Big idea: How do you cope with negativity in the workplace?
I feel like this is something that is experienced no matter what tier of teaching you are in.
I'm not at a great school. I'll say that much. It's a third tier. I make it work and I'm happy. However, the administration is making changes that I feel in the long term could be positive. Short term: there will be issues and some of those have to do with the administrator implementing them all at once rather than staggering the change.
My problem is that there is just so much negativity around what's happening in the school. I am content to just do a great job in my classroom, contribute through my extra curricular and go about my day. However, the negative attitude towards everything has really been getting to me lately.
How do seasoned teachers cope with this?
Negativity in the workplace
Re: Negativity in the workplace
Here are a few I do:
1. Ignore the jerks no matter how brilliant they are (some teachers from this former colonial power can be a real nuisance).
2. Stand your ground when it comes to core pedagogical beliefs. Don't be afraid to say it to people's face.
3. Hang out with like-minded folks.
4. Just think in the long-term, it's your savings, pension, and healthcare matter. Everything else is BS.
5. Join professional learning communities online to stay focused and sharpen your skills.
6. Maintain a blog to reflect on your practice.
1. Ignore the jerks no matter how brilliant they are (some teachers from this former colonial power can be a real nuisance).
2. Stand your ground when it comes to core pedagogical beliefs. Don't be afraid to say it to people's face.
3. Hang out with like-minded folks.
4. Just think in the long-term, it's your savings, pension, and healthcare matter. Everything else is BS.
5. Join professional learning communities online to stay focused and sharpen your skills.
6. Maintain a blog to reflect on your practice.
Response
My only 3 three pieces of advice are:
1) Ignore the negative people.
2) Dont socialize/eat lunch with the negative people. This might mean you have to eat lunch in your classroom or with students.
3) Dont participate, even if you bring positive elements it will just start or add fuel to an argument.
It helps to develop an outer skin of Teflon that everything just slides off.
1) Ignore the negative people.
2) Dont socialize/eat lunch with the negative people. This might mean you have to eat lunch in your classroom or with students.
3) Dont participate, even if you bring positive elements it will just start or add fuel to an argument.
It helps to develop an outer skin of Teflon that everything just slides off.
Re: Negativity in the workplace
Other things that are useful:
1) Always keep in mind at least two good things, one academic and one personal, that you can look forward to every week. Whether it's a date with a partner, socialising with the good staff, a fun class or extra-curricular activity you run. It'll help you keep positive during the low points.
2) Try and have a good non-teaching friend who doesn't mind you ranting about the bad stuff. It'll keep you from bottling it all up, and the fact that they're a non-teacher means that you won't just rant at each-other about work. You can finish the work day, complain for a half an hour, and then talk about other things. Works wonders.
1) Always keep in mind at least two good things, one academic and one personal, that you can look forward to every week. Whether it's a date with a partner, socialising with the good staff, a fun class or extra-curricular activity you run. It'll help you keep positive during the low points.
2) Try and have a good non-teaching friend who doesn't mind you ranting about the bad stuff. It'll keep you from bottling it all up, and the fact that they're a non-teacher means that you won't just rant at each-other about work. You can finish the work day, complain for a half an hour, and then talk about other things. Works wonders.
Re: Negativity in the workplace
A thing to keep in mind is that being negative is a far cry from voicing valid concerns.
I had a real d_bag assistant principal who was that "special" mix of arrogance and hopeless incompetence that so many international schools seem to employ - in both admin and teaching positions. He would foul up time after time and whenever anyone spoke up his first and only line of defense was to call these people negative.
It is ok to voice complaints then discuss ways to make things better. If the discussion devolves into complaint after complaint without any productive attempt at finding solutions, then you need to find other people to hang out with.
I had a real d_bag assistant principal who was that "special" mix of arrogance and hopeless incompetence that so many international schools seem to employ - in both admin and teaching positions. He would foul up time after time and whenever anyone spoke up his first and only line of defense was to call these people negative.
It is ok to voice complaints then discuss ways to make things better. If the discussion devolves into complaint after complaint without any productive attempt at finding solutions, then you need to find other people to hang out with.
Re: Negativity in the workplace
Have to agree with senator on the admin hopelessness which in turn triggers genuine negativity. Had a similar experience with a HS principal who delegated most of his work to teachers in the name of countless committees and called it power-sharing. He would go on a twitter rant if someone questioned his ideas during weekly meetings.
