Yesterday I got into a screaming fight with a teacher. Most of the women at my school have been very receptive and welcoming to me over the past couple of years as the new assistant principal. There is one older woman however who obviously does not understand or care to acknowledge my position and continues to treat me as if I work for her by coming to me for last minute xeroxing or stupid tasks she should have done on her own time in preparation for class.
So yesterday she had a new student. I walked the child, sibling and mother to her classroom on the hour exactly. She was no where to be found. Our school policy is that the teacher must be in the room 15 minutes before the first bell. I made small talk with the family and waited. When she didn't show after five minutes I suggested the snow might be delaying her and went looking for her. Turns out she was doing something else in the office. I calmly told her there was a family in her classroom and that she was late. She responded, she was busy doing something for the principal. I then responded, I don't care...the rule is that you are in your classroom 15 minutes before class. This rule applies to everyone and she is not special. She stormed away.
Fast forward to after school. She comes into the office and says from the principals office (they are right next door)...I need to talk to you, come in here. She called ME into the Principals office. The f-ing nerve. So like a fool, I got up and went into the office. Then she tells me I owe her an apology. Can you believe? F her!... which is essentially what I said but a little cleaner.
I said a bunch of other things and to make a long story short nothing was resolved, we yelled at each other for about 20 minutes. The principal did not take sides...but I'm told by many others I have since spoken with that she should have in fact, backed me up as the assistant principal. It got ugly. The teacher is a close talker and with ever step she came closer to my face the more I had to refrain from slapping her (I've never hit a person before but there is always a first).
And the point of all this is...I kept thinking man, if I am by some miracle pregnant, this stress can't be good for a baby. Otherwise, this is some serious PMS.
8 comments:
The teacher has no right to treat you that way. She is just trying to mark her territory and show you who is boss. Good for you for standing up to her and not taking her crap.
When I was a teacher, I had a student in my class whose mother worked at the daycare side of the school. She would scream at me for treating her child unfairly (I was punishing him in the same ways as everyone else when he misbehaved). She would scream at me in front of her child and in front of my class. The school was understaffed and wouldn't do anything about it. If I hadn't been moving anyway, I would have quit over that. See how they like that for understaffing!
Bummer.
I hope you are able to keep your cool and be the bigger person. Personally, I would have said "if you can't talk about this calmly, let me know when you can." and I'd of walked out.
I definitely wouldn't take her crap though!
no, unfortunately i acted like a crazed lunatic and yelled back. i think i have some anger management issues. i was totally unprofessional.
Anger management issues?
Dude, just reading that story made me want to reach out and 'touch' said teacher...you may have lost your cool, but you handled it well nonetheless. And what was up with the principal?
thanks for your support hekateris. i tried to leave you a comment on your blog but couldn't figure out how. yes, i'm now in agreement my boss is weak. it's so helpful to hear i'm not crazy. i say skip dr. phil...that guy gets on my last nerve. well, it's 1:33 and i'm playing hookie. i guess i should call work and let them now but this dark cloud is hovering over me and i can't leave my computer. besides, the day is half over...i guess they've figured it out by now.
As my gramie would say in this situation, "good on ya!" The teacher feels threatened by you, someone who is younger and has more authority than she.
I do believe that the principal should have backed you up.
Next time, though, try not to scream or yell at her. Just speak to her in a calm, clear voice. It will make her even madder and you are not sinking to her level. You are above that. If she wants to engage you on things, just say, "this is not up for debate."
Oh, and don't worry about this stress. If you are pregnant, your body will protect the little one.
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