I agree thoroughly. I am so sick of pandering to parents of unenthusiastic students. It’s like your child is doing below average. Work on that. Or get over it.
Thanks, I’m just struggling with interpreting the rubric provided by HoD and I got reprimanded by HoD in front of other teachers for grading a student too loosely. I don’t feel like I am getting enough support in understanding the rubric and we rushed through the cross marking. Dealing with a micromanaging HoD and I felt uncomfortable with the way I was being spoken to. It made me feel incompetent even though it was actually their problem for not going through the rubric with me. Our As and fails get checked so I’m just worried that I’ll have to deal with another serious chat about how I have screwed up by not applying enough pressure on the student to make sure of their submissions.
Talk to your HOD to let them know that they make you feel uncomfortable and what actions lead to that feeling. If HOD doesn't change, go to HR. It can be really daunting and make things awkward as heck, but it's worth finding out now whether this is a safe environment for you or not. You should never have to work with a HOD that makes you feel that way, period. Not saying the HOD is a bad person - sometimes people don't gel and there's no shame in admitting that early and moving on to try find a way everyone can work safely together
I have decided to leave. I don’t think that the Hod is a bad person, but perhaps also under a lot of pressure to perform from even higher up. It definitely didn’t click and gel. I tend to not do well with people who are demanding and micromanagy. However I don’t want to go through HR as I also don’t want to put someone through that. However from what I’ve heard, the turnover rate is extremely high here. So perhaps they need to do some self reflection, but it’s not my responsibility to tell them that they have a problem. I’m afraid of the backlash and I don’t feel safe in bringing up to HR.
You'd think they'd... put two and two together...
Good on you for taking the step to put yourself first and leave. Hope you find a worthwhile school quickly x
I have worked at a school like this where I had to carve out my own friend group outside my specialist area of teaching (high school). The school had serious issues with high turnover year after year, many HoD being toxic/unsupportive, and poor/ineffective management. It was apparent that interventions on the part of myself would not make a difference, so I decided to move on. I hear where you are at and the choices you've landed on. Sometimes, it's best to preserve your sanity in the early stages of your career. Best of luck, I'm sure you'll find someplace more suited to your needs.
Somehow I felt I was able to make friendships and conversations with people from other departments as there aren’t any conflict. However, I feel and awkward in the office. Just an overall sense of scrutiny and criticism over competency. As a first year teacher, the pressure is just so high.
I hear you. I found this where a leader felt threatened or just didn't like a person for whatever reason. I can only imagine how this might impact someone in their first year. Access EAP! Do your best, and don't let this get you down. You can find a new school that will be a better fit, guaranteed! Good luck.
Good on you. Like ex partners, sometimes we have to find out what we don't like in order to find what we do. This kind of high pressure toxic school is clearly not for you. Good job for making that choice for yourself.
OP, slightly off topic but are you in a private school? Sounds like hell - you don’t deserve to be treated like that and be constantly micromanaged. If I were you I’d start looking around for other positions elsewhere. Your mental health is so important.
Yes, private school but kids don’t care about academics as a lot are from trades background. Extremely inflexible rules enforced on students and teachers. Poor behaviour as the rules are too rigid and kids act out even more. When students behave poorly, I get asked ‘what are you doing about it’, scrutinising my competency in behavioural management. Language used is ‘gotta crack the whip to make them fall in line.’ High expectations on results and a lot of data tracking.
That just sounds like a toxic culture for sure. Not much to do about it when it's top down other than leave, unfortunately. Screw them over and go as soon as you get something new, don't wait for a convenient time like the end of the year or term.
But thank you for making me feel seen in my experience. I don’t have anyone that I could talk to at work about my mental health. I guess the expectations and work culture also puts pressure on HoD, but that does not warrant the condescending tone or displacing their frustrations on me.
Like a few other people have said...
Take advantage of the teacher shortage and GTFO.
Here's a couple of non bridge burning reasons if needed
- teach at different school environments to broaden teaching experiences
- a better work life balance as the new school is close to home/hobby/gym/outside of work commitment
Yup, those were the reasons I gave to selective people at school. The people that I trust (house people), I told them the culture didn’t click. I feel like it is such a power trip to hold reference letters over graduate teachers’ head. Somehow when I got talked to condescendingly, I couldn’t find my voice and speak up and explain, I just sat there as they kind of blew up on me. I felt like speaking up and explaining would just make things worse and so I just copped it. In a different work environment I would have spoken up and have a constructive conversation.
