If you don’t know who they’re talking about in the staff room…it’s you!

Our children's head teacher is the biggest of all the bullies. It's very clear that she checked out years ago and is only there for the salary.

She doesn't even pretend to care anymore. Never once have I seen her smile over the years. She's also really rude to parents and constantly gaslight's people. Everything is rosy with her until you actually need help with something or have even a minor problem.

I feel sorry for all the teachers that still do care and have passion for their job. I couldn't think of anything worse than that HT as my manager.

I also knew this would be teaching! 😂

There's a reason why most primary heads refer to the staff team as Year 7.

Wow. Makes me grateful for the school I work at! Whilst there might be occasional grievances between individuals, they are a lovely bunch generally 😊

I get the same vibes from my child's school. You can blatantly see what teachers are part of the clique and those that are on the outside. I avoid all events and activities as a result. It's just too uncomfortable to watch it in play. I utterly loathe the mean girl attitudes.

It can be quite awkward watching the little 'gangs' share their side eyes and sniggers. They don't even attempt to hide the bad treatment of those teachers that are not part of the in crowd.

I can only imagine how those teachers on the outside feel. God knows what they say about the parents if this is how they are treating their own colleagues.

This permeates out of my kids school, I can see the dynamics at play when I go in. I’d hate to have to deal with that shit.

I think that whilst they're bitching about me they're leaving someone else alone.
I've developed a very thick skin over the years and it doesn't bother me now.
Don't make their problem your's. 😀

20 years of teaching and I agree staff rooms can be awful. I’ve worked with the nicest and nastiest people. Sadly, there were many more nasty than nice.
Similar to a poster above, I joined the FB group “Life after Teaching- Exit the classroom and thrive” and it changed my life. I now work in adult Learning and Development and get treated like an adult (while earning much more). Most of my friends in primary feel similarly but secondary seems to be better.

Oh that’s brought that song to my mind about wishing the loch was whisky 🤣

So is ours!

Campbeltown?

I've worked in a lot of schools. Behaviour is generally awful but on the whole, staff rooms have been fine. Move schools.

Sadly, if you think about it there are catty people around whenever there's a group gathering. I was at lunch today at the community center where I live. There were only five of us at the table and there was a lot of general complaining and gossip about other people in our community. We are all 70 years old and up. So the consensus is some people never outgrow this behavior. I've even encountered "backstabbers" at church functions.

I thought it would be teaching too

I worked in a school many years ago, there were a couple of lovely staff members there, but the majority were really not very nice, very two faced. I’m so glad I left.

Join the group on FB 'Life After Teaching -Exit the Classroom and Thrive.' I've never looked back after leaving teaching! I was so miserable. I'm now doing student support and much happier.

Immediately guessed teaching! Would also presume primary as secondary have much bigger staffrooms. Though actually not all have proper staffromms anymore and they are like ghost ships.

It all depends on your age/what you want out of job colleague wise. Me, I would go there every day, find a comfortable position, listen and input. Keep your enemies close, kill them with kindness, let them acknowledge you're strong and can see through the bullshit. If it makes them feel uncomfortable all the better!

After doing this for a while I would most likely retreat to my classroom, knowing I'm worth more amd thinking they must be so sad to be so itchy.

One extra thought would also be, why are they saying things about me? I would like to find out why. Xxx

it is everywhere. I work with men predominantly.
Never went in the staff room but one day was cold outside and I went in and all these men came , swearing, shouting mysoginistic abuse to each other about their girlfriends, accused each other of underage women interests, talked about the business of the ones not present in the room. I don't know what the heck happened.

this digusted me so much, that I decided not to go to the work Christmas party, nor any drinks nor anything

Can honestly say I have never experienced this in over 20 years of secondary teaching. Our staff room is full of kindness and support for each other, as well as lots of laughter.

International or independent schools are the worst!

If you not invited to dinner, you’re probably on the menu

I can only imagine what they say about the parents behind the staff room door.
Horrible environment, that’s shit, A few teachers I have met are friendly and kind, I can imagine they’d be easily bullied in a toxic workplace.

The workplace bullying threads, whether admin or not, very often seem to be the NHS.

The problem with teaching is that 90% of teachers have only ever been /worked in a school/ educational environment .

They leave school at 18, they go to college till 21/22 then they go back into school. This makes them more childminded in the slightly spiteful attitude in the staff room.

Obviously I am generalising …… but it’s a definite trend. They have no experience of working in a purely adult environment.

And yes I am a retired teacher , but I didn’t go into teaching till I was in my mid 30’s.

It’s not normal.

DH and I were saying this yesterday, he is a nurse and I’m an associated profession and I’ve never encountered such an unfriendly and bitchy profession (with notable exceptions) and he says the same - as a nurse of nearly forty years.