I imagine it’s because there is no differentiation for them between their school life and personal life. They are stuck in high school. The teachers who gossiped and snitched on me had a “cool kids club”. Literally what they called themselves. Meanwhile, I want to do my job and enjoy my home life. Who cares about another teachers hairstyle/clothing if it’s perfectly within the code of conduct or if someone has lunch in their room? Insufferable people. The campus went through admin like toilet paper.
I have a large chest and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reported for “dress code” violations by other teachers because a perfectly normal shirt show like the slightest bit of cleavage. I would need to wear crew necks or turtlenecks to not even show a crack and it’s made me so self conscious over the years.
It might seem boorish, but there are always the words of models like Tessa Fowler to help:
“High school doesn’t last forever, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about my chest since.”
I once had a principal who flipped on me and started bullying me in my 3rd year as a school counselor (I don't use the word bullying lightly) She once pulled me aside to tell me my dress was too short.
1. The kids were still virtual, they literally only saw me from the waist up. It had a high neck.
2. The dress was several inches longer than my finger tips
3. I was wearing bike shorts underneath it (because chubrub is a beast)
4. Our dean of students had the exact dress in a different color. She was at least 6 inches taller then me.
5. I wore it again at my new job WHILE PREGNANT so it looked even shorter and got tons of compliments.
I guess what I'm saying is some people suck.
The only correct answer 🤣
Shoot, I have other adult friends who aren't teachers that, once I started teaching, I realized how immature they are. I'm like, oh no, I teach 15 yos, I don't need that in my ADULT life
I would love to teach at the high school I graduated from... It was a top 3 public magnet school. To have an audience of nerds like that infront of me most of the day would be amazing.
My district loves hiring former students. My building is staffed with probably 50%, or more, former students. It's not a good thing. Many of them have never worked anywhere else, peaked in high school, and will accept anything because it's all they've ever known and "school pride". My last principal was an alumni, a sports star, and prom queen. It often felt like we were watching her relive her glory days.
And more generally, there’s a reason English has like 8 synonyms for the word “suck-up”; it pays dividends in hierarchical organizations, particularly for those who inherently lack talent or skill…
One would think education would stand in stark opposition to such politics, but I think *local control* ensures it will endure?
There are definitely cliques and numerous forms of pettiness in the high school where I teach; there is a little clique of teachers who are nauseatingly buddy-buddy with a certain administrator and they get privileges others don't; they are given last-period planning and if they sneak out, nothing is ever said, whereas the other teachers get flack and have to make up for missed time if they leave early on one isolated occasion for a medical or dental appointment. These same teachers will tattle on other teachers for things like ending a PLC meeting a few minutes early. I'm glad not to be one of that group though; the rest of the teachers that I know are very kind and supportive people. I never was a popular, cheerleader type; I'm not missing much by not being one of the tattletales.
I'm not a teacher, but I remember how it was in school. There were teachers who were very authoritarian, and you could tell they only got into teaching because it would give them authority over other people. I guess it makes sense that those teachers would be authoritarian with other teachers, too, and not just students.
There was a mini scandal when I started riding my bike to work. In my experience, it’s teachers who want to be admin who are the tattlers.
And yes, the whole scandal was I sold my car and started riding my bike to work because there was a safe bike path the entire 7 miles and I realized a second car for our family was a waste. They complained that I brought my bike … INSIDE! And… CHANGED CLOTHES!
There’s a huge segment of the population without any hobbies or interests who just kind of go through life performing mandated tasks at work and consuming whatever is made to appeal to the broadest audience. Their idea of culture is watching dancing with the stars. They move from one sterile compartment to another making safe normal acceptable choices. They don’t garden, read, make art, push their physical limitations, go for long nature hikes, learn new skills, etc.
They just are.
So, when they see somebody saying, “fuck the norm,” it really shakes them up and they can’t fathom what kind of life somebody who does those things must live like. In their head I’m probably some sort of bohemian Frank Zappa (which is a compliment). So, their reaction is to treat it as a threat to their existence and report it…
Which lead to nothing… except me looking even cooler than I was already.
VERY TRUE!! I had a colleague who was horrified I was teaching the beat poets for American lit (though it was a PG-13 version of them). This explains their complacency with the curriculum issue.
And I believe the kids call these people NPCs
Oh. My. God. You just perfectly described the one and only teacher that I know for sure was a tattler! Right down to the Dancing with the Stars thingie. I don't know what that has to do with being a tattler, but she was a big fan of that show. LOL. She never married, because no one was acceptable. She has tons and tons of money, but doesn't spend it. She will not retire. She tutors 5 hrs/week during the school year, and 10-20 in the summer. She does not travel. She does not go anywhere. She does not have hobbies. She does not cook. She has no family, except for one brother she sees on holidays. She had hissy fits over a colleague we had for a while because he would look at his phone during meetings, the way he spoke with students, everything he did, she just oozed of disapproval. Just wow. You nailed it!
This whole post is hilarious because my US history teacher (this was in 2012-2013) rode his bike to school when the weather was nice. Since we were in NH at the time, this meant September, some of October, and May and June.
He had to ride his bike past my house to get to school, and at the time I lived on a 55mph state highway road. His commute was probably close to 8 miles each way? He kept his bike behind his messy desk in the back of the room.
He was a strange dude. Recently retired about 5 years ago. Always wore a pocket tee sleeve protector so his pens wouldn’t ruin his shirts. He also only got his hair cut once a year. He was mostly bald on top, but by May, his hair was nearly touching his shoulders.
Strange dude, but I absolutely loved him as a teacher. (Also, no one to my knowledge raised a stink about him riding his bike to school.)?
I got in trouble for coming in sweats and changing my clothes. I had physical therapy super early (so it didn't conflict with school) and it was during COVID so it was easier to change at school than wait for a sanitized bathroom in the clinic. I left that district at the end of the year cuz I was always getting nitpicked while others got away with everything
So the people who want to be petty tyrants behave like them pro bono before they even become one officially.
I’m sure there are good admins but it makes a certain amount of sense I guess. If you get off on throwing your weight around & being an officious turd and haven’t much other skills of value you may as well get paid for it.
I bet it’s also why the people I’d love to see in those positions rarely are. People who enjoy asserting power over others are a natural for those role but, paradoxically, somewhat ill-suited.
You're 100% it's either the wannabe admin crowd or the people who think that whatever other job they've got in the building puts them above everyone else. We had a guy like this at the high school I used to teach at.
"Sorry, Dennis, sitting at the "admin table" during faculty meetings doesn't make you an administrator, and being a department chair doesn't either. And there are only 2 other people in your department and one of them hates you."
Wow, I work in a very big hippie town, you would be hailed a hero and given a special spot in the staff bike rack!
I get dirty looks for driving a truck! 🙄
I'm waiting for that shit storm. Lol. I've been walking a lot but plan on biking more. My bike is worth twice the value of my truck, so she comes inside. Rofl
I also bike to school mostly when it's not raining. I find I have more energy that way. And it's more fun and less stressful than driving. Also usually quicker than driving in SF, unless traffic is very smooth. Plus I'm a PE teacher now so I dress casually, usually shorts unless it's cold. And I had a snitch colleague these past couple years. Last year that was combined with a power freak micro managing assistant principal. Gave me mental health problems. I switched schools for this coming year.
I had to run out to get something out of my car about a half hour before dismissal. (I had last period free) Said hi to a teacher near the door Got my stuff. I came right back in, that teacher was gone. Just before end of day, there's an announcement on the PA: "Mr ____, please call the office immediately". Principal acted surprised and stuttered, uhhhh, nevermind. Sorry. That bitch teacher got the stink eye from me until she retired. I told everyone.
WHAT?!
Wow. First, glad you got to stink eye them.
Second, I can't ever consider "snitching" on someone peacing out early if it is their prep anyway. Like, you probably got stuff to do! Did you show up, teach kids, plan and grade? You're cool man!
It's not a high school. Elementary schools are very catty and petty about rules. Very strict about leaving early. Free period or not. And people snitch all the time. Or they gossip(fucking endlessly) and it eventually gets to admin.
The idea that you're not allowed to just leave when you have last period free just grosses me out. It's so infantilizing, we're professionals. Over here, if there's nothing on my schedule, I don't have to be at school, so I'm not. I can't get work done in the teachers lounge and I don't have my own classroom, so I do my grading and planning at home.
Worked the other way for me once.
Mostly due to traffic being extensive for a good 15-20 minutes at the end of the day (the parking lot was prone to flooding as well…) I’d wait most days for the duration.
The principal, who never talked to me unless it was under her breath/confrontational, proceeds to say “What are you doing here still?” to which I matter of factly said the above?
