rest of us look bad?” echo through the grapevine hallways of school and out into the community.
My questions:
How and why did the admin allow this to get out of hand? What should they be doing to help mitigate these tensions? How can the admin be more fair and supportive of ALL the teachers? Why do we have T.O.Y. anyway?
These are certainly not all of the behaviors that are going on in schools.
There are a lot of positive, nurturing, admirable behaviors being exhibited as well by teachers.
It just seems like, with many things in our society today, inappropriate and unkind, uncaring behaviors are out of hand and acceptable to display.
Is it social media, poor parenting, too much stress, not enough accountability, too much testing, too much fear, too much shaming and blaming, too much competition, “just the way of the world today”, those “damn young people”, “those damn teachers” or ??????
I’m not sure. It is certainly very complicated.
I can only hope that raising awareness and setting intentions to consciously change any unwanted and inappropriate behaviors would become the mission statement for all schools and their teachers.
Teachers are role models for children and others.
Teachers do make a difference and choose in every moment what their impact will be.
Let’s be more conscious and intentional with the choices we make and how they align with our mission as educators.
All in the SPIRIT OF TEACHING!
Thank you!
PS – I have started a local teacher support group for teachers in my area who want to feel safe and work through how to deal with a lot of these bad behaviors that are going on in schools these days.
I invite you to join us, if you are able, or to start one of your own in your area!
Photo credit:
“Safari Behavior Chart” by venspired is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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