Dealing with an Unprofessional Co-Worker: My Frustrating Experience Explained"

[lockhartkitchen]

I just had to have a forum to vent. Today, while I'm in a team meeting with two other of my co-workers (teachers). One of the teachers starts to tell me she didn't like the grades I had given her students. She was questioning the way I had taught science. She said I had to have done something wrong to have 1/3 of her class not get passing grades on a plant experiment. Mind you, the current class I have (another teacher not in this meeting), is doing great. I am teaching the same way. I instruct the students daily that during the work time, they are to measure their plants and record the data. The teacher that was complaining said she expected me to have a tally list and check each day that each of her students had recorded the data. I said that the new class I had, did not have a problem following the directions and do this daily. I expect fifth graders to comply with such a simple direction. This teacher was completely out of line and unprofessional to discuss this in front of the other teacher. THis teacher's class sees me next, and it started putting doubt in her mind of my ability to work with her class. I went to my principal and he said I should tell her my feelings. Uggh. The main issue is really the fact that my principal broke up "their" team this year. He took one teacher, moved her to fourth grade and moved me up to fifth. The fifth grade was not making progress in reading and math and my principal wanted me there to help.

 

[christinaspc]

Wow sounds like she was totally over stepping her bounds. I think she should of addressed this in a better way if she didn't feel like it was being handled or trust you that yes you knew what you were doing and how to run a plant project. Hang in there she will get her dealing over this someway or another.

 

[Crystal Patton]

In future I would say something like, "This really isn't the place to discuss this, why don't we visit about your conserns afterwards?" Kill her with kindness!

 

[lockhartkitchen]

I was expecting it, so it didn't come to me at the time, but yes I should have said, "Let's talk about it together alone.". I emailed her my concerns. I was honest, not angry in my email. There wasn't anything else to say about her concern, just me wanting to let her know that in the future, I would like her to speak privately with me about her concerns. Unfortunately, I don't think she'll retire anytime soon. I will be working with her, and I just have to know that her and I have different expectations. I won't be taking any other classes for the science project next year. Rotating was a choice we all had chosen. I'll do my science class, with the other classes rotating, but not the scientific inquiry which goes on the students' permanent portfolio. (This is really was it bugged this teacher. Her name is on these portfolios, with the 8 students who did not pass). I offered to have the students come to my room right before school each day for less than 5 minutes to re-do the plant measurements for a few weeks. The teacher said, she didn't want the kids to have to spend their time doing this. I let her know that this wasn't her decision, but should be the kids, whether or not they choose to re-do this assignment.

Our society wants to make excuses and not hold people accountable for their choices they make. The other 18 students made the choice to follow the class expectations and therefore EARNED a passing grade. Than goodness I'm a teacher that's preparing these students for not only middle school, but for life. We have enough excuse makers out there. Sorry for the vent, but I'm still steamed. To put flame on the fire, right before this meeting the other teachers "whined" to the principal about having to to the district writing test in two weeks, when they haven't even finished their students writing on essays (which we all present on March 18). We've know about testing since Sep. They are unorganized and did not plan well. My students have their essays typed and almost ready to put into book form, with the bibliography, cover sheet colored and a title page. They all know that I'm in this spot and they are still note taking. Not my fault they are unorganized. Uggh. I sure miss my team from last year.

 

[raebates]

It's just so much easier to whine than to work and to complain about someone else's standards than to raise your own. I feel for ya, Julie.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

Shame on her, from kindergarten on we told our children the grades they received were grades they EARNED not were given because a teacher might enjoy or not enjoy having them in her class. (Yes, my kids were teacher's pets and when the boys graduated most if their elementary teachers attended the BBQ)

 

[lockhartkitchen]

Update: The teacher emailed me back today, (Her letter pasted here DOES NOT show all the words she chos to highlight)