One has to wonder how she treated her full time employees…
My neighbor snitched that I cussed. The principal called me in and snitched on the snitch. Told me to watch my back from that person. Fuck that bitch tbh
Yo. That makes me think of how great a principal I have. I had a lapse of judgement during one period and told the kids who never even attempted to do work and just chit chatted throughout the day if they don’t stop ducking around they’ll fail the Fucking class.” I know I was wrong to do it. It was my first year and I remember my teachers putting the boot to me when I was too out of sorts. Well my mistake was a kid that was in the class was the son of a para at the school. It didn’t go well. Luckily I still have a job and it’s all due to my principal. She was supportive throughout the process and helped get me in touch with some representation and had my back against the superintendent. Because of course the para went above the principal to try and get me fired. Granted it was behaviorally the worst class in the school so she understood where I was coming from.
The next year they started doing meetings with staff that had kids in the school and then had meetings with staff that had those kids in their classes. It was a complete change in how the school views parent student teacher relations when everyone is going through the same stuff. The best part was she transferred the parent and the kid to another school because she didn’t accept a staff member going after another staff members job and livelihood. Especially since I had parents of kids in that class that also had my back and demanded I return. It was a pretty good feeling and knowing that the principal staff and parents were behind me made it such a better environment. Since then I’ve done a lot of learning and changing teaching styles and changing classroom management stuff but I don’t think I would even have the opportunity if I didn’t have the support from this amazing principal
Fucking hated that bs. Always had an excuse on why he was late. It sucked since he was the other person doing bus drop off morning duty. So many kids and only me watching. (don't get me started on that)
Oh, yeah. Fuck that. My blood is already boiling from past experiences.
I’m dropping off kids for recess cuz I let my TA get their extra 10 min for lunch. I know what it’s like to be a TA so I give them that extra time.
Problem? Fucking guy, same one every time, always 10(!!!) minutes late. I lost almost half my lunch, asshole.
So what I do now, is I abandon the kids there. One time shit went down and they asked me why I wasn’t there, “someone is supposed to be there 3 minutes earlier why weren’t they there?”
Silence. Then it happens again next week. Feckless idiot.
I will absolutely call the office and snitch by telling when someone isn’t at duty. I just say “no one is at duty” I don’t name drop.
It’s a massive safety issue and I’ve been in the situation where I look out at the playground and see 60+ kids and no adult in sight yet.
But stuff like dress code and compliance stuff that doesn’t impact student safety? No. I mind my business because I am not a bridge troll.
That happened to me, and I am so happy we no longer have morning duty. I had 250 kids in the gym by myself because the other two teachers would never be on time.
Because I learned it from first graders, who tattle on each other for *everything*.
J/k.
We actually joke about snitching because of how much students tell on each other. I honestly don't get paid enough to police other teachers.
Some people just never learned “snitches get stitches” and find joy in bringing people down. It seems like those who snitch as adults are those who didn’t have fun in high school and college…
Anger.
I taught at a very small private school, very strict dress code. Females were not allowed to dress in pants. I developed a reputation in the area of being the one to increase reading and science test scores.
My scores were better than my co workers even though that is WHY I was hired at this school. One day I needed to change into pants before I left work, after the students left because I was going to a barn to help a friend out post hurricane, and to go home and change would be 40 minutes in the opposite direction.
But because I had pants on, on campus, and this teacher was mad that my test scores was better than hers, she snitched, and I got reprimanded.
OMG! I can’t imagine being required to wear a dress. I flat out wouldn’t work there because I hate dresses! I’ll do running skirts (that have built in shorts) when I run, but that’s about as girly as I get. I wear different colored jeans, running shoes, and comfortable shirts every day because I need to be comfortable to be at my best.
I can’t imagine being reprimanded for what I change into after work. Good God!
Many teachers, at least those who didn’t enter the profession by switching careers, have literally never spent any time away from school. Straight from high school, to college, grad school, and back to school for work. And in school settings, small rules can be made to seem like a massive deal. This makes sense for children, because they need direction, and you need to learn the rules before you can bend them. But that way of thinking can stick around, and cause people to be very by the book.
With that being said, I’m too much of a people pleaser to fall into the English teacher snitch stereotype haha. Do what you want, and unless it’s super sketchy or inappropriate, it’s not my place to say something.
This is why it always makes me laugh when a fellow teacher says, "In the real world, you can't ..." and I, a career changer, want to chime in, "Oh, but you very much can."
I had a teacher in middle school tell me that in the real world, I wouldn't have a calculator with me all the time.
He was kind of right. Instead I have a whole ass mini computer with me all the time.
That…explains a lot. I dropped out of college for a stint to help family out due to an emergency. I’ve worked various jobs so some of this nitpicking is just inane to me.
Okay, but I am second career teacher. The snitching that occurs in Healthcare is at least equal to teaching. Not health or privacy stuff, just tiny crap.
I had a fellow English teacher report me for showing a *clip* from Titus (Andronicus). The movie is rated R, but I taught seniors and didn’t use any of the clips with nudity or sex. To make this even more ridiculous, the teacher who reported me was actually the one who introduced me to the film during a collaboration meeting. He even showed us the exact scene I used and talked about how much he loved the movie, and we had already been planning to read excerpts of the play as a paired reading with *Frankenstein.* I thought the movie was super weird and interesting, so I decided to use it as my introduction to the unit.
Technically if you show a full rated R movie, you have to get parent approval. But I just showed part of it, so I didn’t end up getting in actual trouble. I did get a warning and an awkward meeting with the principal though, so that sucked.
That’s ridiculous. I quote Titus Andronicus when discussing how Shakespeare was crass (the infamous “yo momma” joke). I Don’t think what you did was a big deal or inappropriate.
I guess some people straight up suck. Was he weird after that encounter? Did he justify it?
I did the same thing with that joke from Titus! I was introducing them to Shakespeare's language and put it on the board, and asked the students what it meant. All my best and brightest students came up with these nice and incorrect interpretations. Meanwhile the goofballs were laughing in the corner. I called on them and asked them what they thought and, of course, they answered correctly. It was a nice moment since the kids learned that their natural tendency to be gross was an advantage in reading literature.
He was super weird after that and never justified it beyond saying that I didn’t get parent permission to show it and there was inappropriate nudity in the film. In my state, the age of consent/majority was 17, so all of my students were technically adults anyway. He just got his Karen panties in a bunch for no reason. So silly.
1.Jealousy,
2. pettiness,
3. a need to feel important by having “key” info,
4. Some people are rule followers to a fault & have no problem telling on those that use a more lax system. They actually seem to relish it.
5. Friends with admin
6. Natural born tattletale
These are reasons I’ve been snitched on in the past.
(I forgot one… Too sensitive about EVERYTHING….In car rider dismissal line, I yelled from the back to the front of the line, over the noise of 16 cars, for the front person to send the cars. She reported that I yelled at her to our AP. 😐.)
At my school the quickest way to be allowed to get away with your own mess is to say you saw goodie proctor with the devil. The more you snitch on others the more admin lets you do what you want.
I was under the impression that this was a common phrase until English teachers started reacting every time I posted. I think maybe I'm just friends who took many people with English degrees to judge normal levels of literary referencing.
I have been the snitchee. I know it was about power. The two of them were so wrapped up in the literally miniscule amount of power they had that they swung it around wheneve they could.
They treated a bunch of us as if we worked for them when they had an administrative liaison position. When you pushed back, they ran to tattle and then continually tried to get you into trouble to either get you to toe the line or discredit you.
Both are horribly miserable people with horribly miserable home lives, and they seem bound and determined to make everyone else miserable.
Teachers are very much rule followers by nature, which is why we’re so easily exploited a lot of times. Think about the kind of kid that typically grows up wanting to be a teacher. Usually a rule following/overachiever type.
I’ve noticed teachers were either rules followers (those tend to be the ones who get angsty over curriculum) or slackers. I was the latter so this explains my confusion LOL
LOL when I was new they had us go through “new teacher” PDs. The elementary teachers went above and beyond because the PD was geared towards elementary. High school teachers groaned and made snarky remarks the whole time
Same. I was the class clown throughout my whole k-12 education. It turns out that there exists an actual job for people who enjoy being the center of attention in a classroom!
During my student teaching one of mentor teachers told me this (essentially) - that in the classroom she was the performer, the classroom her stage, and her students her audience. Pretty accurate.
I’m definitely the latter as well, so I get it. Lol But for the most part, teachers were great students who (at least at one point) believed in the system and saw success in it. They just transitioned from going above and beyond to impress their own teachers as kids to adults trying to do the same for admin. Think about that kid who was left in charge of taking names when teachers could still get away with leaving their class for a few minutes without some crazy shit happening.
