Job Discussion Forums

[flyingscotsman]

To be blunt... A teacher came to this school first (arrived before the other teachers) and got suckered into doing extra unpaid work for the school and was rewarded with being the "Teacher Supervisor".

She now thinks she is everyone's boss and its going to her head. She has even changed her email signature to "Dean Of Foreign Teachers."

The problem is, she has ZERO power over anything and has told us we need to have meetings every Friday afternoon because its in the contract, solely because she says so.

I told her I have no intention of wasting my time in her meeting, contract or no contract.

I have sent her an email telling her my stance and that she is being used by the Chinese etc and I am pretty sure this "position " has gone to her head.

Even worse, I watched her INFORM on another foreign teacher to the school over missing a class when there was some schedule confusion. I mean she literally told the school that she told this teacher he had a class and he knew about it and didn't bother to show up.

I can see this situation is getting out of hand.

This teacher has never worked in China before and is fresh off the boat. This school is bad enough as the administration itself is WHOLLY incompetent. I've been in China long enough to know that it's not my job to try fix anything but she believes that she can fix it or at least try. The end result is, more work for the other teachers and obvious animosity towards her.

Leaving the school is always an option ( 4 out of the 5 teachers don't have a proper visa) but not until a better opportunity arises.

What to do about the self appointed "figurehead" of a FT dean who doesn't realize that she's fighting a battle that's not hers and she can never win ?

[mat chen]

Deviser pour reigner. Devide and rule. Do your thing and ingnore is my suggestion. People who play this role don't last. Devote yourself to doing your job and meet the needs of your students.

[flyingscotsman]

My emails to this other wanna be dictator:

[flyingscotsman]

Second email after she insisted that my contract says we have Friday meetings:

[Mister Al]

I think she's got your message by now so I would handle it by completely ignoring her and her demands from now on. If she 'reports' you and the school backs her up then you'll need to deal with that if it arises, but it probably won't. You've made your stance although I wouldn't have done it be email myself. Slagging the school off and on the record may come back and bite you. Stay cool and hope it all blows over.

[west2east]

Hello Flying Scotsman

Clearly this is upsetting you. Your posts and email communications come across quite angry and from how you describe matters, you anger is not without justification.

Being angry and accusing (justified or not) in email is unlikely to lead to resolution. Rather than venting at the 'aggressor' I would in the first instance write down anything factual that clearly infringes agreed expectations. In other words, note down where there are clear breaches of the rules. For example, if a Friday meeting is a contractual requirement, then you have an obligation to attend. How those meetings are administered and how valuable they are is another matter.

However, if Friday meetings are part of your contract and you can think of ways to improve them, then being supportive may give you slightly more control over the situation.

In all probability, if you are out to 'win' a war, you'll probably end up being dissatisfied. Going in with an intention to modify the situation that is acceptable to both parties may be a more progressive approach. Again, you may not change matters that are completely to your liking, but you may be able to build greater rapport in the long term.

Despite all this, there may not be a satisfactory outcome for you and you will need to give serious consideration if this is the kind of environment you could work in if matters are unlikely to change that much. Even if you do decide to leave, you have nothing to loose by remaining supportive of all your peers. Never burn your bridges, no matter how dark they seem.

Hope that helps.

[flyingscotsman]

Up till now there have been no meetings, so why institute them? Meetings are typically a waste of time, especially in China.

The problem is this person creating work for us teachers.

I DON'T want to do the school's work, for free or otherwise.

And I don't want to fix anything in the school, not why I came here.

I know better than to attempt to fix China.... She obviously doesn't.

[james s]

I once knew a guy who taught at a university when I lived there.

He had no education and had been a security guard in his home land.

After 2 weeks of teaching ESL at the university, he made business cards citing:

"Professor A. B Qwerty"

Later, he asserted that as he was now a professor, he actually was also a linguistic doctor.

He then became:

"Dr. A. B Qwerty. English Professor, ABC University".


No joke.


ABOUT YOUR SITUATION:

Do your job, do your time, smile and nod with what the school tells you to do.

I had a 'Dean' while I was there myself. I called in sick one day,and he wanted to see my vomit. He was American, and I will forever remember his name, though I am certain he forgets mine... what goes around will come around some day...

[HiddenTreasure]

Do your job, that simple.

Whether you like this person or not, she is supposedly the head teacher so I suggest you swallow your ego and do what she wants - it's her right and her job.

If you don't like it you're always free to quit.

[flyingscotsman]

[west2east]

[malu]

[flyingscotsman]

She "stepped down" from her laughable role.

Hopefully she wont rat out anyone else to the administration.

I hate whistle blowing tatletailing wannabes who think they can make their life happier by informing on others.

SNITCHES GET STITCHES is an old saying...

[rogerwilco]

[flyingscotsman]

I didn't say anything harmful about the school.

I simply stated the obvious.