Having said that, I'd say, be careful. Avoid admin gossip at the lunch table as their grudge could potentially screw up your future references.
Having said that, I'd say, be careful. Avoid admin gossip at the lunch table as their grudge could potentially screw up your future references.
Re: Negativity in the workplace
How bad is the negativity with co-workers compared to typical office jobs? Wouldn't it be less bad because you get to spend 15-20 hours or so teaching instead of in your cubicle with potentially hellish coworkers?
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peachestotulips
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2015 6:24 am
Re: Negativity in the workplace
You should really read some of the reviews on the paid portion of the site.
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chilagringa
- Posts: 335
- Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:19 pm
Re: Negativity in the workplace
boss14 wrote:
> How bad is the negativity with co-workers compared to typical office jobs? Wouldn't
> it be less bad because you get to spend 15-20 hours or so teaching instead of in
> your cubicle with potentially hellish coworkers?
If that's how easy you think teaching is you are in for a REAL shock your first day in the classroom!
> How bad is the negativity with co-workers compared to typical office jobs? Wouldn't
> it be less bad because you get to spend 15-20 hours or so teaching instead of in
> your cubicle with potentially hellish coworkers?
If that's how easy you think teaching is you are in for a REAL shock your first day in the classroom!
Re: Negativity in the workplace
fine dude wrote:
> Here are a few I do:
> 1. Ignore the jerks no matter how brilliant they are (some teachers from this former
> colonial power can be a real nuisance).
I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here. I suspect that - because of better management law and employment protection - workers from the "former colonial power" are usually less accepting of poor management and more likely to make their views known rather than sit with their heads down hoping it will quietly go away.
The OP mentioned that the real issue seems to be the fact that all the changes are being implemented at once, rather than over time. That to me indicates that they won't be successful, however good they may be, as too much change in any organisation is unsettling for everyone, even if the change is both needed and understood.
Perhaps you could take a positive approach with the administrator? Try to persuade him of the benefit of a gradual approach?
> Here are a few I do:
> 1. Ignore the jerks no matter how brilliant they are (some teachers from this former
> colonial power can be a real nuisance).
I'm not quite sure what you're getting at here. I suspect that - because of better management law and employment protection - workers from the "former colonial power" are usually less accepting of poor management and more likely to make their views known rather than sit with their heads down hoping it will quietly go away.
The OP mentioned that the real issue seems to be the fact that all the changes are being implemented at once, rather than over time. That to me indicates that they won't be successful, however good they may be, as too much change in any organisation is unsettling for everyone, even if the change is both needed and understood.
Perhaps you could take a positive approach with the administrator? Try to persuade him of the benefit of a gradual approach?
Re: Negativity in the workplace
boss14 wrote:
> How bad is the negativity with co-workers compared to typical office jobs?
> Wouldn't it be less bad because you get to spend 15-20 hours or so teaching
> instead of in your cubicle with potentially hellish coworkers?
Teaching requires a lot of emotional strength, and a massive amount of self-confidence. You're also not seen doing your job a lot of the time, because you're on your own (or with teaching assistants) in class. All of this combined means that a senior staff member or department colleague can question your judgement, your skills, your teaching methods, your behaviour management, in subtle ways that never rise to the point of being put on probation or being giving more training, but that do effectively bring you lower and lower over the academic year. I've known teachers who ignore the staff-room whenever possible, because the back-stabbing and "subtle" negative comments are just too much. I've known schools where racist comments are flung behind people's backs just loud enough for the target to hear them, but not so loud that senior staff hear them.
Teaching takes a lot out of you, and a truly toxic school environment is the most awful thing in the world whilst you're deep in it, even if you keep out of the office politics and are a Good Person.
> How bad is the negativity with co-workers compared to typical office jobs?
> Wouldn't it be less bad because you get to spend 15-20 hours or so teaching
> instead of in your cubicle with potentially hellish coworkers?
Teaching requires a lot of emotional strength, and a massive amount of self-confidence. You're also not seen doing your job a lot of the time, because you're on your own (or with teaching assistants) in class. All of this combined means that a senior staff member or department colleague can question your judgement, your skills, your teaching methods, your behaviour management, in subtle ways that never rise to the point of being put on probation or being giving more training, but that do effectively bring you lower and lower over the academic year. I've known teachers who ignore the staff-room whenever possible, because the back-stabbing and "subtle" negative comments are just too much. I've known schools where racist comments are flung behind people's backs just loud enough for the target to hear them, but not so loud that senior staff hear them.