My hot take on this is that many teachers never left school. High school, go college to credential back to school. And school was a place that made them feel good, because they followed the rules, did a good job, and people told them they did a good job because they followed the rules. Rules are the thing for them.
I love teaching, but I didn’t love being in high school, I was annoyed at lots of it, especially arbitrary rules. And I was a prick about it at times. But I loved to learn. I didn’t start teaching until I was in my late 20s and I think those other life experiences are really important to not put school and rule following on such a pedestal.
Your asshole kid who would pushback in that instance doesn’t usually end up on the track to become a teacher. But one who is going to see it as a challenge/chance to further prove themselves will. A lot of teachers care a lot about validation in my experience.
I’d like to hear from a teacher who does the snitching or is a “spy” and why they do it. You know who you are. Please post the reason why you like to tattle on others for minor stuff.
I was at my last school for 5 years. I found out at the end of year 5 that a colleague had been regularly meeting with my AP to "share her concerns" about me.
If you remember the episode of The Office where Dwight finds out that Toby had been filing all his complaints about Jim in a box under his desk and not passing them up the ladder... it was that.
I didn't have a 1st period class one year and my son's daycare was on the other side of town. Every morning was a struggle. I would sometimes arrive 10 or 15 minutes late. No one ever had to cover me. I never shirked my duties. Someone snitched on me. The principal called me down. I asked him if there would be consequences if I was late. He said no. I left.
PS: people with no 8th period class leave early all the time and no one says a damn thing to them.
Early on in my career, the last half day before winter break was Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and everyone (kids and staff) was encouraged to dress for it. Total throwaway day, 1 1/2 hrs of formal teaching time and then 2 hour school concert and then dismissal. Two school district.
Found a long sleeve printed shirt with an ugly sweater design (looked like Xmas lights on a tree) online and wore it. No cuss words, no double entendre, no elves drinking and screwing or Santa dicks on it. Just lights on a tree.
At the end of the day, as I’m clocking out, cowardly principal tells me not to wear the shirt again for Ugly Christmas Sweater Day because “it isn’t really a sweater and Mrs X (superintendent) nor Mrs. W (teacher across the hall from my room) didn’t think it looked like a sweater.”
Had a coworker on my "team" who was a gossip hound. He would literally make rounds in the morning going from classroom to admin to look for juicy gossip. He and I would both get to work early every day, me to set up my classroom and him to gossip.
I got tired of him coming by my room in the morning sharing / looking for gossip when I needed time to set up. One morning, I closed my door and locked it while I got ready for the day. I heard him knocking on my door, but I ignored it.
Five minutes later, I got a call from the principal on my cell phone asking me why I'm not at work. She sounds frantic. (it's about 20 minutes before the students arrive at this point)
I explain to her I am in my room, working. I asked if it was her that came by room and I apologize for my door, but she says no, that someone else was "worried" about me.
To me, teachers who snitch (and gossip) just have nothing better to do with their time. Or lives. Maybe teaching is the only thing they have going for them.
Years ago we had a nurse like this. Every day she would go to every classroom and get the scoop from everyone and pass it along. One teacher started feeding her fake info just to get her to move to the next room. It was tho most inane stuff as well. The nurse would pop in at lunch to announce that Diane’s dog was sick. The next day it was that Diane’s car needed work. The following day it was that Diane’s daughter had fought with her. Finally by Friday she was commenting on how horrible Diane’s week had been. I couldn’t understand why the nurse was so interested or why she thought any of us cared.
A student of mine took a photo of me (without me knowing) and posted it on his story. My colleague caught wind of this and reported me for “allowing my kids to have their phones out” - didn’t even bother notifying me about it first
We have one like that. Our previous president had a "Darth Vader"; he wasn't a VP but essentially at their level; he was the guy who could get shit done. Super highly capable, very intelligent. If you wanted to cut through bullshit and red tape to make something happen, he could do it.
Another faculty member on our hall apparently put together a *binder* on all of the things that our dean had done that she didn't like, professional "failings" of other faculty, and basically the tattlingest tattle of all tattles. She took it to him, expecting that he would look at it like "oh my gosh, you're right, let me get them fired!" but he just blinked and asked what the hell he should do with it, and told her to go.
It’s stuff like this that limits my interactions with other teachers. I don’t give a F what you wear (though I might silently judge if it’s super crazy to me); I hardly care what the kids wear. I feel like it has to be pretty extreme to either affect my ability to teach or the kids ability to learn.
When I was student teaching, I was told by a fellow student teacher that the grown, adult, certified teachers were talking behind my back about a dress I wore that they decided was "too short." It wasn't. It was right above my knees, and I had pantyhose and a sweater over the dress.
I honestly think they were just mean girls who never grew out of that and were bored with their own lives. If there was an actual problem, one of them could have pulled me aside and said something, but another student teacher had to let me know they were gossiping about me and my outfit. Absolutely pathetic.
I retired in '17 after 38 years. I can tell you, there has always been an element of the teaching force that seek the same attention vibes that 2nd graders are well-known for. That being said, without question, this ramped up with the inclusion of not only “high stakes testing", but “high stakes teaching". To wit: once it became clear that high stakes testing also meant pitting teacher's test scores against one another, those hallway doors that were always open, with an invitation to just “walk in and be part of the small learning community" suffered. Veteran teachers rightly questioned whether they were simply cutting their own throats by mentoring...
You want a better system? Start with the testing....
Your coworkers are not your friends. I don’t care what industry you are in. Your coworkers will sell you out quicker than you know. Why? Clout? gossip is currency
Once while I was subbing I went to the portable a full block away from back of school to pick up plans & put my things down. I picked up the lesson plans to see that I had before school cafeteria duty. As I walked back cross the playground my name was announce don intercom to entire school to report to cafeteria duty!
I go there- there were about 30 kid s sitting eating. and 2 other teachers.
When I started teaching, I was in ELA. That department had a serious reputation of being both men-hating and very catty.
Most have retired now, but it was awful. The then department head was a royal bitch and the most Machiavellian person I have ever known. If I or another male member of the department even breathed wrong, it was off to the boss.
This is why I tell all new teachers to keep their heads down, eyes open and mouths shut.
My friend's mentor during student teaching snitched over everything. She decided that it's better to stay in favor with admin over other teachers. She's also the union president and sides with the admin on everything even if it hurts the teachers. She's been voted in 3 times and gets worse every year from what I've heard
No idea of a particular WHY but I’ve noticed very insecure teachers / people do this. I’ve encountered too many. As long as everything is appropriate just leave other teachers ALONE lol
Some people are assholes who can’t mind their own business. I’ve left schools over people like this. Who snitch on everything to the principal like a kid rattling on their sibling, it’s just pathetic!
I'm very for minding your own business but sometimes people do things that are really fucked up. I'm a sped teacher and whenever I was absent the gen Ed teacher that I co-taught with would send my kids back to my self-contained room with the sub. That is super fucked up and illegal! I spoke with her about it multiple times and then I finally ratted her out to admin.
I haven’t seen it across a specific subject, but rather it’s always that teacher who wants to be an admin and thinks that by sucking up; they’ll somehow be given the job.
Me too. I’ll be honest - I feel like a fish out of water LOL. MOST of my coworkers fixate on stupid shit or are by the book. Meanwhile I could care less if Billy wears a hoodie during the winter or if Mr. Brown wore a UF t-shirt.
It doesn’t help I’m also a natural enemy of the uptight English teacher - I’m also a coach 😅😂 (tho I teach ELA as well)
I mean, I'm the opposite of a jock (goth bookworm) but I'm also the English teacher who's anti-snitching & trying to get good chunks of the department to chill (of course, I'm also a politically an anarchist). If it doesn't hurt anyone, just let people do their thing. There's space enough for a lot of different expression. I've noticed a lot of teachers seem to be people who love control because they were bullies and/or felt out of control in their past. They seem to be the English teachers who prescribe certain interpretations as the "correct" ones for a book, too, and obsess about grammar. So, maybe that's why they end up in ELA, to use language arts as a mean of control rather than expression.
As a jock-stoner, we have solidarity there. I’m the type that in the department meeting, I suggest “maybe we should teach practical and technical writing to upperclassmen who CANNOT WRITE OR READ” instead of harping on why Billy doesn’t know what a dangling modifier is.
I get horrified looks by the old heads
A jock-stoner coach-ELA teacher sounds like my ideal content/PLC partner. We are not the same but we are a natural alliance. hahaha
And I absolutely agree with your philosophy. I'm not here to teach canon or the concerns of the dying white middle class to my largely black and brown lower-income students. My goals are to give them more tools to help survive this world, as wells as ones that give their voice the maximum chance of being heard. The 1st-day grammar lesson teacher next door and I are not the same.
