I've changed my name as don't want it associated with my other username.
I just need to get this off my chest...Three years ago I was on my PGCE course and my school placement mentor was a serious bully! I was pushed to the limit with his bullying ways, his nasty comments, mocking of my accent, my 'boring' clothes, my handwriting not been good enough, his constant undermining of my lessons & planning when I asked how to improve he would just say you should know by now...emails at all times of the day/night...his constant presence in my lessons everyday I was rarely alone with my class he's always there and even turned up at my rented flat I hid upstairs until he went after 45mins of knocking and waiting in his car outside...other PGCE students told me it was like watching someone being controlled in a relationship and they didn't know what to do...other Teachers in the dept would watch me teach and grade me good to outstanding...he would watch me or not watch me and look up from his marking and tell me I was inadequate or RI in front of the class. On the last day I drove out of the school car park in a daze and wondering what the hell had just happened for the last 5 months...he broke me!
I complained the University and begged to be moved but they wouldn't do anything...it boiled down to money and how it would look bad if I was moved to another School. Other Mentors were disgusted with his behaviour but it just carried on...I began to have suicidal thoughts! My husband was in despair as he just didn't know what to do...I stuck it out as he had made so many sacrifices for me to follow my dream of being a Teacher.
My NQT year was horrific I had the same type of Mentor but a female version that had just broken up with her partner...I was just happily married at the time we decided a fresh start in a new city...I never ever spoke about my personal life apart from once when she asked me what my husband was like.
She once answered my mobile (left it in mini staffroom on my desk whilst I was teaching) from my husband and asked him if we'd like to come for dinner as she likes to get to know everyone in the dept...she hadn't mentioned it to me all day...when I got home...my husband said your boss sounds nice I'm definitely up for dinner. When I mentioned it the next day she point blank said she never spoke to him when I told him to stop being silly that's when my alarm bells rang...I looked at my calls list and it was 1 min 52sec call I hadn't spoke to him as I was teaching when he rang.
For two terms bizarre things were happening, rumours randomly started of me being pregnant, being graded inadequate towards the end of NQT year, being told verbally there was a meeting and getting there to find there wasn't one then not being informed when there was!! Again I was broken...I passed as I took everything to the Deputy Head who became my mentor and luckily was aware of what was going on...the dept became very unpleasant as everyone didn't know what to believe/trust.
I have took a year out and with counselling (the things I have described are only a small part of what's happened) I finally feel I am ready to go back to work but not in a school. This past year I've spoken to other Teachers/PGCE/NQTs that have had similar experiences...I really do hope the culture of Teacher to Teacher bullying is stamped out...the sooner the better!
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PGCE Mentor bully
8 replies
Seashellsonthebeach · 06/09/2018 01:42
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