Anyone who has read my blog for a while will know I used to work in a secondary school.
And will also know I don't like TEACHERS but I do like most teachers, what's the difference?
Most teachers are normal members of the human race who have chosen teaching as a career, lots of them are lovely people and even those that aren't lovely are at least bearable. They also do a bloody difficult job faced with with constantly changing targets and rooms full of stroppy teenagers.
TEACHERS on the other hand are members of a superior race, dictatorial, abrasive and completely convinced they were put on this planet to tell us lesser mortals where we are going wrong.
There was one at my last school who used to come into my office and pontificate, insisting on telling me what an excellent job she was doing compared to the rest of the staff.
I'm sure there are a few in every school, I'm also sure I will receive a load of abusive comments about this post!
On to the subject of volunteers, we had ten volunteers and they included two retired teachers and one retired TEACHER I was in the kitchen with TESCHER and another volunteer who seemed to know her stuff where cooking was concerned.
They were having a disagreement about even temperatures. The cooking instructions stated 200 degrees to cook the pigs in blankets and roast potatoes. Every time the oven temperature was set to 200 degrees the TEACHER marched in and reduced it to 150 degrees. No matter what the instructions said SHE KNEW BETTER! After half an hour of this I'd had enough and the next time the TEACHER tried to lower the temperature I snarled "Leave it!" She did!
9 comments:
Well done. As a Supply Teacher for over 30 years I know what you mean. It's important to respect everyone working in a school--paid or unpaid. One day I was packing up at the end of the afternoon Supply Work, and took my mug to the Staff Room. All the teachers were elsewhere at a Meeting with the head. Just teaching assistants left. "make yourself a cuppa and have a cake with us" they said. And one said something I have never forgotten "You are the ONLY teacher who bothers to thank the TA at the end of the day" I think that's really important. I probably had more experience and qualifications than the majority of staff in that school - but if you can't appreciate everybody's contributions and make them feel valued and part of the team, what kind of role model are you for the students?
The occasional, unexpected snarl can work wonders - and it sounds as though she deserved it.
(As the mother of two teachers, and MiL of another one, I know how hard they work and the many extra hours they put in after/before school, including the holidays, the bloody awful attitude of some of the children/parents they have to deal with, the constantly moving goalposts, etc...I haven't a clue about how bossy or otherwise they are at work though!)
You get a big solid gold star for all your hard work, Sue and I hope the group remembered to thank you for the meal.
Well done you for speaking to the TEACHER in a voice she understood. Like Angela, I always made sure to thank the Support Staff for all their hard work (for very little money) and made sure that ALL staff were included in everything we did. My daughter is an FE lecturer and tells the Support Staff that they know far more about the students and their needs than she ever could. You have my great respect for taking charge of providing all those Christmas lunches.
I am also an ex teacher.On Monday we went to a carol service where our granddaughter was playing clarinet in the school orchestra.She is in Year 7 and All the Year 7 pupils were in the hall too.The standard of music was amazing,all the children very well behaved.The following morning we sent the school an e mail thanking them for a brilliant afternoon.Later in the day we had an email from the Head saying how lovely it was to read our email.Saying thank you costs nothing but can mean an awful lot.If I have had good service,meal etcI always make a point of saying "thank you".
I'm staying anonymous for this one but my sister is a TEACHER and I know exactly what you are talking about.You cannot tell her anything "she knows" everything. A few years ago when she was trying to tell me how to run my life, I felt obliged to remind her that I also had a degree, had held down a very responsible senior civil service job and would she please stop talking to me like some particularly dim-witted 15 year old.It seems to have done the trick.
Generally I find TEACHERS to be bullies. As such, they need to be challenged sternly. Most times it works, sometimes not. Glad you stepped in.
Barb
Kudos to you for sorting it out! I do think there are such people in every area of employment, be they SOCIAL WORKERS, DOCTORS, etc,etc..... Such is life.
Mary
Thank you for all your comments.
Angela, I thought of you when I was writing this as an example of how teachers should be.
Anon, I'm glad your sister seems to have listened.
Mary, bullies, yes and they can show up in every career.
A great blog! You had me chuckling. I concur with everything you and the other commenters said.
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