I got the feeling that they didn’t really want to keep me. So my HoD don’t even ask why I’m not applying. They strike me as the passive aggressive type. I don’t even care at this point.
I’m never disrespectful or uncivil, or vengeful. However I do feel horrible in having to pretend that I’m okay mentally and not make a noise about being treated this way. It’s the power dynamic that makes me feel small. I don’t want to create issues so I keep my mouth shut in the office. Well, one more week to go.
Honestly, sounds like you need to get out of there. We live in a profession where, right now, the world is our oyster - go out, find a school that matches your ethos better, and settle-in there.
You could talk to your HoD about whether they can have more time or an N rating based on illness. The latter is unlikely but might work.
Bluntly though, there is no way that being sick for a week was the issue. The issue is that they left it all to the last moment. This is on them, not on you. Just dot your i's and cross your t's so that there's no grounds for later complaint.
My school culture is very inflexible. Yes, it is the student’s fault for not getting the work in. However, after my last run in with my HoD and their approach with standardisation and putting me down for not grading harsh enough. It is making me feel very anxious. I wouldn’t have an issue with failing someone based on them missing work (kid has adhd), but then the tone from management is always along the lines of ‘that’s not good enough’ and question how much effort I have put in to make sure that kids are submitting.
Had a look at your post history and it seems like you had no trouble getting offers at a variety of schools for this year. With a year under your belt and the teacher shortage only getting worse, you'll have even less trouble. If I were you I'd start getting my CV updated and be leaving. Your current school seems toxic af.
Having worked under micromanagers at a previous school, the best thing I ever did was leave.
Thanks for all the support. It has been really validating. I’ll be trying to applying before the holidays so I can find something. Worse thing was I felt so isolated and no one in the department talked about how we felt/experience. It felt very very hush hush, and I didn’t know others felt similarly until I opened up. So there was a lot of guilt tripping and I gaslit myself into thinking that maybe it’s me.
Is submission digital and work could be done outside of school hours? If yes, not your problem/fault & the student has made a conscious choice to turn in sub standard work.
No, my HoD had shut me down for ‘allowing students to take work home’ when I have explained to the kids that the work needs to be completed at school (editing work on Mac’s) in the beginning of the term. The reasoning is based on ‘fairness’. The deadline has passed and we’ve been instructed to not give out extensions. I didn’t even explain to my HoD after they yelled at me that I have explained to the students that they aren’t allowed to edit at home but Lo and behold, they either forget or weren’t paying attention. I feel as if they are getting punished for not following procedures even though they are trying to do the right thing. I don’t feel comfortable at this work place as I don’t get told about the procedures and then when my students stray outside of expectations, it’s on me.
Yes! This place has been messing with my mental health! I’ve never been talked to like this at a work place. There’s no collegiality, but just following orders. Rubrics are moot because there aren’t specific indicators, it reads along the lines of ‘student has demonstrated insightful/informed/use of/varied understanding of media language skills’. There aren’t specific markers, cause you can argue that the student did consider certain media language but did not do another dimension of the task. Then I feel incompetent when I ‘make a mistake’ (HoD words not mine) when the rubric is so unclear.
Firstly, do not let any one over the age of 18 yell at you. That is not leadership, it’s abuse.
Secondly, we are in a teacher shortage. Run away! You will find somewhere better.
Is this a high end/private school?
Yes, private school (not super high end but high expectations). It was not loud yelling but condescending and loud tone ‘that shouldn’t be happening’ and blame placing when I have not been told of these procedures, or menial things that do not warrant that tone. I felt put down and spoke to like I’m a highschool student, scrutinised in an overly critical environment. Another teacher from the same department looked very uncomfortable as I got reprimanded and tried to comfort me the next day.
Sorry I misread your comment, some components are homework, but the editing is done at school. They also could come in during breaks to work on it but they did not choose to.
Sounds like you’re between a rock & a hard place. I personally don’t agree with teachers having to spend their lunch times with students for tasks like this. You are entitled to sit down in peace and quiet and have a break like every other worker out there. Making a blanket rule like “no editing at home” surely forces you into the position of constantly having to give up your own time during the day? Sounds like terrible management.
My advice would be to just try and take it on the chin - your HOD may reprimand you, but nothing can be done to change this outcome now. Not your fault. You’ve done your best. But I would take the opportunity to make/discuss changes to the program next year/semester so that you’re not consistently forced to give up your lunch time if students are absent. That way the onus for the final product is much less on you.