Teaching takes a lot out of you, and a truly toxic school environment is the most awful thing in the world whilst you're deep in it, even if you keep out of the office politics and are a Good Person.
Reply
@boss14
Most ITs spend more than 20 hours a week on teaching hours. There isnt much of a difference between a toxic IT in the room next door to you, or one in the cubicle next to you. Its just a different type. A cubicle coworker is likely to be more direct, because they have better access to you, but a toxic IT is just going to be more passive aggressive.
ITs dont really grow up, all the same personalities you found in secondary school as a student are the same ones you find on IS and DS faculty. You have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses. Outside of primary very few ITs get into education as the goal, its usually a result of not being able to monetize their education or failure/dissatisfaction with the private/corporate sector of what their degree qualifies them for.
Take SPED/SEN/LD, one of the most in demand fields in DE/IE. In the private/corporate sector your options are social work or something in psychology practice. The average salary for those positions is around USD$30K a year or about what the global average IT salary is, and you get a LOT more time off in DE/IE than you will in social/psychological work (at least with a Bachelors degree). A lot of classical teaching fields just arent in very high demand outside of education or the market is insanely competitive. Its easy to point at art, music theater history and literature, but there isnt a huge demand for mathematicians and physicists who only have first degrees. A BS in wildlife biology is going to qualify you to do a lot of nothing when it comes to actual wildlife biology. The options are basically park ranger or assistant at a zoo, an NGO is a potential option but your going to be in an office at a computer way more than your going to be out in the field working with actual wild life. A lot of those factors contribute to VERY healthy (large) egos in IE and DE, every IT/DT thinks they are awesome.
Probably the best ITs to work with are those that are second career ITs who already retired and did whatever it was they did and were successful at it, and now just teach because they always wanted too or are padding their retirement and have a few more years of work in them or just want the travel on the cheap.
Most ITs spend more than 20 hours a week on teaching hours. There isnt much of a difference between a toxic IT in the room next door to you, or one in the cubicle next to you. Its just a different type. A cubicle coworker is likely to be more direct, because they have better access to you, but a toxic IT is just going to be more passive aggressive.
ITs dont really grow up, all the same personalities you found in secondary school as a student are the same ones you find on IS and DS faculty. You have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses. Outside of primary very few ITs get into education as the goal, its usually a result of not being able to monetize their education or failure/dissatisfaction with the private/corporate sector of what their degree qualifies them for.
Take SPED/SEN/LD, one of the most in demand fields in DE/IE. In the private/corporate sector your options are social work or something in psychology practice. The average salary for those positions is around USD$30K a year or about what the global average IT salary is, and you get a LOT more time off in DE/IE than you will in social/psychological work (at least with a Bachelors degree). A lot of classical teaching fields just arent in very high demand outside of education or the market is insanely competitive. Its easy to point at art, music theater history and literature, but there isnt a huge demand for mathematicians and physicists who only have first degrees. A BS in wildlife biology is going to qualify you to do a lot of nothing when it comes to actual wildlife biology. The options are basically park ranger or assistant at a zoo, an NGO is a potential option but your going to be in an office at a computer way more than your going to be out in the field working with actual wild life. A lot of those factors contribute to VERY healthy (large) egos in IE and DE, every IT/DT thinks they are awesome.
Probably the best ITs to work with are those that are second career ITs who already retired and did whatever it was they did and were successful at it, and now just teach because they always wanted too or are padding their retirement and have a few more years of work in them or just want the travel on the cheap.
Re: Reply
PsyGuy wrote:
> @boss14
>
>
> ITs dont really grow up, all the same personalities you found in secondary
> school as a student are the same ones you find on IS and DS faculty. You
> have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses. Outside of primary very few ITs
> get into education as the goal, its usually a result of not being able to
> monetize their education or failure/dissatisfaction with the
> private/corporate sector of what their degree qualifies them for.
I get what you're saying (and I also note the "very few", there), but that's a sweeping generalisation that's actually pretty demoralising (oh! the irony!).
"You have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses." Do you? I've just worked with a cross-section of people. Some are stuck-up, but others are sensible human beings.
"outside of primary". Actually, I know just as many Primary teachers as Secondary who got into teaching because it's "easy" and something to do with their degrees. And, in fact, since Primary doesn't require any specialism, I would say moreso than Secondary it's what people without a specific interest in teaching aim for.
