Teacher Series: The leader who criticised teachers at the school lunch table
Teacher Series: The leader who criticised teachers at the school lunch table
I had a colleague who was my assistant for this role. Once, she came to me and said that students were complaining about me and they preferred the previous teacher. I asked her how she knew about this. She said that my line manager, the person I was reporting to for my role, said this during lunch in the cafeteria at the teacher’s lunch table and asked her to inform me to look into the matter. I asked her what her response was. She said that she just listened. My line manager, without investigating the reason for the student’s complaints or asking me in private to investigate the complaints, in presence of other teachers, assumed that me and my colleague were to blame and asked us to set this right. This was the cafeteria where students were also seated and were walking around and might have also heard the conversation. This leader was prone to such behaviour and talked about other teachers as well at the lunch table.
I went to my line manager/leader. I told her what my colleague who was my assistant told me. I told her that I am very open to constructive criticism but this should have been discussed with me in the office and not at the lunch table where I was not even present. She said that the students told her and she told my assistant so that we could look into it. She added that teachers might not have heard it and even if they did, they would not take it seriously. I told her that she held a very responsible position in school. Her words carried weight. Coming from her, it would not be a casual comment and teachers would take it seriously. I told her that another time she had any problem, she should call me directly to her office and ask me and I would be happy to answer any question, but she should not talk about me in common spaces in front of other teachers. At that time, she apologised, but later on, our relationship was not the same. We would still meet for matters for which I reported to her and our meetings would be professional. But it was clear that she was upset with me and this relationship could not be repaired.
One Head of School I worked with would always sit at different tables with different teachers. This way, he got to know all the teachers and there was not ‘one group’ that he sat with. I follow the same practice. I sit at different tables during lunch, getting to know the teachers, asking about their families or talking about common topics of interest or listening to them. I dont have one table or one group of colleagues with whom I always sit.
I write this to inform teachers about gossip culture that may exist in schools. Leaders of any capacity cannot be part of this gossip. If teachers gossip or talk ill about colleagues or complain or share concerns in public places in front of leaders, leaders should tell them not to. I also understand that sometimes teachers need to vent. They need to talk with close colleagues about something that happened to them. They can do this privately behind closed doors, and not in public places within earshot of other teachers or students. Leaders need to vent too sometimes. This should also be done privately behind closed doors.
As a leader, in case I need to talk to a teacher about a concern, I make it a point to have a direct conversation with the teacher, and privately. I make it a point to have it behind closed doors. Sometimes, the schedule is such that only lunch meetings or early morning meetings are possible and teachers need to eat, so we meet in the cafeteria, but I make sure I sit far away from others and that no one can hear anything. If anyone tries to join us, I tell them that the teacher and I are in a meeting.
Leaders should be role models and should behave with utmost professionalism. They cannot have a loose tongue!
#relationships,#new teachers,#behaviour,#school,#learning,#teacher-student relationships, #myp, #teaching,#students,#learning support,#ib,#LGBTQ, #motivation, #intercultural awareness