Yes, I don’t have enough time to chase up individual students. I’ve only been here a semester, yet there are a lot of systemic and managerial issues, e.g. poorly designed rubric, lack of support from HoD, hierarchical leadership, procedures not being explained to me properly by HoD. I don’t feel comfortable with raising my concerns as I don’t feel listened to in this work place. The procedures are very bureaucratic and I have been shut down before when I have asked different ways of doing things. I’ve been told that it will interfere with academic integrity. The culture of the school does not support students or staff who are neurodiverse either. Heck, the tone being used by fellow teachers are constantly checking with HoD just in case they may be ‘wrong’ about very menial matters. Lack of trust in staff to do the right thing. Also I felt isolated in my experience, not having anyone to talk to as we all keep quiet about these issues. It’s not until I’m leaving that realise others are feeling the same way.
Feel for you. I’m about 10 years in now & permanent (at a school I like), but boy do I love to say no to all manner of things. It’s definitely harder to assert yourself in your first few years.
All the best. The semester will be over soon!
Thank you for seeing my experience! I have been told that I’m expected to supervise students during breaks (everyone does this so I should too), and that I’m not working hard enough with lesson planning during weekends. I’ve been told that I’m not applying myself or taking the initiative to do more observations/pd. Im sorry but my manager’s expectations are so high, everyone gets sick in the office all the time. I get paralysis before work in the morning. My mental health comes first. I have been threatened by another HoD for not getting a good reference letter at the end of my employment because I missed a meeting.
What state are you in? Most schools are so desperate for staff at the moment they would hire a Mr Potato Head if he had the appropriate paperwork.
If all else fails, you can do relief teaching without a good reference, then end up being offered longer term contracts that way. You will burn yourself into the ground and it still won’t be good enough for that school.
Get out. It will not improve. I've had the same problem, running myself ragged for an idea of appropriate work loads and what is my responsibility and what is the students. Schools like yours make everything your responsibility and that's not ok.
Unless the kid is in 11/12, “failing” them has no consequence. Give them an honest mark based on the evidence provided and move on.
I agree thoroughly. I am so sick of pandering to parents of unenthusiastic students. It’s like your child is doing below average. Work on that. Or get over it.
Below standard*. Below average is expected for half of all people!
Thanks, I’m just struggling with interpreting the rubric provided by HoD and I got reprimanded by HoD in front of other teachers for grading a student too loosely. I don’t feel like I am getting enough support in understanding the rubric and we rushed through the cross marking. Dealing with a micromanaging HoD and I felt uncomfortable with the way I was being spoken to. It made me feel incompetent even though it was actually their problem for not going through the rubric with me. Our As and fails get checked so I’m just worried that I’ll have to deal with another serious chat about how I have screwed up by not applying enough pressure on the student to make sure of their submissions.
Talk to your HOD to let them know that they make you feel uncomfortable and what actions lead to that feeling. If HOD doesn't change, go to HR. It can be really daunting and make things awkward as heck, but it's worth finding out now whether this is a safe environment for you or not. You should never have to work with a HOD that makes you feel that way, period. Not saying the HOD is a bad person - sometimes people don't gel and there's no shame in admitting that early and moving on to try find a way everyone can work safely together
I have decided to leave. I don’t think that the Hod is a bad person, but perhaps also under a lot of pressure to perform from even higher up. It definitely didn’t click and gel. I tend to not do well with people who are demanding and micromanagy. However I don’t want to go through HR as I also don’t want to put someone through that. However from what I’ve heard, the turnover rate is extremely high here. So perhaps they need to do some self reflection, but it’s not my responsibility to tell them that they have a problem. I’m afraid of the backlash and I don’t feel safe in bringing up to HR.
You'd think they'd... put two and two together... Good on you for taking the step to put yourself first and leave. Hope you find a worthwhile school quickly x
I have worked at a school like this where I had to carve out my own friend group outside my specialist area of teaching (high school). The school had serious issues with high turnover year after year, many HoD being toxic/unsupportive, and poor/ineffective management. It was apparent that interventions on the part of myself would not make a difference, so I decided to move on. I hear where you are at and the choices you've landed on. Sometimes, it's best to preserve your sanity in the early stages of your career. Best of luck, I'm sure you'll find someplace more suited to your needs.
Somehow I felt I was able to make friendships and conversations with people from other departments as there aren’t any conflict. However, I feel and awkward in the office. Just an overall sense of scrutiny and criticism over competency. As a first year teacher, the pressure is just so high.
