What I WANTED to Say
March 5, 2008 by Kate Olson
Note: I really try to avoid rants on here, but I can’t help it - bear with me and we’ll be back to regularly scheduled cheery, helpful posts in no time at all……………..
During a 4th grade class today, a colleague who is also a mother of 2 of my students (in the district, but not that specific class) felt the need to inform me that my presence in her school really “rocks their world” in a negative sense and really annoys everyone and screws up their computer lab schedule and makes it impossible to get any technology lessons taught because when I teach in the lab, no one else can use it. I had never met this woman before and am only in her building for 25 days, 90 minutes a day. We were actually having a pleasant discussion prior to this, but then she started in on how tech funding in the district is uneven, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. This is a PARENT of my students who very obviously doesn’t in the slightest bit appreciate what I do. This is a COLLEAGUE who obviously has no respect for what I teach.
I honestly don’t complain about my job much at all because I know everyone has it tough. But come ON - people wonder why teachers feel underappreciated? When a parent and colleague actually says this to your face, it’s pretty hard to ignore. I don’t in any way think that any teacher has it any easier, so that’s not my point here. My point is this: we’re all supposed to be in this together and recognize that every teaching job has its own unique challenges. So no, I don’t want to teach her 2nd grade class - I’ve subbed in elementary school regular classrooms and don’t think that it’s the place for me. But does she want to:
- not have a single place in the entire district to call her own?
- negotiate schedules with 11 principals and approximately 30 teachers?
- travel to 11 buildings?
- never have the chance to develop a lasting relationship with ANY students?
- be told how to teach by above-mentioned 30 teachers?
- teach a skill that is highly valuable but incredibly undervalued by other teachers?
No, probably not.
And I thought my old job of auditing municipalities was underappreciated………………..
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I hear ya, sister! I also have heard “excuses” to cast me and my work (and passion, btw) aside as something expendable. I have heard what they say behind my back… (those comments get really creative and completely false and unsettling.)
You know what? Who cares what “they” say… I mean really - if this person had reflected on the global perpsective of the school or district and how each of you fits into the “big picture” somehow… then it wouldn’t be a problem.
The fact that she is a colleague is upsetting for sure, but as Todd Whitaker points out - it is unhealthy to give this teacher energy. Dive into solidifying relationships with the superstar teachers that DO GET IT> then the world seems better.
I get your rant, and we twitterers are here for you.
Coachk
This incident brings up something that I’ve been thinking about for awhile.
The high school where I teach has ~400 students, 25ish teachers, one lab of 30 computers available for all teachers, plus 90 laptops on carts that can be signed out.
Two years ago I was one of very few teachers who used the laptop carts on a regular basis. As a result, I could get them whenever I wanted (they even let me store a cart permanently in my room). Now there are 5 or so teachers that regularly use computers in their classes. While there has been a little increase in the number of available computers in the past 2 years, there is definitely more demand on the computers.
This is a good thing, yet there have been some comments made about how I “hog” the computers (this was done in a very friendly manner, but there was no doubt the teacher who said this believes it). The big problem I see is that the limited supply of computers with increasing demand may prevent tech-savvy teachers from sharing their expertise with those less familiar with technology to keep the demand for computer resources lower. This is simply unacceptable. Who benefits from this arrangement? It certainly isn’t the students.
The only really good solution I can think of is to implement a 1:1 laptop program. Otherwise the demand will surely always outstrip the supply. If we want schools to educate students for the 21st century, they must have 21st century resources available to ALL students, ALL the time.
P.S. Your “colleague” was pretty jerky. That conversation was definitely rant-worthy. She obviously isn’t too concerned with people other than herself.
Wish my kids had been able to take a class with someone like you. We love you Kate!
Sadly, with staff members like the one described in your post, your district will be lucky to keep engaged young teachers like you.
Hi Kate,
I hear you! This reminds me of when two other teachers and myself started using the Media Center when no one would signed up for computers. In fact, we were working on a project for the district and needed to use computers frequently. End result was that we were hogging the computers.