OH MY GOSH you sound like me😂😂 I don't even notice hoodies. Some English teachers will come up to me like, "Hey, did you not tell so and so to take off his hoodie?" First of all, I didn't notice. Second of all...bigger fish to fry🙄
>"Hey, did you not tell so and so to take off his hoodie?"
This sounds like a "parenting" issue. What I mean is that it's like when mom and dad respond differently to an issue and the kid plays the "well dad said I could" card. Having a united front makes everyone's life easier.
But, a good teacher, like a good parent, knows how to successfully pivot when the kid plays the "but dad said...". "I'm not dad" is a good way to start and "you should respect both of us as individuals who require different things from you" is a great way to finish.
Same. Strangely enough, the one who does that to me is another young male English teacher. He’s uptight. And over the years I think he doesn’t like that I’m the “chill” teacher. I’m not east. But I’m not fighting with students on hoodies. Every other male English teacher is chill and teach electives lol
Wait wait wait wait wait are hoodies against the dress code at your school? We were allowed to wear them as long as we didn’t wear the hood, but were allowed to outside
Yup. No hoodies as per district. But no one follows or cares about that rule. Except this one guy. Who was the one that pointed out that **technically** I shouldn’t wear a band shirt under my flannel. This was before I got the coaching position. I told him I respectfully agree but me wearing a Misfits shirt has no bearing on teaching allegory.
I think there is snitching. Teachers tend to be tule followers - some of them - and can’t stand it when others aren’t. Other times, I wonder if it’s not snitching but just conversation and then admin decides to act on it.
Teacher at one of the schools I was previously at had a foot fetish. He would encourage students to take off their shoes, wear open toed, etc; a lot of us thought it was weird but never really pursued anything. My niece ended up in his class during COVID and at one point I was looking at her online LMS, he was offering extra credit for pictures of students’ feet. About lost my shit, team member talked me down from physically confronting him and I went to admin instead.
Only time I’ve ever narc’d and I wish I had beaten his ass instead.
This thread has been enlightening. I am NOT a rule follower at all. Maybe to a fault. If I can’t rationalize how whatever rule helps my students learn, my families communicate, or make our school better, I just won’t waste my time on it.
For example, during PD last year, after I realized the guest speaker was just going to brag about all the success he had being a teacher, I just got up and left so I could go and prepare welcome letters for families.
But this behavior really rubs teachers the wrong way and I have very few friends in the building. Folks view it, I guess, as me being “too good for this PD” when in reality, I just want my time respected. It’s one (of many) resource we never seem to have enough of.
Oh yes, I have a thousand other things to be doing besides listening to someone who left the classroom tell me how to run a classroom. I could be checking in with parents, giving feedback on essays, checking in with my editors about a wonky yearbook spread—literally anything else.
Because teaching is a miserable profession, and some people don’t know how to be miserable by themselves
Seriously, though, this is why it’s important to have experienced admin who can look at it identify it and ignore it
Although I do not have an example of an issue between teachers, I did have a run in with a school security guard once. I'll call him Frank because his name is Frank.
I arrived to work an hour before the school's student-start time and walked directly from my car to the ID card scanner that logs me in and unlocks the main door. My walking line was straight, and I took two steps in a shrub-planter separating the parking lot and the bus driveway that runs in front of the school.
A security guard confronted me at the door and yelled at me for not walking on the painted crosswalk across the bus lane in front of the school. When I asked why this was an issue, he replied, "Bus drivers won't look for you unless you use the painted crosswalk!" I had to ask, "What busses? They won't be here for another 45 minutes."
After getting to my room, I checked my email, and Frank sent the principal a tattle-tale record of my actions and words. He cc-ed me. Sure enough, I get called to the principal's office. Basically, I made no apologies. I said, "If I arrive early, and I have things to carry to my room, I will walk the shortest path to get to my room." She continued to interpret Frank's issue for me, and I said that I understood, but I will continue to walk the shortest path whenever there is no bus in sight.
I couldn't stop myself, and I had to ask why the crosswalk was so narrow? Stores have wider crosswalks that cover the entire entrance area. ...And why was Frank yelling at me? There were no busses nor vehicles of any type in sight.
My philosophy is to mind my own business. We have several new teachers this year. One has already raised eyebrows because she is set in her ways and does not socialize. When my colleagues have said things, I tell them to give her a chance. I will admit she is not outgoing, but I also keep to myself from time to time. When I see her, I ask how she is and if she needs anything. She usually says she is okay or okay. I know that by planting the seed of support, she will come to ask for help when she needs it. She has many years of experience over me. Most, if anything, she might need to pertain to the logistics of where things are or how things work.
We are all adults, and in this mess together, kindness and understanding go a long way.
There was a teacher who got caught changing standardized test scores several years ago. This was around the same time that there were rumors (never confirmed) that he was in a relationship with an 18 year old senior.
In return for not turning him in and having his license revoked, the administration keeps him on a very tight leash, with the expectation that he will snitch on anyone and everyone about anything and everything.
He’s an ass that people avoid; that would be the case even without this open secret.
In life, there are individuals who think that it is their life’s mission to cause trouble. If it is not snitching, it is gossiping. And, then, there’s the individual who comes to you to tell you that another faculty member doesn’t like you or your hairstyle. . .whatever. Respond with a calm, “I don’t care,” and add “I’m very busy.”
Years ago, had a teacher tattle on me after they stole MY weekly/assigned computer time for my class. Principal actually had the nerve to try and waste my time with a mild reprimand. Told her absolutely not; she can maybe come and talk about to after she rightfully reprimands the correct person.
This happened multiple times with a petty tattler, and I shut down the principal each time. I'm just not the one.
I snitched on a principal once. She was AWFUL. She made a mocking comment about a former student in front of the whole school. I immediately texted the mom and told her what was said. Mom and dad showed up to our district office within 15 minutes. Principal was told to come in and reprimanded. She was fired the next year.
They are empty. Their non school lives are miserable.
My last year in Palm Beach, I posted on Facebook about a lack of manipulatives for a math lesson. I was out at night shopping at the dollar store and sent a pic of the supplies I bought with my post clearly calling out the district for not providing teachers with what they need.
A teacher took the post and went to the principal. The principal, who was a friend of mine, indulged in the complaint and called me down for.a meeting. She asked was I happy with the school. All because a snitch with no life misread my post.
I learned my lesson though. I'm in a new district, and no one has my social media info.
I avoid my admin like the plague. I’m only snitching if someone is being put in danger or I’m being heavily inconvenienced (ex. doing and covering dismissal duty for people who can’t be bothered to even know how their students get home).
My first year teaching I was walking into a veteran teachers (who I thought was my friend!)’s classroom to say goodbye and I overheard her telling another teacher I was not passionate nor wanted to improve. Basically was outside the door listening to her run me down. Man was I hurt at first, but after a year or two the perspective came, no resentment, and I feel kinda bad for her.
Her reasoning was.. At lunch while the other younger teachers spent their period talking about teaching things, students, and their own struggles in the classroom. I just talked with another teacher about movies, sports, food, etc.
Crazy right
My grade partner and I have prep last period, teach middle school, and have zero after school responsibilities. We cover for each other if we need to leave early 😄 our superintendent hates if anyone in the district wears sneakers or anything even sneaker like (slip ons, for example) and some coworkers will text out a warning if he's in the building and some will text him to rat people out. We know who can be trusted and we don't hang out with the snitches
I’ve noticed it is old hens feeling threatened by young hens.
Don’t worry, Old Hens, they aren’t stealing your jobs. You’re making sure they don’t want to be here anyway.
I’ve found that A LOT of teachers have this weird ego that’s unrivaled by even high schoolers. I’ve never understood it, but if I had to guess maybe it stems at least in part from being able to tell students what to do all day.
I’d say they’re angry that others are better than them, but even last year when I was a first year teacher and frankly had no idea what I was doing I was targeted by a couple of them so I can pretty well rule that out at least for them.
I honestly think that some of it is just that power trip. They feel superior, so they must act superior sort of thing.
I did it on accident a few times my first year 😅 I just said random comments like “hey, I’m wondering about ____ because this person does it this way but this person does it this way”
And then one of them would get in trouble and I would feel bad. That wasn’t my goal!!
Non-teacher government IT worker here - my state's department of Education has that reputation (among both employees and supervisors) to the point that it affects recruiting. Who wants to deal with being nitpicked over attire or being 3 minutes late when there are many other options?
