To be shocked by the school staff room it's put me off wanting to teach..

[blapbird]

I am currently training to be a primary school teacher, but a recent three month school placement has made me question my direction.

In the staff room the staff (small school/ every member of staff including the head) constantly talked about the children in a negative way, saying things like 'he doesn't have a clue look at this work-useless'

The children's parents, criticised the way parents related to/bring up their children. E.g 'her mum doesn't help at all his dad is as much use as a hole in a bucket', 'her parents obviously don't care about her' then everyone agrees with said negative comment and it becomes the general consensus, then that child is labelled for the rest of their school life.

There was one member of staff (TA) who only worked mornings, she was very kind, warm, friendly and made an effort to ask me how I was each day, in the second break when she had gone home, ALL of the staff including the head were talking negatively about her 'presence' how they think she is on the autistic spectrum/ hasn't got a clue. I felt so sorry for her -she is a well travelled,intelligent, mum of two boys- she seems to be used as a conversation piece.

AIBU to now reconsider my career, because I can't see myself being able to cope in this kind of working environment, does anyone have any experience of this, please can someone tell me that not all schools are like this?

Thanks

My staffroom, or rather my office, as we don't tend to all congregate at once, probably tends to involve more negative comments than positive ones. But the reason for that is the same reason that the relationships board on mumsnet makes all relationships seem like a nightmare. The most pressing issues that need discussing are the ones that need to be sorted out. Like 'oh, has x given you her coursework yet', 'y hasn't attended in 3 weeks' and so on.

very few schools are like this. I have worked in a dozen schools and would say that this is unusual.

It does vary from school to school and from individual to individual

Some people at my school 'cast a long shadow' as my Head says ,and it's true

You've just got to make sure you dont sink to that level

No OP not all staffrooms are like this but I have done my fair share of supply teaching and can tell you that some are. When you are fully trained and looking for a job make sure you find one where the teachers actually like kids and make you feel welcome. It is horrible I know. Thankfully my school and a few others in our area are not like this at all. Good Luck!

One of the markers I look for is whether support staff are welcome in the staff room - I did my fair share of looking at schools for secondary transition - and the treatment of support staff is appalling in some places.

One school had different lunches for teachers and support staff - so they didnt 'mix' ; another had what I can only describe as a goldfish bowl for the TAs to have their lunch in.

Another school frowned upon faculties mixing with each other.

Another had "this side of the staffroom is for us" and the other side for "them"

When you get that sort of segregation amongst the staff, you know there are bigger issues at play.

Schools are also very heirarchical. Almost feudal in some instances. everyone clinging on to their little bits of power and trying to claw their way up the packing order. It doesnt help that a lot of teachers have never been out in the real world - they did their compulsory schooling, uni then right back in the school system teaching. They have no idea how to function with real people because they have never experienced how the outside world functions. Behaviour in staff rooms would not be tollerated in other walks of life and would lead to dismisal or disciplinaries.

Teaching is one of the few professions left where it is very very difficult to get rid of people. As a consequence, issues are brushed under the carpet, the teacher will be paid to go because no school wants the risk of outsiders having an adverse opinion of the school. Therefore the teacher moves on to another school and everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief that the school reputation remains untarnished. I've seen that happen 4 times now - frankly the person concerned should be infront of the GTC and struck off. But it's easier to hide the problems.

I'm sorry that you've had a tough time on your placement.

I teach in a secondary school and last year we had a Teach First person with us. He was mentored by our HoD and she was hurt that he had written in his joirnal how negative and awaful we all were! By the end of his first year he retracted his comments - after that space of time he realised that we most certainly did care but that we (frequently) needed to let off steam. All the people in my dept work incredibly hard and believe in our pupils, but I often think if one of those 'whistle blower' type programmes came in, we would be for it. It's just words though.

Re the comment about the parents, it can be really frustrating to try and work with pupils, set support in place etc only to have parents refuse to co-operate. The person you quoted was discussing this with her close colleagues and, probably- hopefully- just expressing her frustration.

I know some schools are not very welcoming to students but not all are as you describe so I woule certainly keep at it. But don't expect teachers to all be saintly all the time in the way they talk about kids - it's like the prevelance of gallows humour amongst hospital staff.

I know it's easy to criticise and I know that the teachers and TA's need to let off steam.

I think,perhaps, I am a bit idealistic, but I am concerned that I will end up on the out-side, because I refuse to speak in this way about people, behind their backs.

I have always been very sympathetic towards victims of bullying even if it only manifests in negative speech and I maybe need to become more 'thick-skinned', I just don't know how to suddenly become thick-skinned.

Thank you all for your assurances that not all schools are like this. I know it's healthy to discriminate in some instances, but I just think that if I was in this working environment, it would suck the life out of me and I would become unhappy / unable to be my best self.

To be honest I think I am quite anti - institution in my nature and once qualified, I can see my self working in more one to one or therapeutic teaching roles.

Sorry for rambling just trying to figure it all out!

Schools are also very heirarchical. Almost feudal in some instances. everyone clinging on to their little bits of power and trying to claw their way up the packing order. It doesnt help that a lot of teachers have never been out in the real world - they did their compulsory schooling, uni then right back in the school system teaching.

Thank you for this point very interesting

I once worked at a place full of negative people just like the teachers you describe for far too long and it had a huge effect on my outlook. I didn't work in a school so this isn't anything to do with teaching you could find this kind of toxic environment anywhere.

Don't give up on teaching and throw away your training and ambitions because of one bad experience you need to work in a few schools to get an overview.

But do get the hell out of there as soon as you can because the negativity really does get under your skin eventually!

I guess they need to let off steam.

You might find another school better.

I think teachers label because they are human - the trick is not to let it influence how they treat the child and their aspirations for that child - that's where lots of teachers trip up - because they are human.

lecce do you work in my department?!!??