I just want to add to Betty's blog. What the heck is wrong with teachers these days? What happened to being professionals? One teacher came into my room a few minutes ago and whoa did she use some terms to describe her team members. She is a first year teacher and I totally don't get the lack of respect. Some of the comments were absolutely slanderous. (dumb as a rock, stupid as a stone, etc.)
Earlier another teacher was talking about one of my team members and used terms that I thought would burn holes in my ears. (b---h, etc.)
Now... don't get me wrong. I like to complain too. In fact, I am usually the Queen of complainers. But, I usually do it with a reason, and to the boss. I don't talk about people in such a very negative way behind their back. If I don't like them, they usually know it and know why.
We have teachers running to the principal to tattle on every little thing that upsets them. They don't like anything so they do a lot of tattling. I must have missed the meeting that told the first year teachers that they are running things their way. It sure takes a lot of guts to think you do in your first year of teaching. I didn't think I was running things until at least my 5th year and it was because I practically was. I was on every single committee. No one else wanted to do anything that year.
To be so derogatory about people is what all these "dumb adult" comedy shows are about. Also, many of the new reality shows are about being crass and stupid. Why can't we have smart, intelligent, happy people with normal problems to solve? What happened to the old Heart to Heart type of show?
Why don't we infuse DIGNITY into our profession again?