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Boy Wonder
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 453
Location: Clacton on sea
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 Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:16 am Post subject: Who's more important...the receptionist or teacher? |
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I am plainly seething with indignation and anger.
This is the final straw.
The school I have the misfortune to work for obviously thinks the Receptionists are more important than the Teachers.
Not content with hogging all the school stationery......teachers have no pens/pencils/tippex/scissors/teaching materials....the secretaries also seems to think it's ok to refuse various requests.
Who the hell do they think they are?
If I need to delay a forthcoming lesson by 10 mins so I can go out and get resources the school doesn't have...such as Listening materials from the Brit Council Library..... then that is something I need to do.!!!
They fail to inform teachers of any timetable changes......apparently it's up to us to continually ask them throughout our 8 hour teaching day!!!!
They timetable lessons for us at unreasonable times without prior consultation...so your teaching day begins at 8.30 am and finishes at 9.30pm regularly....!!!!
I have had enough......
There is only so mouch more disrespect I can take....
Does anybody else suffer from the curse of the megalomaniac secretary-receptionist.? |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:35 am Post subject: |
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The receptionist is more important than some teachers.
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dyak
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 630
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:27 am Post subject: |
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It's true, you have to be kind of a beach to be a receptionist... they are under the misapprehension that they run the school because of where they're sitting.
A lot of London schools lack actual (native) English speaking receptionists, prefering to relieve students of their hard-earned cash in their own language. This is two-fold though, as those students with 'reception-friendly' languages will have no trouble with visas, finding accommodation, getting jobs, having pressure applied to the teacher to ensure they have perfect attendances etc... is there any aspect of EFL where someone is not doing someone else a favour though? |
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Chris_Crossley
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:50 am Post subject: Name those teachers AND the receptionist! |
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| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
The receptionist is more important than some teachers.
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Name those teachers!!!! 
Name the receptionist!!!  |
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Magoo
Joined: 31 Oct 2003
Posts: 651
Location: Wuhan, China
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Boy Wonder: Come to wonderful, egalitarian China. At my first school, the wife of some very low-level 'teacher' (everyone has some sort of honorific title) was awarded a job in said institution because of hubby's connections (Communist Party). She had no education, being from the countryside, so was given a vague position overseeing, well, stuff. This included 3 photocopiers. Up till then, we 2 foreign English teachers gave interesting lessons using REAL English texts. Suddenly, ol' boot face started blocking access to the machines, citing ridiculous, non-existent rules. Even the senior Chinese staff didn't dare to argue, so it was left to me (as a speaker of Chinese and bad-tempered git) to sort it out. When being polite failed, I just threatened Armageddon. The Chinese weren't happy, but it worked...finally. When people are disenfranchised, they find other, less honourable ways of asserting their power. Sad. |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 2:17 pm Post subject: Re: Who's more important...the receptionist or teacher? |
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| Boy Wonder wrote: |
I am plainly seething with indignation and anger.
This is the final straw.
The school I have the misfortune to work for obviously thinks the Receptionists are more important than the Teachers.
Not content with hogging all the school stationery......teachers have no pens/pencils/tippex/scissors/teaching materials....the secretaries also seems to think it's ok to refuse various requests.
Who the hell do they think they are? |
Granted, they may be on some kind of power trip. However, they also may simply be doing what the boss has instructed them to do. If this is the case, then don't shoot the messenger. They may just be trying to keep their jobs by following orders.
As for school stationery, pens, pencils, scissors, and (non-recyclable) teaching materials (except for photocopies in some but not all schools,) I've never worked in a school which regularly supplied those things for its teachers, and I've been in the education business for nearly 30 years. I don't know what tippex is, but I've never been supplied with it either.
A wise teacher knows the importance of staying on the good side of two groups of people at school: secretaries and custodians. If you become an enemy of a school secretary, you're going to lose. Who's more important has nothing to do with it. It's a fact of life. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
| The receptionist is more important than some teachers. |
As a former DOS, I can tell you that it's a hell of a lot easier to replace a teacher than a good receptionist!  |
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Mouse
Joined: 24 Dec 2003
Posts: 208
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| Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| When the school I work for was put up for sale it was the secretaries who clubbed together and bought it, so compared to the teachers here the receptionists are more important... |
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Boy Wonder
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 453
Location: Clacton on sea
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| Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 8:56 am Post subject: |
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So in order to improve my job prospects, value to employers and self worth I should become a secretary.......
I have obviously been under the misconception for several years that being a teacher was a quite important in the running of the school.!!
How stupid of me....!
Tomorrow I shall apply for internal promotion ....for the job of receptionist/secretary or cleaner......
I want the kudos you see |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| Boy Wonder wrote: |
I have obviously been under the misconception for several years that being a teacher was a quite important in the running of the school.!!
How stupid of me....! |
The key here is in the running of a school. Think of the people involved in the process of making most schools or language departments function. There are usually a DOS or department head, a secretary/receptionist or possibly two, a custodian or two, several teachers, and several students. If it comes down to a situation where one person has to go, either the secretary or one teacher, logically who would be easier to replace or whose position could be eliminated and still allow the school to continue running reasonably well?
I don't think anyone is claiming that teachers aren't quite important. The point is that they/we aren't more important than others who are involved in the running of a school, and especially not more important than a good secretary/receptionist. |
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