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Huge Argument with coteacher
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cj1976



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:02 pm    Post subject: Huge Argument with coteacher Reply with quote
Last week I managed to get into a blazing shouting match with one of my co-teachers - in the classroom in front of the kids.
He is late 50s and has been at this school for over 25 years. I guess he's just cruising towards retirement age because he doesn't really seem to have much interest in teaching. His idea of co-teaching is sitting at the back of the class, sleeping or surfing the net - while I do all the actual work.
There is one class of low-level 3rd graders who are quite bad, and frankly I cannot control alone. He says he can't do anything to discipline them because he is not allowed to beat them.
Anyway, long story short, the class was misbehaving and I asked him to do something about it while I tried to teach. He then told me that it was my class, therefore my responsibility and not his problem. I was so frustrated at this point, that I reacted by pointing out it was actually his class and he was ultimately in charge.
He went nuts and started shouting at me in English and then in Korean. I asked him to calm down and we could discuss it later. This just aggravated him further and he started waving his stick in my face. I lost it when he did that and shouted at him to do his job. All this in full view of the kids.
Anyway, the point of this story is; was he right? It is actually up to me control the class, while he sits idly by. I always plan the lesson and teach without assistance, which I'm fine with, but I always assumed crowd control was his duty.

Last edited by cj1976 on Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
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sadguy



Joined: 13 Feb 2011
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
i guess u are working for a public school. yeah, of course he's wrong. you're actually complimentary teacher.

and, totally not cool to lose it in front of the students.

my co teacher accused me of lying in front of my summer camp class. sucked. but, it made her look like a be-osh.
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tanklor1



Joined: 13 Jun 2006
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher Reply with quote
cj1976 wrote:
Last week I managed to get into a blazing shouting match with one of my co-teachers - in the classroom in front of the kids.
He is late 50s and has been at this school for over 25 years. I guess he's just cruising towards retirement age because he doesn't really seem to have much interest in teaching. His idea of co-teaching is sitting at the back of the class, sleeping or surfing the net - while I do all the actual work.
There is once class of low-level 3rd graders who are quite bad, and frankly I cannot control alone. He says he can't do anything to discipline them because he is not allowed to beat them.
Anyway, long story short, the class was misbehaving and I asked him to do something about it while I tried to teach. He then told me that it was my class, therefore my responsibility and not his problem. I was so frustrated at this point, that I reacted by pointing out it was actually his class and he was ultimately in charge.
He went nuts and started shouting at me in English and then in Korean. I asked him to calm down and we could discuss it later. This just aggravated him further and he started waving his stick in my face. I lost it when he did that and shouted at him to do his job. All this in full view of the kids.
Anyway, the point of this story is; was he right? It is actually up to me control the class, while he sits idly by. I always plan the lesson and teach without assistance, which I'm fine with, but I always assumed crowd control was his duty.


I think you should buy a bottle of soju and drink it with him.
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cj1976



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher Reply with quote
tanklor1 wrote:

I think you should buy a bottle of soju and drink it with him.


I actually thought about that. At least it was a male co-teacher because we talked about it a couple of hours later, shook hands and just let it go. I apologize if this sounds sexist, but I don't think a female co-teacher would have got over so it quick. Some women know how to harbour a grudge for a long time.
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tanklor1



Joined: 13 Jun 2006
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher Reply with quote
cj1976 wrote:
tanklor1 wrote:

I think you should buy a bottle of soju and drink it with him.


I actually thought about that. At least it was a male co-teacher because we talked about it a couple of hours later, shook hands and just let it go. I apologize if this sounds sexist, but I don't think a female co-teacher would have got over so it quick. Some women know how to harbour a grudge for a long time.


I agree 100%.
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Chris.Quigley



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Location: Belfast. N Ireland
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I still think you should offer to buy him dinner or something. Funny story (only because you guys made up so quickly)... haha
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ThingsComeAround



Joined: 07 Nov 2008
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher Reply with quote
tanklor1 wrote:
cj1976 wrote:
tanklor1 wrote:

I think you should buy a bottle of soju and drink it with him.


I actually thought about that. At least it was a male co-teacher because we talked about it a couple of hours later, shook hands and just let it go. I apologize if this sounds sexist, but I don't think a female co-teacher would have got over so it quick. Some women know how to harbour a grudge for a long time.


I agree 100%.


This, and when most of them say "sorry" they don't mean it Mad
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winterfall



Joined: 21 May 2009
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher Reply with quote
cj1976 wrote:
Last week I managed to get into a blazing shouting match with one of my co-teachers - in the classroom in front of the kids.
He is late 50s and has been at this school for over 25 years. I guess he's just cruising towards retirement age because he doesn't really seem to have much interest in teaching. His idea of co-teaching is sitting at the back of the class, sleeping or surfing the net - while I do all the actual work.
There is once class of low-level 3rd graders who are quite bad, and frankly I cannot control alone. He says he can't do anything to discipline them because he is not allowed to beat them.
Anyway, long story short, the class was misbehaving and I asked him to do something about it while I tried to teach. He then told me that it was my class, therefore my responsibility and not his problem. I was so frustrated at this point, that I reacted by pointing out it was actually his class and he was ultimately in charge.
He went nuts and started shouting at me in English and then in Korean. I asked him to calm down and we could discuss it later. This just aggravated him further and he started waving his stick in my face. I lost it when he did that and shouted at him to do his job. All this in full view of the kids.
Anyway, the point of this story is; was he right? It is actually up to me control the class, while he sits idly by. I always plan the lesson and teach without assistance, which I'm fine with, but I always assumed crowd control was his duty.


I had someone just like him last year. Does he have a microphone and find a way to always blame you for something that you had no control over? Like the kid that broke his arm outside school. Ohh!! It must be the FT's voodoo magic!!

If he's gonna retire soon it doesn't matter. School won't do anything, education office won't do anything, parents won't do anything. And from their perspective your very far in the wrong.

Ehh... What's done is done. Find some way to mend the bridge. Or ask your dept head to rearrange your classes so you don't teach with him.

In the best possible scenario, you complain to your POE, your not responsible for discipline. Your POE complains to your principal. And principal doesn't do anything cause the guy is gonna retire. And the principal is gonna treat you like crap cause you rocked the boat. Schools really don't like if the higher ups call them

Last edited by winterfall on Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:16 pm; edited 1 time in total
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cj1976



Joined: 26 Oct 2005
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Going back to my OP, I wonder what other people's view of co-teaching is? How do you manage this relationship, and is it successful? I'm amazed that despite all the money spent on bringing us here, there is no definitive method or guide to how we should interact. There needs to be a clear division of labour, so each party is sure of his/her responsibilities.
When it comes to discipline and classroom control, I think that speaking Korean is definitely more appropriate (unless the students all have great English ability).
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