Job Discussion Forums

[wood]

I fired a guy last week. He told me that he couldn't blame
me when I talked to him on the phone. However, in a later
email he expressed a desire to meet with me to help him better
understand the circumstances.

The circumstances are as follows:

He's been with our school for three years. In his first year with
our school, while teaching a one on two class, he spent the class
practicing his Chinese, not adhering to the schedule. One of the
two children in his class recorded the class for later listening. Her
mother listened to the tape with her and was shocked. What was
she paying for? She called the school demanding an explanation
and a a refund. We gave her the refund. There was no reasonable
explanation.

Recently another parent called and complained about the said
teacher sending text messages during class. We told him not to
do it again and he promised that he wouldn't.

A month later, the same parent called. She had talked with another
parent of a child in the same class to confirm the information. She then
called the school. She said that the teacher was still sending text
messages during the class. We immediately confronted him during
the class he was teaching and he was sending text messages at the time.
He tried to hide his cell phone but it was too late. He was doing exactly
what the caller was accusing him of doing. Later that night, I decided to
fire him. I called him the next day and told him he was fired. He said
he couldn't blame me for doing so. I put myself in a difficult situation. I
had to train a new teacher to teach without allowing the new teacher to
even properly observe a class, but it was something I felt I had to do.
The teacher in question had promised not to text during class and had
then gone on to continue doing it. During break time during the class he
was caught texting I had a talk with him. I told him that I was extremely
disappointed and that there was no good excuse he could offer. He told
me that I could 'spin' it in this way:

Well, he's getting ready to leave and is not really able to focus on the
class. He just has a couple weeks to go, so we'll just let it slide.

My first thought was this: this isn't high school; you aren't allowed to
skate for the last few weeks. It's a business and you are paid to do a job.
If you don't get that, you can no longer continue as a teacher in this
school.

He seemed to accept it, initially. Today I got an email in which he expressed a desire to meet with me. I have no problem with that. He also wrote that he couldn't understand why something like text messaging in class would be grounds for immediate dismissal. I sent him an email explaining my side. I have no idea what he will say but I'm interested in getting his take. (if you're on here, feel free to respond with your side of the story)

The facts are irrefutable. He was wrong and now he is suffering the consequences. In my opinion, he has no one to blame but himself.

However, I am interested in hearing other opinions, both from school owners and teachers who may have a different view. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to some constructive critiques. What would you do? Why am I wrong for doing this? Who is guilty?

It's very difficult for me to get a handle on his viewpoint. I try, but what he did seems indefensible considering the circumstances. I'm convinced that I'm right and that he's wrong. But I'm open to discussion.

[Kootvela]

I wish I could fire my students who keep sending text messages, chew gum or wear a cap in class. I take it as bad manners and confront openly by confiscating mobiles, telling them to spit out the gum or to take off their caps. If I won't tell them it's bad manners and disrespect, nobody will for they cannot understand that by themselves yet. Repeat it every lesson, though.

Adults are a dificult case. I understand that talking Chinese while one is supposed to teach English is a bad move. Sending texts may be disruptive and embarassing and account for bad role model.

You seem to have this person for about three years, so there must be something one did well in their job. You might have given a probatory period. However, I understand that was your reaction to client complaints.


Plus, recording teachers in class...there should be a law about this.

[wood]

Well, he showed up. Mostly on time. The 'probatory' period was the time between the first warning and his promise not to repeat his behavior and the time he got caught while a parent was on the phone complaining about his offense. There was about a month between these two events. I see nothing wrong with recording teachers in class and many of our students do it.

[Kootvela]

Recording people is invasion of privacy and we have certain laws, which I'm glad we do. However, sometimes teachers record children who misbehave and show to parents who come to complain, and that solves the problem of complaining for a long time. I guess it's a necessary evil.

It seems your teacher isn't the only one using a mobile in class if one has been recorded, though

[wood]

[MomCat]

I have no sympathy for the teacher. He sounds disrespectful at best and is more probably disrespectful and dishonest. I teach in Taiwan and I (and every competent and caring teacher) bears the brunt of the bad reputation that teachers like this guy give us. It would be very nice if he and his ilk all found nice jobs in their home country in food service or some other position that matches their performance skills.

A comment on the recording: as a teacher I wish more of my students cared enough to record and listen to the lesson. I think it could improve their comprehension and speed their learning.

Cat

[Miyazaki]

What a teacher does on her break, save for anything illegal, shouldn't be any of your business - smoke, make a phone call, take a dump, text a boyfriend, etc....

And why was the teacher using chinese in class? Maybe s/he was giving the Ss instructions. no harm in that.

s/he shouldn't be texting in class.

is this your own personal buixban or do you work for Hess or something?

parents are difficult. it's not unusual for parents to b*tch about their kids' teachers.

So, if the teacher shows up and tape records your disciplinary meeting where you fire them or chastize them so that they can take to the CLA or a lawyer - you have no problem with that, right? Or does attitude about tape recording people change when the shoe is on the other foot?

[JZer]

[Taricha]

You're paying the teacher to teach the class, not pay attention to their own personal interests (and both chinese practice and texting fall under that category). You've had problems with this teacher in the past, and even their 'discussion' of the event seems to lack the will to change. He wasn't even paying good enough attention to the class to notice he was being recorded, so he was neither acting as teacher nor as disciplinarian.

Let it slide? No. Why waste your time when this teacher is clearly not willing to change and do the job they were hired to do? Doesn't matter if he only has a few weeks left on the contract - you have a business to run, and a reputation to uphold, and were completely in the right to get rid of someone who is a detriment to that.

Now, if he had only done the texting issue once and was otherwise a fantastic teacher who was sheepish and apologetic when caught, maybe he would deserve a second chance...

[Ki]

It does not have to be about right or wrong. Think about what is best for you, your school, and your students. If you need to have this teacher in your class for another couple weeks say until you can find a replacement then do so. If these are isolated incidents and he is otherwise a fantastic teacher with a great repore with his students then why not keep him despite a couple of parents�objections. But if he is just crap anyway then use this excuse if you will.

[JZer]

[BJ]

Children are impressionable, if its fine for the teacher to take calls, use texting then what will the kids make of it.
In my classes at uni, the first thing I tell my new students is telephones off, texting forbidden. If one goes off in class the whole class looks and tuts, lesson learned.
It is one of my pet hates that the ignorance of people (many teachers included) see answering their phone as more important than anything going on around them. It breaks concentration, is extremely rude, and is general bad form.
Was the texting an emergency? was someone dying? if it wasn't extremely important then a warning should be issued, Normally 3 strikes and your out policy works in all industries.
Wonders if texting is the correct "new" word for this.

[pest2]

[pest2]

[Aristotle]

The question is did you document these infractions?
As a "professional" supervisor you should formally reprimand subordinates for misconduct in writing with at least one other person present. You should have them sign the reprimands (plural) before termination or you leave yourself open to accusations of favoritism or disreputable management practices. This has the potential to do more harm to your career than keeping the unprofessional teacher.
I think we all understand that in Taiwan professional management is an oxymoron but in the age of globalization the wrongful termination of a teacher can end your career as an education administrator if it gets documented.
Just because unprofessionalism is the norm in Taiwanese schools does not mean unprofessional behavior in Taiwan is ignored in other places.
If you attended an education administration course you would have learned "ethics" in the first module.
Perhaps the problem is not entirely the teacher?
I would stongly suggest that you go back and get statements from the parents and formally reprimand the teacher in the presence of another person.
Good luck!
A.