Some younger teachers are very rude

[OldTimer1955]

One thing that I have found working in school is that many younger teachers have no respect for the older ones. The youngsters talk about their bosses in front of technicians like me as if we are invisible so we get to hear their rudeness. I don’t bother saying anything to them but inside my head I remember what they say and it makes me feel quite cross. I expect they are rude about me behind my back because to some of them being old is the same as being useless. They seem to forget that they will be old one day.

You must challenge them, that's the whole point, otherwise they will keep bring rude.

We (both DH and I) work in the same school. We have noticed a change in many younger teachers. They know everything. They think nothing of talking about "older teachers" as if we are all ancient and dinosaurs (I am 45). But, worst of all, they care about their career progress far more than the pupils. They start things (clubs etc) with an eye on their CV. I had one 22 year old working very, very hard to elbow me out of running something I set up and have been organising for 15 years. I got her involved, helped her and one year in she wanted to replace me.

It isn't easy even as a Staff Governor to challenge teachers. But I agree a some of the younger teachers in my school are very devious and not nearly as clever as they think they are. In the Christmas PTA Quiz a team of younger teachers came last and the Technicians team came 3/11.

I am not a teacher, but I am an older worker (in the US). I have many younger colleagues who are fantastic and with whom I greatly enjoy working. But I have also experienced blatant ageism from younger people and attempts to marginalize me in circumstances similar to what Roseformeplease describes.

I'm 53, but still think of myself as being a younger teacher.

I hope I am not rude to anyone, but maybe I need a reality check, next year will be my 30th as a teacher.

I'm 42 and have never thought this about younger teachers. I saw plenty of older teachers being rude and dismissive to younger staff when I first started teaching though. In my experience many young teachers now are far more professional, hard-working and clued-up than most were when I was a young teacher. Maybe you are just unfortunate enough to have some bad ones, OP.

I think there's plenty of rude older teachers too, just as there are rude people in every walk of life.

Agreed, there are rude people everywhere. BUt, I think that the younger generation are used to having to fight for things (jobs etc) and it has not made many of them nicer people, just more determined and a bit power crazed. I would never have dreamed of applying for. (Or trying to take) leadership roles aged 22.

I see what you mean. I think it is because some schools don't value classroom teachers anymore so young teachers feel the thing to do is to move into managerial/ leadership posts. I have certainly seen this change in recent years in London schools

I don't think it can ever be a good idea for a young teacher to be so rude about their HoD or about the SLT as I hear them being almost every week.

I too think there are rude people in every walk of life, as well as many, many people who aren't rude. It's certainly not been my experience with any younger teachers, but then I've worked in Primaries and I think being a smaller staff tends to help relations.
Depends on what they are saying, exactly, I'd be inclined to challenge them if they were talking about colleagues in front of me.

btw - the quiz positions aren't really relevant - quiz questions hardly reflect intellect

Given how set in their ways, lazy and unimaginative a couple if DDs' schools HOD are. Anything the teachers are saying is very polite compared with the pupils and parents.

I'm glad to say, that post Ofsted, useless HOD B has been replaced.

Utterly uskess HOD A (who is DDs tutor and so bad DD gets the Senco to email her direct, because he never reads the school message system) is still in post.

Sadly what a young teacher can learn from the older peers the parents and the pupils rate is not what OFSTED want.

To be outstanding you have to produce the dullest most formulaic lessons on the planet. Everyone must be included, everyone must make progress, but no one is likely to be inspired.