Job Discussion Forums

[ls650]

I've spent the last semester suffering with a horrible co-worker. This person is universally reviled by the students, the staff, and the administration. I've tried to ignore this 'teacher' as best I can for the semester, but it's been damned difficult. I could list pages of problems that the school has had with this person, but I'd rather just not have to think about it any more!

The school is not renewing the contract with this person - and rightfully so. Today was his/her last day at the school, and I should feel like celebrating, but....

Now, to top it off, I've seen this person posting on a different EFL site, making very negative remarks about the school - and extremely personal and judgemental comments about the personal lives of some of the staff. The comments are inaccurate, and some are outright lies.

I think this person is unfit to be a teacher and shouldn't be allowed with ten meters of a classroom.

Anyone ever been in such a situation? I cringe to think this person will be back in a classroom in a few weeks, inflicting him/herself on some poor unfortunate students. Then again, I think maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and let it pass...

[cwc]

I would go as far as to post a physical description and the initials. Maybe the college he/she went to. This forum is to inform, INFORM US!!!!!!!!!!!! The truth is the truth.

[M@tt]

how do we know you're not the bad teacher, planning on slandering one of your co-workers that got on your bad side?

just curious how anyone would know whose side to take.

[ls650]

Good point, Matt. How do you know I'm the one telling the truth here?
Yeah, I don't know what to say; there's no way I can prove to you who's the good guy and who's the bad guy here.

All I know is this: I sure feel sorry for the next group of students that this person inflicts himself upon!

Some advice to anyone doing the hiring out there: make sure you check someone's references and credentials out. The folks who handled the hiring process (not me) didn't do a thorough-enough job of checking references, and we might have saved ourselves a lot of grief if we'd just made a couple of phone calls!!

[Not St Louis]

Slandering a co-worker,whether you like them or not, would destroy your credibility on this forum and open you up to criticism. You would destory comraderie and trust among the decent teachers. Hopefully the moderators would quickly delete the thread and ban you.

Is it worth it? Personally for me, your credibility has taken a hit just from you posting this poll.

This is something administrators need to know, not something teachers need to know. In this age of internet teacher blacklists, yes they exist, teacher have enough enemies in the form of unscrupulous schools, we don't need to watch our back because of vindictive co-workers.

[Guy Courchesne]

Tend to agree with Not St. Louis some. If it were a question of criminal behavior, then I would say you should post. If it's only about character, then no, ruining someone's chances for employment down the road is probably not the right thing to do. There's a always a chance that teacher can learn nd grow.

LS650, do fake degrees and references constitute criminality? In Korea, they'll land you in jail. Could also unfairly put a teacher ahead of someone who has actually done the work...

[ls650]

[Ben Round de Bloc]

If a potential employer contacted me personally for information about a teacher I'd worked with, I feel I would have to give my honest opinion about him/her. However, I would not post that information on a public forum.

If said teacher -- or anyone else, for that matter -- posted what I considered false or misleading information about my school and coworkers on a public forum, I would most likely respond on that forum by addressing the issues that person had posted.

I've worked with teachers that I've found annoying as well as teachers that I felt weren't doing their jobs as adequately as they should . However, I've never had the experience of working with anyone that I felt should be banned from classrooms forever. Maybe if I'd had such an experience, my views would be different regarding this. I don't know.

[MELEE]

We had a teacher in the past who, while quite good in the classroom, absolutely hated the town and university. The problem is he also fancies himself a journalist and he wrote several essays on his webpage that were very nasty AND published a very onesided article in the Miami Harold about the university. While a lot of the stuff in his article was true, some things were half informed misinterpretations. I've read articles of his on other topics and find the same to be true. Its really quite a common practice in journalism these days, so no one should be suprised. But there is the issue that people who are looking to come to work here, do web searches and find these things. I decided that the best practice was to point them to these articles as well as other information about the town and school that is out there. I wouldn't want people to find it and think we'd been hiding it. I also usually tell them, you have to make your own decision, and I got other current and former teachers to give me quotes about what they like and don't like about living and working here so perspective employees can have a more rounded view.
I would go to the forum where he's posted and say, look I work at this school and here is my take on it.

[delacosta]

For the most part that article is true, there might be some details that are different for different schools in the system. I think that it would be an excellent read for those thinking of coming here.
Here's the link: http://www.geocities.com/jonclark500/utmstory.html

Which is the forum in question where these coments are being made? It's a bit slow at work today, I'm in the mood for some chisme.

[MELEE]

[PlayadelSoul]

I�ve been called a drug addict and a fleeing felon, on this forum, by someone I have never met (nor care to) in my life. I am sure most of you have gotten PMs regarding other members, here. Yet, some seem to actually take the guy seriously rather than ignore him. All of a sudden, there is a sense of fairness when it comes to calling a spade a spade?

I would like the name, by PM. I think ls650 has earned enough credibility on this forum to not be questioned about his intent.

[Samantha]

I agree completely. (And I know exactly which direction I would want to point that wayward teacher in!)

[Not St Louis]

Having a fake degree is very bad. Maybe in years gone by people may have had a reason to fake it, but now there are so many opportunities to earn a real degree no matter where they find themselves on the planet.

[Dragonlady]

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