Professional ethics in the teachers’ collective

Welcome here: personal experience of a young teacher, which tells, what should prepare before the first meeting.

For all time, remembered me very well the first quarter. It was like a fairy tale is every day worse. I was used to the students the new rules, the system suddenly fell down bureaucracy, which was much more than I expected. Remember how I broke your heart, when the grade of the student in the wrong column set. Under the shaft of the new experiences I was desperately clinging to Islands of calm — the more experienced and wise teachers.

And here it is, the long-awaited first meeting. Swept under the wave of new information, thoughts and emotions then overdue just one question: dear colleagues, what is wrong with you?

Free digression: when I was in school, I had a certain image of the teacher: something very light, reliable, highly respected, a pillar of morality. I saved the image to their own teaching experience. It has played a very cruel joke.

So, the story should start with self-flagellation. I understand that it is not customary to “wash dirty linen in public”. But, since we aligned to the caste “light-carrying” people, probably, over some unpleasant aspects of their work ethics is worth considering. Or the complete absence thereof.

The pupils of the eighth class come to my office at recess, loudly rewashing bone teacher. After several attacks in the style of: “Yes, she’s very sick!” I could not stand, said, don’t you think “esteemed gentlemen” eighth grade is not very polite to say that about your teacher. In response, I received a dismissive: “what’s our social studies teacher this about it!”. At this moment I know the full meaning of the expression “to precipitate”. When I regained the power of speech, I spoke with the guys on the banal theme of respect for elders. But my mind continued to sound the tocsin of the word “our social studies teacher told myself”.

My colleagues and I carefully figured out how could this happen. It turns out that the school was conducted years of “the war of the roses”. Literally. Teachers were divided into clans and fought over who would be more successful to lobby for their interests at a local “Congress” of the school administration, that is. During this conflict, the warring parties have managed to amass and personal conflicts. And one way of baiting the opponent was the selected pressure through the children. Since children are very receptive, and rarely all of them are fully satisfied with the teaching, it is easy to imagine what kind of reputation was the teacher.

I had sixth grade. At the beginning of the year, I realized that they will have big problems because this parallel each year were replaced by English language teachers. Observed hard lag on the program and the overall indifferent attitude of the class to my subject. We fought very long and hard.

The disciples just did not understand why I ask them homework, and parents are genuinely perplexed why yesterday’s honors English bred a pair of threes in the journal.

I was a frequent visitor to their class teacher. Especially in the end of the quarter. During my next visit, when I was trying to convey to her the idea that her charges shines six deuces in the quarter, she told me straight that children are “stupid and parents don’t care”. With them, she repeatedly said, and I should just “score” at all and put two.

A week before the end of the quarter held a staff meeting where everyone reported on their progress. The turn and reached me. Everything was fine until we reached the ill-fated parallel, which shone a monstrous amount of deuces in the quarter. And then came the hour. The woman literally 10 minutes ago, told me what to do with the “stupid” kids in his eyes turned to accuser, passionately breathable with righteous anger.

I literally jaw dropped. I don’t remember ever actually fell into a state of shock that’s hard to pronounce the word. Next to me sat another teacher, through which I did not explode right there. She soothingly placed a hand on my shoulder and quietly said, “never mind! She always does”.

This story ended the global scandal. I could not keep silent and put his version of events to the Director. After a week of wrangling it was decided that I will change with the colleague classes: ‘ll take her ninth, and she’ll take my sixth.

In this connection I would like again to ask the question: dear colleagues, what is wrong with you? I understand that these are issues that are decided not to discuss it outside of school. But some things are just beyond the edge of reason. How can we teach something good, if you are not able to do with dignity?

You cannot allow internecine conflicts to affect other people, especially on children. We all know how suggestible they are. Any rough or careless word the disciples out in the world. It becomes a stage of identity formation. Why do you then complain about kids if you are ready for a pair of bonus points from the administration to stick a knife in the back anyone?

Let’s be a little closer to what we teach our children. Please stay people.