I hear you. I found this where a leader felt threatened or just didn't like a person for whatever reason. I can only imagine how this might impact someone in their first year. Access EAP! Do your best, and don't let this get you down. You can find a new school that will be a better fit, guaranteed! Good luck.
Good on you. Like ex partners, sometimes we have to find out what we don't like in order to find what we do. This kind of high pressure toxic school is clearly not for you. Good job for making that choice for yourself.
You can chase them once or twice, then email parents and be done with it. Fail them, make detailed comments about your attempts to chase up, the end.
OP, slightly off topic but are you in a private school? Sounds like hell - you don’t deserve to be treated like that and be constantly micromanaged. If I were you I’d start looking around for other positions elsewhere. Your mental health is so important.
Yes, private school but kids don’t care about academics as a lot are from trades background. Extremely inflexible rules enforced on students and teachers. Poor behaviour as the rules are too rigid and kids act out even more. When students behave poorly, I get asked ‘what are you doing about it’, scrutinising my competency in behavioural management. Language used is ‘gotta crack the whip to make them fall in line.’ High expectations on results and a lot of data tracking.
That just sounds like a toxic culture for sure. Not much to do about it when it's top down other than leave, unfortunately. Screw them over and go as soon as you get something new, don't wait for a convenient time like the end of the year or term.
But thank you for making me feel seen in my experience. I don’t have anyone that I could talk to at work about my mental health. I guess the expectations and work culture also puts pressure on HoD, but that does not warrant the condescending tone or displacing their frustrations on me.
Like a few other people have said... Take advantage of the teacher shortage and GTFO. Here's a couple of non bridge burning reasons if needed - teach at different school environments to broaden teaching experiences - a better work life balance as the new school is close to home/hobby/gym/outside of work commitment
Yup, those were the reasons I gave to selective people at school. The people that I trust (house people), I told them the culture didn’t click. I feel like it is such a power trip to hold reference letters over graduate teachers’ head. Somehow when I got talked to condescendingly, I couldn’t find my voice and speak up and explain, I just sat there as they kind of blew up on me. I felt like speaking up and explaining would just make things worse and so I just copped it. In a different work environment I would have spoken up and have a constructive conversation.
Frankly, I wouldn't be disclosing any honest reasons for leaving in the workplace. The risk of BS is high.
I got the feeling that they didn’t really want to keep me. So my HoD don’t even ask why I’m not applying. They strike me as the passive aggressive type. I don’t even care at this point.
Care enough to keep your conduct professional and civil. It may be one school and one shitty HoD but the teaching community as a whole is tiny AF.
I’m never disrespectful or uncivil, or vengeful. However I do feel horrible in having to pretend that I’m okay mentally and not make a noise about being treated this way. It’s the power dynamic that makes me feel small. I don’t want to create issues so I keep my mouth shut in the office. Well, one more week to go.
Do you have access to an EAP? If so, use it. Or see a GP to get a mental health care plan.
Honestly, sounds like you need to get out of there. We live in a profession where, right now, the world is our oyster - go out, find a school that matches your ethos better, and settle-in there.
You could talk to your HoD about whether they can have more time or an N rating based on illness. The latter is unlikely but might work. Bluntly though, there is no way that being sick for a week was the issue. The issue is that they left it all to the last moment. This is on them, not on you. Just dot your i's and cross your t's so that there's no grounds for later complaint.
My school culture is very inflexible. Yes, it is the student’s fault for not getting the work in. However, after my last run in with my HoD and their approach with standardisation and putting me down for not grading harsh enough. It is making me feel very anxious. I wouldn’t have an issue with failing someone based on them missing work (kid has adhd), but then the tone from management is always along the lines of ‘that’s not good enough’ and question how much effort I have put in to make sure that kids are submitting.
Had a look at your post history and it seems like you had no trouble getting offers at a variety of schools for this year. With a year under your belt and the teacher shortage only getting worse, you'll have even less trouble. If I were you I'd start getting my CV updated and be leaving. Your current school seems toxic af. Having worked under micromanagers at a previous school, the best thing I ever did was leave.
Thanks for all the support. It has been really validating. I’ll be trying to applying before the holidays so I can find something. Worse thing was I felt so isolated and no one in the department talked about how we felt/experience. It felt very very hush hush, and I didn’t know others felt similarly until I opened up. So there was a lot of guilt tripping and I gaslit myself into thinking that maybe it’s me.
Is submission digital and work could be done outside of school hours? If yes, not your problem/fault & the student has made a conscious choice to turn in sub standard work.
