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.

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….)

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

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………….

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.

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

Sadly, with staff members like the one described in your post, your district will be lucky to keep engaged young teachers like you.