Does this happen in your school?The administrators seems to have divided out teachers into three separate groups. The favorites who are given special privileges and made to feel they are superior,even though in many cases they are far from the hardest workers or best teachers.They are friends of the principal or people she likes. Group 2 is basically ignored,receive no special favors, but are not harassed to an intolerable degree and Group 3 The Harassed group who can do no right and are always being picked on and written up for the smallest infraction.The unfairness is driving me crazy.Only people in Group one ever receive praise,sometimes for no reason that anyone can see.I guess I just have to get it off my chest.:thanks:
In my experience in several different careers, this is this norm on any job. My best advice is just to do the best you can do and that is all you can do. You can only change one person and that is you. There will be cliques wherever you may go.
Hmmmm. . . Several principals ago, another teacher and I received a lot of good-natured (?) ribbing for being the principal's pets. Honestly, I could feel the "daggers" in the ribbing, and I really resented being called "principal's pets" when all I had done was to work extremely hard and try to make her initiatives for our school work. I am not, by nature, a "suck-up" or "brown nose", and I did not go out of my way to ingratiate myself to her. All I did was try hard to be a good teacher. Every principal I have ever had has made every effort to treat teachers fairly. I truly believe principals try to avoid favoritism, just as we teachers try to avoid it. We do not always succeed, but think about it, what kind of kids become our "favorites"? Are they not the ones who try hard (whether they are high achievers or not)? I think it is the same with the vast majority of admins.
I am not directing this at you, of course, since I don't know you at all. But the teachers at my site who feel that they are harassed are the teachers who are not pulling their weight. They feel the pressure and internalize that as unfair treatment. The teachers who are perceived as "favored" are the ones who "get the job done", "rise to the expectations", etc. Again, I am only referring to my site.
It's just human nature. You can't change people but you are in a position to teach childlren who worship the ground you walk on, those are the people who really count. Go in your classroom, close the door, and do your best. Taking care of your own business will make you much happier.
I think sometimes a perception gets into the head of some administrators and some other teachers and it sticks. It's very hard to shake. And yes, I've heard of principals playing favorites at some schools around the county. Thank goodness it hasn't been huge at my school. But it sure does happen.
In my school, people with the outside plumbing tend to get the special treatment. It's been that way through four principals, both male and female. Frustrating to us women! Maybe it's because there are fewer men on the staff. Don't know.
There's favoritisim and politics in any job/industry. I've never worked anywhere, from grocery stores to universities where it didn't exist to some degree. It's just one of those things that you learn to live with.
I think that we sometimes forget that just because we believe someone to be a slacker, it may not be true. I am not able to see my fellow teachers that often because of room assignments. I am sure they think all we do is play down here. They don't see our major rise in test scores, or that we are working together, or that we all know our math facts to twelve. They just see a very small part of the day. One of the first grade teacher's made a comment on how she perceived my class last week. It made me angry and defensive of my babies, because she is so off base. But because of her two times dealing with my students have been similar incidents, she thought she knew my whole class.
It's so true that perceptions can be very warped. I have a friend who has an admin position for the 1st time this year and he says he's shocked as he walks room to room -teachers who have been tauted as remarkable aren't really doing what they are supposed to be and others who he had always heard were not good are actually fine in action. What bothers me is when teachers spend the year doing things halfway and actually step up once and are rewarded for it or they are late every day, then on time for a week and rewarded for it. Meanwhile, the people who are early every day, stepping up every day-it feels like they are taken for granted.
Thank you very much for your input on this matter.It is true that favoritism exists in most jobs and you need to do the best job you can.It is also nice to see that some people feel their administrators treat every teacher equally.I am just sorry that I have seen and spoken to fellow teachers in various schools where teachers are not treated fairly and that is the danger of merit pay which is being pushed in NYC and other places throughout our nation.
Yank7, My principal has some good qualities, but she does seem to have favorites and people she picks on. My frustration comes from the fact that she picks on people (like me) who are basically doing a good job, but she feels she can nitpick me because I won't talk back to her. Those people that do much worse, such as be late, refuse to follow the curriculum, she ignores, because she's intimidated by them.
I must be tired. I was thinking, "Now why would the teachers in the trailers get special treatment? I'd hate to be out there." It didn't click for a minute. :lol:
In my experience, those accused of being a "pet" are the ones who seem to be willing to step up to the plate when asked to do so. Are they asked more frequently - maybe, but only because they seem to be the ones who will help out or go to workshops and share when they return. These are the teachers who pitch in, share ideas, and rarely leave right after the kids do. Most would very willingly allow someone to take over or to take something off their plate.