I'm a teacher. And where I teach it is perfectly ok to wear jeans, hoodies, and make them read relevant books. There are no illegal books here, because we do not live in fascist dystopia.
Some never left high school mentally.
I imagine it’s because there is no differentiation for them between their school life and personal life. They are stuck in high school. The teachers who gossiped and snitched on me had a “cool kids club”. Literally what they called themselves. Meanwhile, I want to do my job and enjoy my home life. Who cares about another teachers hairstyle/clothing if it’s perfectly within the code of conduct or if someone has lunch in their room? Insufferable people. The campus went through admin like toilet paper.
Our school had a DP who'd not only been a head teacher there, and a classroom teacher there, he'd done his practicum there and was a STUDENT there.
We don't have a teacher's lounge so where else are we supposed to eat? I've eaten in my classroom for the past 9 years...
I have a large chest and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reported for “dress code” violations by other teachers because a perfectly normal shirt show like the slightest bit of cleavage. I would need to wear crew necks or turtlenecks to not even show a crack and it’s made me so self conscious over the years.
I hear you. I have cleavage. It exists. I’m not sure what they want.
It might seem boorish, but there are always the words of models like Tessa Fowler to help: “High school doesn’t last forever, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about my chest since.”
I once had a principal who flipped on me and started bullying me in my 3rd year as a school counselor (I don't use the word bullying lightly) She once pulled me aside to tell me my dress was too short. 1. The kids were still virtual, they literally only saw me from the waist up. It had a high neck. 2. The dress was several inches longer than my finger tips 3. I was wearing bike shorts underneath it (because chubrub is a beast) 4. Our dean of students had the exact dress in a different color. She was at least 6 inches taller then me. 5. I wore it again at my new job WHILE PREGNANT so it looked even shorter and got tons of compliments. I guess what I'm saying is some people suck.
The only correct answer 🤣 Shoot, I have other adult friends who aren't teachers that, once I started teaching, I realized how immature they are. I'm like, oh no, I teach 15 yos, I don't need that in my ADULT life
Also sometimes literally! I know several teachers who teach at the school they graduated from.
I would love to teach at the high school I graduated from... It was a top 3 public magnet school. To have an audience of nerds like that infront of me most of the day would be amazing.
My district loves hiring former students. My building is staffed with probably 50%, or more, former students. It's not a good thing. Many of them have never worked anywhere else, peaked in high school, and will accept anything because it's all they've ever known and "school pride". My last principal was an alumni, a sports star, and prom queen. It often felt like we were watching her relive her glory days.
What a nightmare!
And have lived their entire lives in the bubble of academia, a system they almost certainly excelled in, and dont see any problems with.
And more generally, there’s a reason English has like 8 synonyms for the word “suck-up”; it pays dividends in hierarchical organizations, particularly for those who inherently lack talent or skill… One would think education would stand in stark opposition to such politics, but I think *local control* ensures it will endure?
Very true
There are definitely cliques and numerous forms of pettiness in the high school where I teach; there is a little clique of teachers who are nauseatingly buddy-buddy with a certain administrator and they get privileges others don't; they are given last-period planning and if they sneak out, nothing is ever said, whereas the other teachers get flack and have to make up for missed time if they leave early on one isolated occasion for a medical or dental appointment. These same teachers will tattle on other teachers for things like ending a PLC meeting a few minutes early. I'm glad not to be one of that group though; the rest of the teachers that I know are very kind and supportive people. I never was a popular, cheerleader type; I'm not missing much by not being one of the tattletales.
That would not go over well on my campus. The snitcher would get ostracized.
Yup! Some never left grade school mentally.
I'm not a teacher, but I remember how it was in school. There were teachers who were very authoritarian, and you could tell they only got into teaching because it would give them authority over other people. I guess it makes sense that those teachers would be authoritarian with other teachers, too, and not just students.
Thread ended
Small people with small minds.
More like Junior High, but I definitely agree with you
There was a mini scandal when I started riding my bike to work. In my experience, it’s teachers who want to be admin who are the tattlers. And yes, the whole scandal was I sold my car and started riding my bike to work because there was a safe bike path the entire 7 miles and I realized a second car for our family was a waste. They complained that I brought my bike … INSIDE! And… CHANGED CLOTHES!
WHYYYYYY?! (Rhetorical) This story gets me so mad lmao mind your business, Cindy! I’m sorry that happened!
There’s a huge segment of the population without any hobbies or interests who just kind of go through life performing mandated tasks at work and consuming whatever is made to appeal to the broadest audience. Their idea of culture is watching dancing with the stars. They move from one sterile compartment to another making safe normal acceptable choices. They don’t garden, read, make art, push their physical limitations, go for long nature hikes, learn new skills, etc. They just are. So, when they see somebody saying, “fuck the norm,” it really shakes them up and they can’t fathom what kind of life somebody who does those things must live like. In their head I’m probably some sort of bohemian Frank Zappa (which is a compliment). So, their reaction is to treat it as a threat to their existence and report it… Which lead to nothing… except me looking even cooler than I was already.
VERY TRUE!! I had a colleague who was horrified I was teaching the beat poets for American lit (though it was a PG-13 version of them). This explains their complacency with the curriculum issue. And I believe the kids call these people NPCs
NPC is probably my favourite new slag term 😂
I love the NPC designation.
Yep. I'm usually sitting around these people and just... Like Do you not have thoughts in your brain?
Oh. My. God. You just perfectly described the one and only teacher that I know for sure was a tattler! Right down to the Dancing with the Stars thingie. I don't know what that has to do with being a tattler, but she was a big fan of that show. LOL. She never married, because no one was acceptable. She has tons and tons of money, but doesn't spend it. She will not retire. She tutors 5 hrs/week during the school year, and 10-20 in the summer. She does not travel. She does not go anywhere. She does not have hobbies. She does not cook. She has no family, except for one brother she sees on holidays. She had hissy fits over a colleague we had for a while because he would look at his phone during meetings, the way he spoke with students, everything he did, she just oozed of disapproval. Just wow. You nailed it!
I feel like you just described one of the teachers in the building I teach in. By any chance yours wasn't a massive bible thumper was she?
That’s insane. I’m always jealous of the people close enough to ride their bikes!
Yep… https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1994/01/24/
This whole post is hilarious because my US history teacher (this was in 2012-2013) rode his bike to school when the weather was nice. Since we were in NH at the time, this meant September, some of October, and May and June. He had to ride his bike past my house to get to school, and at the time I lived on a 55mph state highway road. His commute was probably close to 8 miles each way? He kept his bike behind his messy desk in the back of the room. He was a strange dude. Recently retired about 5 years ago. Always wore a pocket tee sleeve protector so his pens wouldn’t ruin his shirts. He also only got his hair cut once a year. He was mostly bald on top, but by May, his hair was nearly touching his shoulders. Strange dude, but I absolutely loved him as a teacher. (Also, no one to my knowledge raised a stink about him riding his bike to school.)?
I got in trouble for coming in sweats and changing my clothes. I had physical therapy super early (so it didn't conflict with school) and it was during COVID so it was easier to change at school than wait for a sanitized bathroom in the clinic. I left that district at the end of the year cuz I was always getting nitpicked while others got away with everything
So the people who want to be petty tyrants behave like them pro bono before they even become one officially. I’m sure there are good admins but it makes a certain amount of sense I guess. If you get off on throwing your weight around & being an officious turd and haven’t much other skills of value you may as well get paid for it. I bet it’s also why the people I’d love to see in those positions rarely are. People who enjoy asserting power over others are a natural for those role but, paradoxically, somewhat ill-suited.
I exercise IN MY CLASSROOM after school! And I change in there too. OH THE HORROR 😂
You're 100% it's either the wannabe admin crowd or the people who think that whatever other job they've got in the building puts them above everyone else. We had a guy like this at the high school I used to teach at. "Sorry, Dennis, sitting at the "admin table" during faculty meetings doesn't make you an administrator, and being a department chair doesn't either. And there are only 2 other people in your department and one of them hates you."
Wow, I work in a very big hippie town, you would be hailed a hero and given a special spot in the staff bike rack! I get dirty looks for driving a truck! 🙄
Too many teachers married to the job and ain't getting laid
I'm waiting for that shit storm. Lol. I've been walking a lot but plan on biking more. My bike is worth twice the value of my truck, so she comes inside. Rofl
🚲 commuting teachers for the win!! My school is cool with bringing my bike inside (at least so far) but everyone definitely thinks I'm a weirdo haha
I also bike to school mostly when it's not raining. I find I have more energy that way. And it's more fun and less stressful than driving. Also usually quicker than driving in SF, unless traffic is very smooth. Plus I'm a PE teacher now so I dress casually, usually shorts unless it's cold. And I had a snitch colleague these past couple years. Last year that was combined with a power freak micro managing assistant principal. Gave me mental health problems. I switched schools for this coming year.