"its usually a result of not being able to monetize their education". Except a lot of International schools require a teaching certificate or education degree - many of the schools I applied for even asked if the Induction Year had been completed. So these are not teachers who have just decided willy-nilly to move into the education field because their main career was badly paid.
"Probably the best ITs to work with are those that are second career ITs who already retired and did whatever it was they did and were successful at it,". Because nothing makes my point in my previous post like someone assuming the younger teachers are crap.
International Teaching is a fantastic way to see the world whilst doing something you love, and getting out of your home country. The UK (for example) is a depressing place, that has consistently failed to give a monkey's uncle about teachers - to tar the good (nee, amazing) teachers who are taking jobs abroad for the adventure and pay with the ones who don't care? What an awful thing to do in a thread whose subject is "Negativity in the workplace".
> @boss14
>
>
> ITs dont really grow up, all the same personalities you found in secondary
> school as a student are the same ones you find on IS and DS faculty. You
> have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses. Outside of primary very few ITs
> get into education as the goal, its usually a result of not being able to
> monetize their education or failure/dissatisfaction with the
> private/corporate sector of what their degree qualifies them for.
I get what you're saying (and I also note the "very few", there), but that's a sweeping generalisation that's actually pretty demoralising (oh! the irony!).
"You have the jocks, the geeks, the princesses." Do you? I've just worked with a cross-section of people. Some are stuck-up, but others are sensible human beings.
"outside of primary". Actually, I know just as many Primary teachers as Secondary who got into teaching because it's "easy" and something to do with their degrees. And, in fact, since Primary doesn't require any specialism, I would say moreso than Secondary it's what people without a specific interest in teaching aim for.
"its usually a result of not being able to monetize their education". Except a lot of International schools require a teaching certificate or education degree - many of the schools I applied for even asked if the Induction Year had been completed. So these are not teachers who have just decided willy-nilly to move into the education field because their main career was badly paid.
"Probably the best ITs to work with are those that are second career ITs who already retired and did whatever it was they did and were successful at it,". Because nothing makes my point in my previous post like someone assuming the younger teachers are crap.
International Teaching is a fantastic way to see the world whilst doing something you love, and getting out of your home country. The UK (for example) is a depressing place, that has consistently failed to give a monkey's uncle about teachers - to tar the good (nee, amazing) teachers who are taking jobs abroad for the adventure and pay with the ones who don't care? What an awful thing to do in a thread whose subject is "Negativity in the workplace".
Reply
@Reu
Its still no less true.
Theres the same portion of sensible students who are just trying to get through adolescence, they put on a hoodie, go to class, do their work, go home. You also have the bullies, the drama queens, the rebels, I could go on with more clicks, but are the "sensible" ITs the ones causing the drama in your IS?
Id argue that primary education majors are the ones without a specific interest in anything at all, do...
Its just what a lot of young woman major in before getting married and having their own kids. What can you do with a primary education degree thats not education.
The same is true of a LOT of majors. The art IT that has to pay their bills and isnt in some gallery or famous. The history IT that realizes there isnt a huge demand for historians or museum curators. The science IT that cant get a job as a scientist with a BS degree. The PE IT who never made it to the professional leagues. The literature IT who never became a writer because no one will pay them for their writing. For a LOT of those professions IE/DE is the only feasible opportunity to work in their degree fields.
Educator credentials are not a vast investment in time or coin. A one year PGCE or ACP or PB program will get you a credential, and induction is just another year. It might not be something you can do in a day, but being faced with a saturated job market, low employment in your field and faced with the option of working in the service or retail industry for the rest of their days, a year of additional education and training isnt a huge commitment or investment. Aside from that you literally can get a credential "willy nilly". Complete an application thats a day, and take an exam (such as PRAXIS) thats another day and a number of US states will give you a professional educator credential.
Younger ITs are more drama prone. They are the generation of ITs that take pictures of their food and then post it to FB and blast it out on there twitter and snap chat, as if no ones seen what food looks like.
Older ITs tend to NOT constantly broadcast every single aspect of their lives to everyone around them.
Your not really seeing the world your just exchanging one location for another, youre not an explorer or adventure, or journalist. Youre moving what you call home from one location to another. Most ITs really dont get to travel except during long holiday breaks, in which case IE is no different than DE.
I agree the UK as well as a lot of western regions have very low regard and value for educators.
Its still no less true.
