How would you feel if a member on your teaching team went through your desk/plans without asking you? I ask because this happened and I feel a line was crossed. I don't mind sharing or showing things but I would appreciate asking first. Would this bother you or am I overreacting? How would you address this nicely? I've already stated to please ask first but it has already happened again.
I would not appreciate anyone going through my desk without my permission but mostly because I don't want anything to get misplaced. My team members have given me permission to come in and borrow books/items to use in class, but I would never fathom going through someone else's desk without permission. I would make sure to lock my door each time I am out of the room and I would just remind again that they need to ask before going through your work area.
I would be really upset!! I am more than happy to share plans and ideas but I offer these things or colleagues ask before they use them. If I caught someone going through my desk there would be a really uncomfortable conversation to follow!
I would definitely be uncomfortable. I was out sick one day, and one of my 'teammates' went through my desk looking for something (can't remember why or what- it was years ago), and went and told my P how messy it was. She obviously only opened one drawer or she would have known that the rest are insanely organized. The drawer she opened is the one I save for all the random junk our P gives up to read. I stick everything in there and dump the drawer into a recycle bin at the end of the year. I would have one more firm discussion with the person. If it happens again, I would go to your P.
I suppose it depends what they went in there for. when I was a floater, I'd occasionally have to use something from the teacher whose room I was in, like a one-way-pass or a detention slip, and would have to find it. Those teachers never minded. But I would never go through their files or plans.
I was in the room working on something - On the other side of my room. My team member came in and went over to my desk and began going through my plans/files that we're on my desk. I immediately went over and asked that they please do not go in my things without at least asking if I mind. Of course I also asked first if they were looking for something else - but they said they just wanted to see my plans. Thats fine but I would think you would at least ask since they are organized in my desk a particular way. They agreed but later in the day proceeded to do the same thing without asking first and I took my things out of their hands and said they needed to figure things out on their own (at this point I was a little frustrated :/). I felt like this person did not respect our conversation earlier when I had asked them to ask me first. I am feeling like I need to say something more to this person but am unsure how?? I want to be nice but also for them to understand that I don't want them going through my things freely.
As a sub I've looked through desks to find materials I have been unable to locate. I've always felt in this situation if they didn't want me to do it, they should leave the materials out in the open. I've never gone rummaging through someones stuff. I've opened drawers to see if something specific was visible.
Why would someone else feel she had the right to see your plans? Is she your superior or are you colleagues? Have you agreed to share plans-- you do one part and she does another-- or was she apparently looking through your stuff to avoid doing her own work?
I would be very upset in the situation you described! I share plans all the time and always put a copy of resources in my team's box. If they needed to find plans for a sub, if they truely needed something from my desk and I wasn't around, no problem, but looking throough things because they wanted to copy my work and you were in the rooom, no way! Is this a new teacher? Is one of you new to the team? Is there any explanation? She clearly thinks it was ok since it was in front of you.
It honestly depends how close we are. I've worked with my team for 5 years and I really don't care if they go in and get something out of my desk as long as they give me a heads up that they took something. If a different teacher were to try that, then I would be highly upset. Under the same vein I know I can go into one of my AP's offices and go in a couple of his drawers and he won't care. In this case I would be retrieving something very specific that I know exactly where it is. I would never snoop through his stuff. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that with the other principals without getting permission first.
I would be upset in this situation. You had asked her once, she clearly didn't hear/understand/care that you were asking her to stop. I would talk to her one more time. If she continues, then I would have a conversation with my dept head or principal.
She is a new teacher to our team and we do not share plans or split things up at my school. Everyone does their own work while following the curriculum guides which she has and we all went over thoroughly together. I just felt very uncomfortable with someone going through my plans without first asking "hey do you mind if I sneak a peak at this?" I don't mind helping and sharing but going through my things freely without saying anything just kind of irks me. I think it was possibly an attempt to not have to come up with anything on her own - but is it wrong of me to want her to simply ask first?
No, that is absolutely wrong! Even if I had permission, I would say, "hey do you mind if I look at your plans" or whatever.
Wow! I would not even consider that, nor would my colleagues. That is insane! We share anything with each other, but I would never assume it is okay to go into their stuff without permission. I would feel uncomfortable going through anything even WITH permission. Yikes.
I would never rummage through someone else's desk. I will say, however, that I have looked through a co-worker's desk to help a substitute find the things she needed. I don't put that in the same category.
I am close friends with many of my co-workers, but even so, when another teacher did once come into my room and look through my closet and desk to find an item of mine, I was very annoyed! I don't care that we're friends, it crossed a line! Luckily, for me, it has never happened again.
Rude. Just. Plain. Rude. I had a similar thing happen to me a couple of years ago. I was out and had a fabulous sub. The reading coach came in, insisted the sub move, and proceeded to go through my things. Really? The sub had my number. The school had my number. Everyone at the school (including the reading coach) had my email. I was easily accessible to everyone (as I ensure that I always am when not present). Instead of taking 30 seconds to be polite and ask permission, she was rude to the sub, rummaged through my things (leaving them all out of place btw), and didn't even find what she was supposedly looking for (my plan book, which is on top of a cubby just inside the door - no where near my teacher table! Grrrr I hate rudeness in any form!
I wouldn't like others rumaging through my desk either & a person shouldn't have to lock it up every darn day...unless maybe if they shared the room with other people. I'm glad my room is my own & no one else should really be in there on the days I'm not there. There's nothing really in my desk that's personally mine that I bought with my own money anyway, except maybe a brand of writing pen that I like to use.
No one touches my desk - adults or students - without my permission. This is a pet peeve of mine. I woud address the adult and let them know a line has been crossed ASAP.
I'd be PI$$ED! I don't care who it is but they better not let me find out. The secret to finding out if anyone has been in your books or desk is to place a certain object a certain way; whether it's a pen or stapler, or a piece of paper; and it's a tell all IF someone has been at your desk. You can also just write a BIG note and leave it at your desk. Step away from my schet! Rebel1
Yikes. I can't imagine doing that. I am really close with my team, and we don't do that- unless we ask or someone is absent and we need to.
Wow! I'd be fuming!!! My desk is like my lair. I wouldn't mind if somebody looked for something or whatever if they asked me first. That was just plain rude.
This is completely unacceptable and you are justified to feel the way you do. Quite honestly, I would be pretty "hot" if that happened to me.
It's one thing to look in a desk to find a pen / pencil, etc (even then they should ask if you're in the room) but it's a very different to look through your plans. You spent considerable time and effort in creating those plans, and this person will just read them to use ideas? that's kind of like plagiarizing!
My Mama taught me to never go into her purse. Instead, if she needed something, I was to bring her purse to her. (Once I was grown, she would get aggravated with me because I still wouldn't "dig" in her purse!) I taught my daughter the same way. It's just common courtesy to stay out of someone else's personal space, and our desks are just about the only "private" place we have!
I hate it when hubby digs in my purse! If he needs something, I want him to bring me my purse & I will get it. I can't imagine going through anyone's desk! Or having someone go through mine! My desk is a mess. They tipped it on its side this summer & I still haven't cleaned it out. It's on my to do list. I don't mind if someone borrows a pen, I have a pen cup on my desk. My TA will use my hand lotion, but that is usually on my desk & he doesn't do it often. Having someone go through a desk that is not theirs is just plain wrong!