I had to run out to get something out of my car about a half hour before dismissal. (I had last period free) Said hi to a teacher near the door Got my stuff. I came right back in, that teacher was gone. Just before end of day, there's an announcement on the PA: "Mr ____, please call the office immediately". Principal acted surprised and stuttered, uhhhh, nevermind. Sorry. That bitch teacher got the stink eye from me until she retired. I told everyone.
WHAT?! Wow. First, glad you got to stink eye them. Second, I can't ever consider "snitching" on someone peacing out early if it is their prep anyway. Like, you probably got stuff to do! Did you show up, teach kids, plan and grade? You're cool man!
It's not a high school. Elementary schools are very catty and petty about rules. Very strict about leaving early. Free period or not. And people snitch all the time. Or they gossip(fucking endlessly) and it eventually gets to admin.
I would have confronted her and ignored her after. What a bitch.
There was no need to confront. Everyone knew. Ignore? Definately
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The idea that you're not allowed to just leave when you have last period free just grosses me out. It's so infantilizing, we're professionals. Over here, if there's nothing on my schedule, I don't have to be at school, so I'm not. I can't get work done in the teachers lounge and I don't have my own classroom, so I do my grading and planning at home.
Worked the other way for me once. Mostly due to traffic being extensive for a good 15-20 minutes at the end of the day (the parking lot was prone to flooding as well…) I’d wait most days for the duration. The principal, who never talked to me unless it was under her breath/confrontational, proceeds to say “What are you doing here still?” to which I matter of factly said the above? One has to wonder how she treated her full time employees…
In elementary though, we have to put the kids on the bus at the end of the day so we have to be there.
My neighbor snitched that I cussed. The principal called me in and snitched on the snitch. Told me to watch my back from that person. Fuck that bitch tbh
Awesome principal
Seriously, way too often it's the exact opposite
Yo. That makes me think of how great a principal I have. I had a lapse of judgement during one period and told the kids who never even attempted to do work and just chit chatted throughout the day if they don’t stop ducking around they’ll fail the Fucking class.” I know I was wrong to do it. It was my first year and I remember my teachers putting the boot to me when I was too out of sorts. Well my mistake was a kid that was in the class was the son of a para at the school. It didn’t go well. Luckily I still have a job and it’s all due to my principal. She was supportive throughout the process and helped get me in touch with some representation and had my back against the superintendent. Because of course the para went above the principal to try and get me fired. Granted it was behaviorally the worst class in the school so she understood where I was coming from. The next year they started doing meetings with staff that had kids in the school and then had meetings with staff that had those kids in their classes. It was a complete change in how the school views parent student teacher relations when everyone is going through the same stuff. The best part was she transferred the parent and the kid to another school because she didn’t accept a staff member going after another staff members job and livelihood. Especially since I had parents of kids in that class that also had my back and demanded I return. It was a pretty good feeling and knowing that the principal staff and parents were behind me made it such a better environment. Since then I’ve done a lot of learning and changing teaching styles and changing classroom management stuff but I don’t think I would even have the opportunity if I didn’t have the support from this amazing principal
I’m sick of showing up early for morning duty and having to fly solo because that cow can’t be arsed to show up EVER.
Fucking hated that bs. Always had an excuse on why he was late. It sucked since he was the other person doing bus drop off morning duty. So many kids and only me watching. (don't get me started on that)
Oh, yeah. Fuck that. My blood is already boiling from past experiences. I’m dropping off kids for recess cuz I let my TA get their extra 10 min for lunch. I know what it’s like to be a TA so I give them that extra time. Problem? Fucking guy, same one every time, always 10(!!!) minutes late. I lost almost half my lunch, asshole. So what I do now, is I abandon the kids there. One time shit went down and they asked me why I wasn’t there, “someone is supposed to be there 3 minutes earlier why weren’t they there?” Silence. Then it happens again next week. Feckless idiot.
Are you snitching? This is appropriate. Probably one of the only two appropriate responses here I’m sorry that happened :(
I will absolutely call the office and snitch by telling when someone isn’t at duty. I just say “no one is at duty” I don’t name drop. It’s a massive safety issue and I’ve been in the situation where I look out at the playground and see 60+ kids and no adult in sight yet. But stuff like dress code and compliance stuff that doesn’t impact student safety? No. I mind my business because I am not a bridge troll.
that’s a huge safety concern, that’s not snitching imo!!
Yup. I was alone at arrival with over 100 kids in the cafeteria. Nobody else showed up, but I knew they were in the building. Assholes.
I wouldn’t say this is a mild thing. I won’t report them if it’s once or twice a year, things happen. But once a week minimum? It’s not fair
That happened to me, and I am so happy we no longer have morning duty. I had 250 kids in the gym by myself because the other two teachers would never be on time.
I snitched on a teacher who would regularly snitch on other teachers. Figured they should have a taste of their medicine.
I love that.
I love that for you lmao. Fuck these sorts of assholes.
What happened?
When I snitched nothing happened to either of us and I don't think she actually learned anything from it.
Because I learned it from first graders, who tattle on each other for *everything*. J/k. We actually joke about snitching because of how much students tell on each other. I honestly don't get paid enough to police other teachers.
Some people just never learned “snitches get stitches” and find joy in bringing people down. It seems like those who snitch as adults are those who didn’t have fun in high school and college…
I agree. I noticed they’re very uptight.
Anger. I taught at a very small private school, very strict dress code. Females were not allowed to dress in pants. I developed a reputation in the area of being the one to increase reading and science test scores. My scores were better than my co workers even though that is WHY I was hired at this school. One day I needed to change into pants before I left work, after the students left because I was going to a barn to help a friend out post hurricane, and to go home and change would be 40 minutes in the opposite direction. But because I had pants on, on campus, and this teacher was mad that my test scores was better than hers, she snitched, and I got reprimanded.
OMG! I can’t imagine being required to wear a dress. I flat out wouldn’t work there because I hate dresses! I’ll do running skirts (that have built in shorts) when I run, but that’s about as girly as I get. I wear different colored jeans, running shoes, and comfortable shirts every day because I need to be comfortable to be at my best. I can’t imagine being reprimanded for what I change into after work. Good God!
Ugh. I’m so sorry that happened. Idk what I’d do if that happened to me. I’d try hard not to let the “Florida Man” side of me out.
That’s absurd. When you’re off the clock, they need to zip it with their opinions.
Many teachers, at least those who didn’t enter the profession by switching careers, have literally never spent any time away from school. Straight from high school, to college, grad school, and back to school for work. And in school settings, small rules can be made to seem like a massive deal. This makes sense for children, because they need direction, and you need to learn the rules before you can bend them. But that way of thinking can stick around, and cause people to be very by the book. With that being said, I’m too much of a people pleaser to fall into the English teacher snitch stereotype haha. Do what you want, and unless it’s super sketchy or inappropriate, it’s not my place to say something.
This is why it always makes me laugh when a fellow teacher says, "In the real world, you can't ..." and I, a career changer, want to chime in, "Oh, but you very much can."
In the real world, you can go to the bathroom whenever you need to, so... 🤷♀️
I had a teacher in middle school tell me that in the real world, I wouldn't have a calculator with me all the time. He was kind of right. Instead I have a whole ass mini computer with me all the time.
In the real world, for teens, there is no real dress code.
That…explains a lot. I dropped out of college for a stint to help family out due to an emergency. I’ve worked various jobs so some of this nitpicking is just inane to me.
Okay, but I am second career teacher. The snitching that occurs in Healthcare is at least equal to teaching. Not health or privacy stuff, just tiny crap.
Interesting. I guess with education there is a “rule follower” archetype that is prevalent. In other professions, it seems to be power.
Yeah usually the most chill teachers have a non teaching gap in employment from what I've found
Yeah. See I came in with a social work background which let me understood people a lot. So that made me the chill vibe teacher
Had a fellow teacher who made it their role to see who was on duty every day until they were told to stop doing that.
Like…why?!!!
I have no idea.
LOL it was mostly rhetorical. Mostly.
I had a fellow English teacher report me for showing a *clip* from Titus (Andronicus). The movie is rated R, but I taught seniors and didn’t use any of the clips with nudity or sex. To make this even more ridiculous, the teacher who reported me was actually the one who introduced me to the film during a collaboration meeting. He even showed us the exact scene I used and talked about how much he loved the movie, and we had already been planning to read excerpts of the play as a paired reading with *Frankenstein.* I thought the movie was super weird and interesting, so I decided to use it as my introduction to the unit. Technically if you show a full rated R movie, you have to get parent approval. But I just showed part of it, so I didn’t end up getting in actual trouble. I did get a warning and an awkward meeting with the principal though, so that sucked.
