Job Discussion Forums

[battleshipb_b]

Nothing like rubbing salt into a wound. A fire to hire policy; forced resignations and, to top it all of, giving undeserved, unjustified bad references. Some bosses operate their own little empire; messing up someone else's life makes them feel important. It's one thing to get rid of a member of staff for personal vendetta reasons but much worse to sabotage their future. One excellent teacher who used to work with me had very bad trumped up references from his boss who used one incident with a student to allege the teacher was a bad teacher. A double-check revealed that the boss deliberately wanted to 'punish' this outstanding teacher for his no-nonsense approach. Some people have no ethics, this was a blatant case of moral bankruptcy. Administrators who have no ethics should not be in a position of authority.

[mesquite]

Lethal bullying. These boss-bullies/bully-bosses need to justify their existance. It makes them feel important when they can push people around, screw up their jobs and lives and then to make sure they really suffer, give them bad references. Bully-bosses are so insecure that they can only function when they put someone else down. It makes them feel good. What a pitiful way to live. The problem is they ruin people's lives. I've seen it happen several times. The bully-boss gets away with it because the system he works for empowers him. It's a sad, sick state of affairs, but unfortunately the way it is in so many teaching establishments. These bully bigshots bigsh**ts need to be on the receiving end of the stick...

[wilberforce]

Unfortunately, as you say, there are too many of these 'boss-bullies' (I like this term) around. They are miserable cruds so they comfort themselves by making others miserable.

The world would be a better place without them, but since they abound in TEFL (I wonder why??), most of us just have to put up and shut up if we want to survive theirtoxic behavior.

Staff should be allowed to vote the toxic boss bullies out of office. If only we lowly dregs in the EFL units could be empowered to dispose of these nasty wayward types, wouldn't that be nice? In your dreams, I reckon.

[NASA]

This is exactly what happened to me. A group of us work in a school run by a horrible woman who seems to hate westerners although she needs us for English classes. It's been so bad that I wanted to take off but decided against it because of the kids: most of them are nice kids. People persuaded us to stick it out which we have done; now the school year is almost over and we're packing up, getting ready to leave.


We have all given notice; she's furious because she has to recruit new people. Since the salaries are not very good it's getting harder to find trained experienced teachers who are willing to come for such low salaries. Another reason for quitting is the accomodation which is really bad: we have to share and it's hard if you don't get on with the person you have to share with. The furniture is all rickety and very cheap quality. The head is so mean that she's going to block the teachers who quit from a transfer to another school in Qatar. Some of us have had offers from better, more stable schools but she is so spiteful that she has refused to give the NOC to any of us.

Most of us have applied to other countries, Malaysia or the Gulf. I have had interviews in the UAE and was made a couple of job offers. One of the schools contacted her for references and did she give them an earful!!!!! She told them lies, misrepresented facts and even gave false information. Luckily for me a teacher I used to teach with works in this school and was able to persuade the school administration that her reference was fake. I have excellent references from other jobs and very good credentials. To prove that she is giving out false information, a friend in Dubai called the school pretending to be a recruiter who wanted references. During the conversation, the head actually made up stories and told lies about me. My friend recorded the conversation. I am thinking of reporting this head for false allegations and disinformation.

This woman treats her staff like dirt, as if we are servants. She treats them even worse, of course. We represent people from an honorable profession and she has no business treating us as if we are there to serve her and make money for her. So many of these school operators are in it for the money; they have no interest in education or children.

My horrible experience proves there are spiteful heads and bosses who want to cause people grief both now and in the future. No wonder students today have bad values, they come in contact with immoral people in their schools. These are their disgusting role models. Teachers have to put up with a lot and it's no wonder so many burn out. I like Qatar, it's been a nice place to work but it's back to the UAE for me, a better salary and from what my friend says, a supportive administration. That's what counts in the end.

[jdl]

I guess now that someone is actually checking references applicants must select references carefully and make special efforts to get a good report. Damned accountability!

[stickleback]

[jdl]

Perhaps this 'bully boss' regards him/herself as a professional educator/administrator and sees what is not good for one institution is not good for another? Or maybe s/he is just a meanspirited individual? Either way the reference is made.

Just as instructors meet to talk about the 'bully bosses' the later communicate regarding 'problem employees'. References both formal and informal are made......who has the most to lose?

On a related point one should not be surprised how much informal references from teacher colleagues count in the hiring process. The Esl world in a particular region is small with a very limited degree of separation. There always seems to be 'someone who knows someone' and is asked "would you want this person working with you and seated in the next cubicle to you?" or "you were in ____, tell me all about the head/director there." or " you have friends in____, tell me about _____." This informal colleague referencing seems to 'kick in' particularly for a candidate from a ' red flagged school ' as indentified on boards such as this.

There are no secrets in the desert! But then again 'what happens in the wadi, stays in the wadi' with mutual consent.

Staff politics is cut thoat in many institutions requiring a special skill set to emerge with 'that good reference' both from colleagues and administrators.

Just? Human!

[jdl]

Is anyone surprised that employers/heads/directors/recruiters who advertise on esl forums/sites also monitor them for 'what's hot and what's not'?

[veiledsentiments]

[jdl]

As we are in the shower .... lathering, scrubbing, shaving, singing and what not, we often forget that the shower stall is glass.