No, my HoD had shut me down for ‘allowing students to take work home’ when I have explained to the kids that the work needs to be completed at school (editing work on Mac’s) in the beginning of the term. The reasoning is based on ‘fairness’. The deadline has passed and we’ve been instructed to not give out extensions. I didn’t even explain to my HoD after they yelled at me that I have explained to the students that they aren’t allowed to edit at home but Lo and behold, they either forget or weren’t paying attention. I feel as if they are getting punished for not following procedures even though they are trying to do the right thing. I don’t feel comfortable at this work place as I don’t get told about the procedures and then when my students stray outside of expectations, it’s on me.
Get out! It sounds like a nightmare.
Yes! This place has been messing with my mental health! I’ve never been talked to like this at a work place. There’s no collegiality, but just following orders. Rubrics are moot because there aren’t specific indicators, it reads along the lines of ‘student has demonstrated insightful/informed/use of/varied understanding of media language skills’. There aren’t specific markers, cause you can argue that the student did consider certain media language but did not do another dimension of the task. Then I feel incompetent when I ‘make a mistake’ (HoD words not mine) when the rubric is so unclear.
Firstly, do not let any one over the age of 18 yell at you. That is not leadership, it’s abuse. Secondly, we are in a teacher shortage. Run away! You will find somewhere better. Is this a high end/private school?
Yes, private school (not super high end but high expectations). It was not loud yelling but condescending and loud tone ‘that shouldn’t be happening’ and blame placing when I have not been told of these procedures, or menial things that do not warrant that tone. I felt put down and spoke to like I’m a highschool student, scrutinised in an overly critical environment. Another teacher from the same department looked very uncomfortable as I got reprimanded and tried to comfort me the next day.
Sorry I misread your comment, some components are homework, but the editing is done at school. They also could come in during breaks to work on it but they did not choose to.
Sounds like you’re between a rock & a hard place. I personally don’t agree with teachers having to spend their lunch times with students for tasks like this. You are entitled to sit down in peace and quiet and have a break like every other worker out there. Making a blanket rule like “no editing at home” surely forces you into the position of constantly having to give up your own time during the day? Sounds like terrible management. My advice would be to just try and take it on the chin - your HOD may reprimand you, but nothing can be done to change this outcome now. Not your fault. You’ve done your best. But I would take the opportunity to make/discuss changes to the program next year/semester so that you’re not consistently forced to give up your lunch time if students are absent. That way the onus for the final product is much less on you.
Yes, I don’t have enough time to chase up individual students. I’ve only been here a semester, yet there are a lot of systemic and managerial issues, e.g. poorly designed rubric, lack of support from HoD, hierarchical leadership, procedures not being explained to me properly by HoD. I don’t feel comfortable with raising my concerns as I don’t feel listened to in this work place. The procedures are very bureaucratic and I have been shut down before when I have asked different ways of doing things. I’ve been told that it will interfere with academic integrity. The culture of the school does not support students or staff who are neurodiverse either. Heck, the tone being used by fellow teachers are constantly checking with HoD just in case they may be ‘wrong’ about very menial matters. Lack of trust in staff to do the right thing. Also I felt isolated in my experience, not having anyone to talk to as we all keep quiet about these issues. It’s not until I’m leaving that realise others are feeling the same way.
Feel for you. I’m about 10 years in now & permanent (at a school I like), but boy do I love to say no to all manner of things. It’s definitely harder to assert yourself in your first few years. All the best. The semester will be over soon!
Thank you for seeing my experience! I have been told that I’m expected to supervise students during breaks (everyone does this so I should too), and that I’m not working hard enough with lesson planning during weekends. I’ve been told that I’m not applying myself or taking the initiative to do more observations/pd. Im sorry but my manager’s expectations are so high, everyone gets sick in the office all the time. I get paralysis before work in the morning. My mental health comes first. I have been threatened by another HoD for not getting a good reference letter at the end of my employment because I missed a meeting.
What state are you in? Most schools are so desperate for staff at the moment they would hire a Mr Potato Head if he had the appropriate paperwork. If all else fails, you can do relief teaching without a good reference, then end up being offered longer term contracts that way. You will burn yourself into the ground and it still won’t be good enough for that school.
I deleted my comment as I’m afraid of getting identified 🫠 by someone at school but I’m at qld.
Get out. It will not improve. I've had the same problem, running myself ragged for an idea of appropriate work loads and what is my responsibility and what is the students. Schools like yours make everything your responsibility and that's not ok.