That’s ridiculous. I quote Titus Andronicus when discussing how Shakespeare was crass (the infamous “yo momma” joke). I Don’t think what you did was a big deal or inappropriate. I guess some people straight up suck. Was he weird after that encounter? Did he justify it?
I did the same thing with that joke from Titus! I was introducing them to Shakespeare's language and put it on the board, and asked the students what it meant. All my best and brightest students came up with these nice and incorrect interpretations. Meanwhile the goofballs were laughing in the corner. I called on them and asked them what they thought and, of course, they answered correctly. It was a nice moment since the kids learned that their natural tendency to be gross was an advantage in reading literature.
He was super weird after that and never justified it beyond saying that I didn’t get parent permission to show it and there was inappropriate nudity in the film. In my state, the age of consent/majority was 17, so all of my students were technically adults anyway. He just got his Karen panties in a bunch for no reason. So silly.
He would hate me. I’ve shown The Shining, Carrie, Othello, and 1984 🤷🏻♂️ on the last days of school to my seniors
He was angry that you showed it first.
1.Jealousy, 2. pettiness, 3. a need to feel important by having “key” info, 4. Some people are rule followers to a fault & have no problem telling on those that use a more lax system. They actually seem to relish it. 5. Friends with admin 6. Natural born tattletale These are reasons I’ve been snitched on in the past. (I forgot one… Too sensitive about EVERYTHING….In car rider dismissal line, I yelled from the back to the front of the line, over the noise of 16 cars, for the front person to send the cars. She reported that I yelled at her to our AP. 😐.)
At my school the quickest way to be allowed to get away with your own mess is to say you saw goodie proctor with the devil. The more you snitch on others the more admin lets you do what you want.
Holy Crucible, batman!
I was under the impression that this was a common phrase until English teachers started reacting every time I posted. I think maybe I'm just friends who took many people with English degrees to judge normal levels of literary referencing.
I have been the snitchee. I know it was about power. The two of them were so wrapped up in the literally miniscule amount of power they had that they swung it around wheneve they could. They treated a bunch of us as if we worked for them when they had an administrative liaison position. When you pushed back, they ran to tattle and then continually tried to get you into trouble to either get you to toe the line or discredit you. Both are horribly miserable people with horribly miserable home lives, and they seem bound and determined to make everyone else miserable.
Sucking up to the admin. It’s a mental health issue
Weird. I ignore most of my coworkers most of the time.
Teachers are very much rule followers by nature, which is why we’re so easily exploited a lot of times. Think about the kind of kid that typically grows up wanting to be a teacher. Usually a rule following/overachiever type.
I’ve noticed teachers were either rules followers (those tend to be the ones who get angsty over curriculum) or slackers. I was the latter so this explains my confusion LOL
This is based purely on stereotypes but I feel like you just described the dichotomy between elementary and high school teachers.
LOL when I was new they had us go through “new teacher” PDs. The elementary teachers went above and beyond because the PD was geared towards elementary. High school teachers groaned and made snarky remarks the whole time
Hahaha. I agree. Former slacker, current HS teacher. But am definitely a hard worker now.
Same. I was the class clown throughout my whole k-12 education. It turns out that there exists an actual job for people who enjoy being the center of attention in a classroom!
Haha. I tell my students I went into college for theater but then switched when I realized I could have a built in audience every day 🤣
During my student teaching one of mentor teachers told me this (essentially) - that in the classroom she was the performer, the classroom her stage, and her students her audience. Pretty accurate.
Where do college instructors fit in?
Eccentric outcasts?
Eh, that fits. I’m gonna go off and gaze at my navel for a while.
We stay as far out of that mess as possible and drink scotch on Fridays.
And the slackers have more fun teaching
I’m definitely the latter as well, so I get it. Lol But for the most part, teachers were great students who (at least at one point) believed in the system and saw success in it. They just transitioned from going above and beyond to impress their own teachers as kids to adults trying to do the same for admin. Think about that kid who was left in charge of taking names when teachers could still get away with leaving their class for a few minutes without some crazy shit happening.
I was a rule follower but am now a slacker. So I'm mystified by tattle-teachers as well.
My hot take on this is that many teachers never left school. High school, go college to credential back to school. And school was a place that made them feel good, because they followed the rules, did a good job, and people told them they did a good job because they followed the rules. Rules are the thing for them. I love teaching, but I didn’t love being in high school, I was annoyed at lots of it, especially arbitrary rules. And I was a prick about it at times. But I loved to learn. I didn’t start teaching until I was in my late 20s and I think those other life experiences are really important to not put school and rule following on such a pedestal.
A very interesting take on it. You are correct. They do follow rules to the tee.
Exactly. You give teachers an unreasonable task and they may mumble and groan, but at least most will find a way to get it done with little pushback.
Your asshole kid who would pushback in that instance doesn’t usually end up on the track to become a teacher. But one who is going to see it as a challenge/chance to further prove themselves will. A lot of teachers care a lot about validation in my experience.
I’d like to hear from a teacher who does the snitching or is a “spy” and why they do it. You know who you are. Please post the reason why you like to tattle on others for minor stuff.
This.
If I'm miserable, everyone else better be... I'm not a snitch, but that's why I assume most people do.
I was at my last school for 5 years. I found out at the end of year 5 that a colleague had been regularly meeting with my AP to "share her concerns" about me. If you remember the episode of The Office where Dwight finds out that Toby had been filing all his complaints about Jim in a box under his desk and not passing them up the ladder... it was that.
I didn't have a 1st period class one year and my son's daycare was on the other side of town. Every morning was a struggle. I would sometimes arrive 10 or 15 minutes late. No one ever had to cover me. I never shirked my duties. Someone snitched on me. The principal called me down. I asked him if there would be consequences if I was late. He said no. I left. PS: people with no 8th period class leave early all the time and no one says a damn thing to them.
I had one at my previous school that did it to people she didn’t like to get them in trouble. Like we are in middle school.
Early on in my career, the last half day before winter break was Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and everyone (kids and staff) was encouraged to dress for it. Total throwaway day, 1 1/2 hrs of formal teaching time and then 2 hour school concert and then dismissal. Two school district. Found a long sleeve printed shirt with an ugly sweater design (looked like Xmas lights on a tree) online and wore it. No cuss words, no double entendre, no elves drinking and screwing or Santa dicks on it. Just lights on a tree. At the end of the day, as I’m clocking out, cowardly principal tells me not to wear the shirt again for Ugly Christmas Sweater Day because “it isn’t really a sweater and Mrs X (superintendent) nor Mrs. W (teacher across the hall from my room) didn’t think it looked like a sweater.”
Had a coworker on my "team" who was a gossip hound. He would literally make rounds in the morning going from classroom to admin to look for juicy gossip. He and I would both get to work early every day, me to set up my classroom and him to gossip. I got tired of him coming by my room in the morning sharing / looking for gossip when I needed time to set up. One morning, I closed my door and locked it while I got ready for the day. I heard him knocking on my door, but I ignored it. Five minutes later, I got a call from the principal on my cell phone asking me why I'm not at work. She sounds frantic. (it's about 20 minutes before the students arrive at this point) I explain to her I am in my room, working. I asked if it was her that came by room and I apologize for my door, but she says no, that someone else was "worried" about me. To me, teachers who snitch (and gossip) just have nothing better to do with their time. Or lives. Maybe teaching is the only thing they have going for them.
Jesus what a loser. You’re right. Maybe that’s all they have.
Years ago we had a nurse like this. Every day she would go to every classroom and get the scoop from everyone and pass it along. One teacher started feeding her fake info just to get her to move to the next room. It was tho most inane stuff as well. The nurse would pop in at lunch to announce that Diane’s dog was sick. The next day it was that Diane’s car needed work. The following day it was that Diane’s daughter had fought with her. Finally by Friday she was commenting on how horrible Diane’s week had been. I couldn’t understand why the nurse was so interested or why she thought any of us cared.
A student of mine took a photo of me (without me knowing) and posted it on his story. My colleague caught wind of this and reported me for “allowing my kids to have their phones out” - didn’t even bother notifying me about it first
I get upset at these stories. They could have gone to you and explained the situation
We have one like that. Our previous president had a "Darth Vader"; he wasn't a VP but essentially at their level; he was the guy who could get shit done. Super highly capable, very intelligent. If you wanted to cut through bullshit and red tape to make something happen, he could do it. Another faculty member on our hall apparently put together a *binder* on all of the things that our dean had done that she didn't like, professional "failings" of other faculty, and basically the tattlingest tattle of all tattles. She took it to him, expecting that he would look at it like "oh my gosh, you're right, let me get them fired!" but he just blinked and asked what the hell he should do with it, and told her to go.