It is not worth it to express words on the deaf, You keep doing what you are doing and hold your ground. Your students will value your efforts. You are there for the students not people like this.
The old saying comes to mind “who kicked her cat?”
Lots of luck, I am a twitter fan too!
PaulPam2
I realize I wasn’t there to see all this go down, and certainly nobody likes to hear negative feedback of this sort. But from what I can tell from your post, I think you are overreacting.
Maybe the colleague has a valid point, or at least a point with a grain of truth in it — that they want to use the lab too, and the presence of one person who does a lot of work with technology prevents them from doing so. The leap from what your colleague said to the conclusion that you are underappreciated and that they undervalue what you have to say, and the conclusion that the colleague “obviously” doesn’t value what you teach, just seems really large — too large.
I’m not saying your colleague was right, but I am saying that when a person works up the chutzpah to say something like that to your face, it’s either because they are a deranged philistine or that they have a really pressing concern (perhaps not voiced in the most tactful way possible). The latter is more common than the former in most grown-ups. And in any event the best course of action with somebody who disagrees with you is to listen to them and try to see their point of view, rather than going directly to the conclusion that you are underappreciated and undervalued.
I’d recommend asking the person to elaborate on what they meant. Chances are that colleague cares just as much about students, two of which are her own kids, as you do, but with a different set of priorities. If you’re going to work in that district, it seems like the best approach is to assume that this colleague has good intentions, and come to terms with her from there — rather than conclude that she “obviously” doesn’t value what you do. You will catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar.
You are a passionate teacher. Keep on working with your mission. These kinds of hurdles/remarks are not so important. Keep moving with the same spirit with which you started.
All supporters, thanks for your kind words, I appreciate them
Ben - I’m 100% with you. More computers = more learning for all. When we come up with our patented funding mechanism we’ll be millionaires
Robert - I just wrote out a HUGE reply to your comment and then deleted it. This was a rant, I’m moving on and writing more about it won’t help anything. So, thanks for your input and have a good time on your trip to San Antonio………….
Kate,
I feel your pain. I just sent out a link to my EdTech Website for the parent workshop I’m doing and got an email back from a ranting parent complaining about the navigation on my Website. O.M.G. He had 7 different things that he ranted about.
One of my favorite quotes: “As someone who works directly with technology at many levels, I find this confusing and disconcerting.”
Dear X - I am very sorry if I have confused or disconcerted you…
The key is to focus on the positive feedback we get and not on the negative. This is so hard to do. I had 14 people respond to my workshop really positively. Why do I get hung up on the downers? I get so much positive feedback on my blog and through Twitter etc. The trick is to learn to shift the attention to what is working, rather than what isn’t working.
If you figure out how to do that let me know
Hello!! I am totally relating to this!! My gripe though was when I taught Prep last year as a prac student, and my classroom teacher just expected me to do these miraculous things and teach 4 and 5 year olds all this high tech computer study stuff!!
I think little kids should just learn from playing a few games and writing their name. But mostly they should just play.
She totally didn’t appreciate how technology could help both her, me, the class, or her collegues. All she ever did was winge about having about 50 emails in the morning to check (does you find educational bodies send you LOTS of unnecessary emails just to ‘keep you in the loop’, but you’re so busy deleting them that you never have time to read them….)
I mean no offense with my comment above. I’m just offering a suggestion for another possible interpretation of what’s going on here, one that - in my own experience with getting negative feedback on my work - is pretty common.
On the other hand, if I am full of crap, you can just say so! It wouldn’t be the first time, and it will save you a lot of deleted typing.
This just shows what a professional you are. It would have taken everything in me not to say something nasty while I resisted slapping her into next year. I have had other teachers tell me to quit doing what I do because I make them look bad. I just keep plugging along.
[...] couple of weeks ago Kate Olsen posted on her blog about getting hassled by one of her colleagues. Part of the hassling included a mention of her hogging the computer lab [...]