Theres the same portion of sensible students who are just trying to get through adolescence, they put on a hoodie, go to class, do their work, go home. You also have the bullies, the drama queens, the rebels, I could go on with more clicks, but are the "sensible" ITs the ones causing the drama in your IS?
Id argue that primary education majors are the ones without a specific interest in anything at all, do...
Its just what a lot of young woman major in before getting married and having their own kids. What can you do with a primary education degree thats not education.
The same is true of a LOT of majors. The art IT that has to pay their bills and isnt in some gallery or famous. The history IT that realizes there isnt a huge demand for historians or museum curators. The science IT that cant get a job as a scientist with a BS degree. The PE IT who never made it to the professional leagues. The literature IT who never became a writer because no one will pay them for their writing. For a LOT of those professions IE/DE is the only feasible opportunity to work in their degree fields.
Educator credentials are not a vast investment in time or coin. A one year PGCE or ACP or PB program will get you a credential, and induction is just another year. It might not be something you can do in a day, but being faced with a saturated job market, low employment in your field and faced with the option of working in the service or retail industry for the rest of their days, a year of additional education and training isnt a huge commitment or investment. Aside from that you literally can get a credential "willy nilly". Complete an application thats a day, and take an exam (such as PRAXIS) thats another day and a number of US states will give you a professional educator credential.
Younger ITs are more drama prone. They are the generation of ITs that take pictures of their food and then post it to FB and blast it out on there twitter and snap chat, as if no ones seen what food looks like.
Older ITs tend to NOT constantly broadcast every single aspect of their lives to everyone around them.
Your not really seeing the world your just exchanging one location for another, youre not an explorer or adventure, or journalist. Youre moving what you call home from one location to another. Most ITs really dont get to travel except during long holiday breaks, in which case IE is no different than DE.
I agree the UK as well as a lot of western regions have very low regard and value for educators.
Re: Negativity in the workplace
peachestotulips wrote:
> You should really read some of the reviews on the paid portion of the site.
chilagringa wrote:
> If that's how easy you think teaching is you are in for a REAL shock your first day
> in the classroom!
But negativity with co-workers occurs in typical office jobs as well. I was curious to know the negativity in teaching at ISs *compares* to typical office jobs
Reu wrote:
> Teaching requires a lot of emotional strength, and a massive amount of
> self-confidence. You're also not seen doing your job a lot of the time, because
> you're on your own (or with teaching assistants) in class. All of this combined means
> that a senior staff member or department colleague can question your judgement, your
> skills, your teaching methods, your behaviour management, in subtle ways that never
> rise to the point of being put on probation or being giving more training, but that
> do effectively bring you lower and lower over the academic year. I've known teachers
> who ignore the staff-room whenever possible, because the back-stabbing and
> "subtle" negative comments are just too much. I've known schools where
> racist comments are flung behind people's backs just loud enough for the target to
> hear them, but not so loud that senior staff hear them.
>
> Teaching takes a lot out of you, and a truly toxic school environment is the most
> awful thing in the world whilst you're deep in it, even if you keep out of the office
> politics and are a Good Person.
But plenty of office job environments are toxic as well. That's why I was curious to know how the negativity in teaching at ISs *compares* to typical office jobs
> You should really read some of the reviews on the paid portion of the site.
chilagringa wrote:
> If that's how easy you think teaching is you are in for a REAL shock your first day
> in the classroom!
But negativity with co-workers occurs in typical office jobs as well. I was curious to know the negativity in teaching at ISs *compares* to typical office jobs
Reu wrote:
> Teaching requires a lot of emotional strength, and a massive amount of
> self-confidence. You're also not seen doing your job a lot of the time, because
> you're on your own (or with teaching assistants) in class. All of this combined means
> that a senior staff member or department colleague can question your judgement, your
> skills, your teaching methods, your behaviour management, in subtle ways that never
> rise to the point of being put on probation or being giving more training, but that
> do effectively bring you lower and lower over the academic year. I've known teachers
> who ignore the staff-room whenever possible, because the back-stabbing and
> "subtle" negative comments are just too much. I've known schools where
> racist comments are flung behind people's backs just loud enough for the target to
> hear them, but not so loud that senior staff hear them.
>
> Teaching takes a lot out of you, and a truly toxic school environment is the most
> awful thing in the world whilst you're deep in it, even if you keep out of the office
> politics and are a Good Person.
But plenty of office job environments are toxic as well. That's why I was curious to know how the negativity in teaching at ISs *compares* to typical office jobs