Julie I am sorry you were offended. However, I did come and talk to you about the list. You seemed like you do now, in that, this is just the way it is. So, as a grade level we have previously and will continue to address problems that occur due to misunderstandings due to the rotation. We generally respect the wishes of the teacher in charge of the subject, but we have never encountered this problem before (having to make up work after the rotation in complete – especially not with a third of the class). Rotating is an optional choice that we hope strengthens our team. We are all responsible to keep kids accountable for formal tasks. It looks like we need to discuss at our team meetings expectations in our shared rotationsaying that she would (she underlined would) be bringing up topics like this at future team meetings, that were related to our rotation schedule. "

She clearly did not get that this was not "make up work". Students earned a non passing grade, and I'm giving them an opportunity, not a given that they may get a 4.This was not a rotation issue. I finally figured out after reading her letter, that I believe in the past, they gave all students who even attempted this science project, a 4 (which is passing in Oregon). I am using the state scoring guide, which gives the child the grade they earned. After reading her letter, it is obvious that she saw no wrong in bringing up an issue publicly in front of another colleague, AND without coming out and telling me: she wants all her kids to pass. This is not realistic. I am going Monday to speak with my principal and request a meeting between the three of us. My principal is retiring this year, but I will still have to work with this teacher. My organizational skills are bugging the heck out of her, but grow up! She has agreed to LET her students come and redo the plant experiment first thing in the mornings.

 

[susanr613]

yep sounds like you broke up their team and the way they have been operating for years. meeting with the principal is a good idea, he can act as a facilitator hopefully.

try not to let it bother you over the weekend -

 

[lockhartkitchen]

I'm not Susan. For years, I've worried a lot, and I emphasize a lot, about what other people think of me,but not any more. It took me years with my husband's help, to build a thicker skin. I KNOW I'm doing the very best I can. My husband is very helpful in supporting me. He wouldn't have been as "nice" as he says I'm being about this whole thing. He says they are unorganized, noting they are all there after 5:30 nightly, because he always sees them yacking after school when he picks up my daughter. I leave at 3:45 and I go above and beyond. I utilize the time I have. He agrees that it is wrong to expect me to give every student a passing grade, just because it goes on a permanent record. I definitely rattled her today. She was expecting me to cow tale and buckle. I spoke up for myself. I want to work with this team, but it has been very hard. The beginning of the year, they said they always "switched" for math making each teacher a "leveled class" for math. The one teacher said, "I've always taught the advanced students, and that's what I will be doing. We base this on senority." Hmm. We started there nine years ago together. Is is senority of who's been in the fifth grade consecutive, or who's been there the longest? We would have had to draw straws. I was willing to go with that and not make waves. They do need to realize that some things may be different with a new member on their team. They should embrace differences. My boss put me on this team because data shows that for the last several years our 3rd and 4th grades have more than 85% passing/exceeding math (my 4th grade class last year had 95% pass/exceed) while the fifth grade had around 70%. Why the drop at this grade every year? I keep telling myself less than two years! My husband will begin his 1 year program for certification in cisco for computers starting in September. He will then double what I make after 16 years of teaching. I'll quit and do PC full-time and volunteer in schools.

 

[esavvymom]

I may be misunderstanding the situation as far as the grade/experiment, but sounds to me like you are helping the kids by making them responsible for their work. What do we teach the kids if we let them get a passing grade for work that was clearly not passing/acceptable work. They are old enough it sounds like to have been able to do the work- especially since 2/3 of the class and another separate class all did just fine.Your job is to teach the kids the material as well as the life-skills of following directions and working together. Those skills may be more important than the subject matter anyway- because if they expect someone to pass them or help them out when they fail to do their part...what is left? A bunch of adults who expect a hand out...and we know where that gets us. Stick to your guns as a teacher and if you did what was expected, good for you.

 

[jrstephens]

Teachers cannot get out of line when they get broken up and are having to do something different. My husband is a teacher and my MIL was a principal for years until she retired. There are plenty of people that do not like my MIL b/c she would not put up with the crap some teachers can cause and she broke up some "dream teams" as people called them.