Job Discussion Forums

[peewee1979]

I have a job, not the best, not the worst, but it pays the bills and gives me a place to live. Right, ups and downs and I have posted a few of them.

Now I find out that an American teacher is reporting to the school what other teachers do in their classes and say in the break room.

I talked to him and told him that he has no business to report to the school my doings. He feels I should not tell him what to do. It's an unpleasant situation as the students and the school admin don't like him as he is always making waves , starting arguments, and causing problems.

I told the school today via email that he threatened me today by saying he was going to start spreading rumors that I am having relations with students. I understand that just an unfounded rumor can cause serious problems here.


I'm not sure what else to do. I was actually only one of the few teachers that would talk to this guy - now I have nothing to do with him. It was so bad that the students had a big party in October and asked all the other teachers not to tell him.

Aside from finding a new job, what should I do? PLEASE some people experienced with dealing in these situations give me some advice.

[dean_a_jones]

If you have a good relationship with the administration, FAO etc. get talking to them in detail about the problems. If the students don't like him that is usually a sign that something is wrong, so the school should perhaps be listening to them as well. With a lot of schools, if the students are unsatisfied, that might be the end of that person.

I would also be looking to talk about your concerns with any other teachers if you have not already done so.

In the end, what counts here is relationships. If you get on well with the administration, other teachers (except the one causing a problem), students, then you should have people on your side if a bigger problem does come up. Where I am, the only teachers who have had any problems are ones who have ended up isolating themselves from everyone due to their behaviour.

Unfortunately, unless there is a major problem or he is on a 6 month contract, the school will likely see the best solution as keeping him until the end of the academic year and then just not rehiring. That means you should be discreet in anything mentioned above, and at least act politely to them even if your main tactic is avoidance.

[TexasHighway]

Does he happen to be an older guy, in his mid-60's? He sounds exactly like someone I worked with several years ago. He was always ratting on other teachers for any perceived infraction. If he saw one of us chatting or having lunch with a female student, he would tell the FAO that we were having an affair. The students and other FTs all hated him. The FAO got tired of his constant complaining and did not renew his contract. Hopefully, that will happen in your case too. Just ostracize the guy and continue doing your own thing. He's not worth fretting over too much. Working with FTs like him just comes with the territory.

[time to teach]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I would ask him what he hopes to gain by doing that. I would say that he he absolutely free to do whatever he wants to do in the context of his own life, but when he interferes with other peoples' lives, it becomes their issue.

I would also ask him if he actions are meant to make problems or solve problems because at the moment they are making problems.

He sounds like 4 going on 40.

[w.melon56]

[Miles Smiles]

Posting the nationality and age could help to identify the guy and help us to say how to handle the guy. His nationality and age doesn't exactly match anyone I've met, but I've met the type. If you and your colleagues are happy in your jobs and want to stay at the school long term , and you don't want a group confrontation, you need to castigate and shun the guy and let him know that his presence is not wanted. EVERYONE must do it. It won't stop his talking to your boss(es) who eat this sort of thing up, but it will make him feel uncomfortable to be around you.

If you have a mature, experienced FAO, this idiot's blathering will provide entertainment and result in little more than laughs for the FAO and Chinese faculty. If your FAO is an air-headed 28 year-old whose father probably bought her the position, you may have trouble. You and your colleagues will have to talk to the FAO in person with this guy not present. Before you do this , however, you will have to go in with actual reports and prior conversations with the FAO (or whoever your boss is) for some sort of reference. You will have to be subtle: either this guy goes or we go.

If all you have are suspicions, all that you will accomplish is to shoot yourselves in the feet.

[Lobster]

From what I can understand, the admin has asked this teacher to report to them, so the problem goes deeper than this teacher. I'd like to know how you can be certain that this is actually the situation, and not something cooked up by someone else. Has he admitted as much? Are there serious problems with the behaviour of the FTs there that would cause the FAO to ask this guy to monitor you?

Anyway, so the guy's been asked to report on conversations he hears at the school. Talk to the other FTs. When this guy is around, do not have any conversations. Just shut up and look at him. You can talk again after he leaves. He will have nothing to report and start to understand how you feel about him. No discussions with him or the admin people who put him up to it are necessary. Of course, he isn't welcome in your classrooms. If you all stop talking to him, there will be no arguments.

Edit: Upon closer reading, nowhere do you state that this guy was asked to spy for admin. Are we to understand that he's just a guy who likes to spread rumours and makes "reports" even though nobody asked him to do so?

RED

[zactherat]

The only way this guy knows to reach out to others is by causing unrest. That's the way he's been operating for years and he's not about to stop now because it works - his antagonism has far more impact than anything else he knows. Confronting him with logical reasoning and socially ostracizing him are not going to motivate him to change his behavior.

If you complain to your administrators about the problems he creates, then you will probably become part of the problem and you won't be looked kindly upon, even though you are doing nothing wrong. They won't think 'poor peewee1979', they'll (partly) blame you - the victim.

Limit your involvement with the guy to the most minimal extent, don't react to his pettiness, resist the temptation to hit back with passive aggression - that's totally his game, and you don't want to waste your energy or reputation by playing. Just keep your mouth shut about him and let him show himself up.


Never get into a fight with a pig - you'll both get dirty and the pig will love it.

[askiptochina]

I don't see what the big deal is. Why get riled up over what you teach in the classroom?

This is just the Chinese way of doing things. They are always snooping around. They see no problem looking over your shoulder, or standing in a crowd around you while you are at an ATM machine. In Korea and Japan, they would stand at a distance, but no not in China. They have to observe every little thing you do.

I walk up to the bus stop, and a crowd of Chinese waiting have to stop their conversation to note I am an American and spend the next 5 minutes talking about me. I don't zip up my coat, so that seems to cause distress for them.

Then, I am confronted with the other end of the extremes, where someone deliberately sits on an aisle seat to prevent others from sitting next to them.

That's the way they roll in China, stares and intimidation. But at the end of the day, they do nothing about it. Don't get riled up over it and just carry on. Unless your employer is specifically telling you to change your ways, there isn't anything to be worried about.

[kimiki]

[hochhasd]

[Lobster]

I believe that the OP is talking about an FT, not a CT, so why the posts here about how Chinese and Korean people do things? What on Earth does having Chinese people mob you at bus stops and ATMs have to do with an FT who is giving the OP grief? This is not about the Chinese way of doing things, and probably not about the American way of doing things either. It's about one FT, that's it.

RED

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]