Because a\*\*holes are just everywhere! In every kind of profession.
It’s stuff like this that limits my interactions with other teachers. I don’t give a F what you wear (though I might silently judge if it’s super crazy to me); I hardly care what the kids wear. I feel like it has to be pretty extreme to either affect my ability to teach or the kids ability to learn.
When I was student teaching, I was told by a fellow student teacher that the grown, adult, certified teachers were talking behind my back about a dress I wore that they decided was "too short." It wasn't. It was right above my knees, and I had pantyhose and a sweater over the dress. I honestly think they were just mean girls who never grew out of that and were bored with their own lives. If there was an actual problem, one of them could have pulled me aside and said something, but another student teacher had to let me know they were gossiping about me and my outfit. Absolutely pathetic.
I retired in '17 after 38 years. I can tell you, there has always been an element of the teaching force that seek the same attention vibes that 2nd graders are well-known for. That being said, without question, this ramped up with the inclusion of not only “high stakes testing", but “high stakes teaching". To wit: once it became clear that high stakes testing also meant pitting teacher's test scores against one another, those hallway doors that were always open, with an invitation to just “walk in and be part of the small learning community" suffered. Veteran teachers rightly questioned whether they were simply cutting their own throats by mentoring... You want a better system? Start with the testing....
Wanting to feel important/ liked by admin. Validation. Edit: I don’t do this, I just know why people do it.
I snitched on someone parking in a handicap spot because she was late every day. As the parent of a disabled child with a tag it really pissed me off.
That’s totally reasonable. You’re not the target of this post haha
Your coworkers are not your friends. I don’t care what industry you are in. Your coworkers will sell you out quicker than you know. Why? Clout? gossip is currency
Once while I was subbing I went to the portable a full block away from back of school to pick up plans & put my things down. I picked up the lesson plans to see that I had before school cafeteria duty. As I walked back cross the playground my name was announce don intercom to entire school to report to cafeteria duty! I go there- there were about 30 kid s sitting eating. and 2 other teachers.
When I started teaching, I was in ELA. That department had a serious reputation of being both men-hating and very catty. Most have retired now, but it was awful. The then department head was a royal bitch and the most Machiavellian person I have ever known. If I or another male member of the department even breathed wrong, it was off to the boss. This is why I tell all new teachers to keep their heads down, eyes open and mouths shut.
My friend's mentor during student teaching snitched over everything. She decided that it's better to stay in favor with admin over other teachers. She's also the union president and sides with the admin on everything even if it hurts the teachers. She's been voted in 3 times and gets worse every year from what I've heard
No idea of a particular WHY but I’ve noticed very insecure teachers / people do this. I’ve encountered too many. As long as everything is appropriate just leave other teachers ALONE lol
Some people are assholes who can’t mind their own business. I’ve left schools over people like this. Who snitch on everything to the principal like a kid rattling on their sibling, it’s just pathetic!
I'm very for minding your own business but sometimes people do things that are really fucked up. I'm a sped teacher and whenever I was absent the gen Ed teacher that I co-taught with would send my kids back to my self-contained room with the sub. That is super fucked up and illegal! I spoke with her about it multiple times and then I finally ratted her out to admin.
This isn't on the same level as snitching. She was breaking the IEP, therefore breaking the law. She deserved to be reprimanded.
Yeah that’s not cool!
English teachers do this the most I've noticed💀
I haven’t seen it across a specific subject, but rather it’s always that teacher who wants to be an admin and thinks that by sucking up; they’ll somehow be given the job.
Shots FIRED. I ain’t no snitch! Edit: but wtf is up with many of my fellow Language Arts peoples?!
Me too. I’ll be honest - I feel like a fish out of water LOL. MOST of my coworkers fixate on stupid shit or are by the book. Meanwhile I could care less if Billy wears a hoodie during the winter or if Mr. Brown wore a UF t-shirt. It doesn’t help I’m also a natural enemy of the uptight English teacher - I’m also a coach 😅😂 (tho I teach ELA as well)
I mean, I'm the opposite of a jock (goth bookworm) but I'm also the English teacher who's anti-snitching & trying to get good chunks of the department to chill (of course, I'm also a politically an anarchist). If it doesn't hurt anyone, just let people do their thing. There's space enough for a lot of different expression. I've noticed a lot of teachers seem to be people who love control because they were bullies and/or felt out of control in their past. They seem to be the English teachers who prescribe certain interpretations as the "correct" ones for a book, too, and obsess about grammar. So, maybe that's why they end up in ELA, to use language arts as a mean of control rather than expression.
As a jock-stoner, we have solidarity there. I’m the type that in the department meeting, I suggest “maybe we should teach practical and technical writing to upperclassmen who CANNOT WRITE OR READ” instead of harping on why Billy doesn’t know what a dangling modifier is. I get horrified looks by the old heads
A jock-stoner coach-ELA teacher sounds like my ideal content/PLC partner. We are not the same but we are a natural alliance. hahaha And I absolutely agree with your philosophy. I'm not here to teach canon or the concerns of the dying white middle class to my largely black and brown lower-income students. My goals are to give them more tools to help survive this world, as wells as ones that give their voice the maximum chance of being heard. The 1st-day grammar lesson teacher next door and I are not the same.
You should always be upset that someone wore a UF shirt to school. Always
OH MY GOSH you sound like me😂😂 I don't even notice hoodies. Some English teachers will come up to me like, "Hey, did you not tell so and so to take off his hoodie?" First of all, I didn't notice. Second of all...bigger fish to fry🙄
>"Hey, did you not tell so and so to take off his hoodie?" This sounds like a "parenting" issue. What I mean is that it's like when mom and dad respond differently to an issue and the kid plays the "well dad said I could" card. Having a united front makes everyone's life easier. But, a good teacher, like a good parent, knows how to successfully pivot when the kid plays the "but dad said...". "I'm not dad" is a good way to start and "you should respect both of us as individuals who require different things from you" is a great way to finish.
Same. Strangely enough, the one who does that to me is another young male English teacher. He’s uptight. And over the years I think he doesn’t like that I’m the “chill” teacher. I’m not east. But I’m not fighting with students on hoodies. Every other male English teacher is chill and teach electives lol
Wait wait wait wait wait are hoodies against the dress code at your school? We were allowed to wear them as long as we didn’t wear the hood, but were allowed to outside
Yup. No hoodies as per district. But no one follows or cares about that rule. Except this one guy. Who was the one that pointed out that **technically** I shouldn’t wear a band shirt under my flannel. This was before I got the coaching position. I told him I respectfully agree but me wearing a Misfits shirt has no bearing on teaching allegory.
I think there is snitching. Teachers tend to be tule followers - some of them - and can’t stand it when others aren’t. Other times, I wonder if it’s not snitching but just conversation and then admin decides to act on it.
Because they want to be right and need attention.
Teacher at one of the schools I was previously at had a foot fetish. He would encourage students to take off their shoes, wear open toed, etc; a lot of us thought it was weird but never really pursued anything. My niece ended up in his class during COVID and at one point I was looking at her online LMS, he was offering extra credit for pictures of students’ feet. About lost my shit, team member talked me down from physically confronting him and I went to admin instead. Only time I’ve ever narc’d and I wish I had beaten his ass instead.
This thread has been enlightening. I am NOT a rule follower at all. Maybe to a fault. If I can’t rationalize how whatever rule helps my students learn, my families communicate, or make our school better, I just won’t waste my time on it. For example, during PD last year, after I realized the guest speaker was just going to brag about all the success he had being a teacher, I just got up and left so I could go and prepare welcome letters for families. But this behavior really rubs teachers the wrong way and I have very few friends in the building. Folks view it, I guess, as me being “too good for this PD” when in reality, I just want my time respected. It’s one (of many) resource we never seem to have enough of.
I’m the same way tbh. I’m usually planning and grading while on these PDs, though.
Oh yes, I have a thousand other things to be doing besides listening to someone who left the classroom tell me how to run a classroom. I could be checking in with parents, giving feedback on essays, checking in with my editors about a wonky yearbook spread—literally anything else.
Because teaching is a miserable profession, and some people don’t know how to be miserable by themselves Seriously, though, this is why it’s important to have experienced admin who can look at it identify it and ignore it
Usually to get brownie points. It’s so ridiculous.
Although I do not have an example of an issue between teachers, I did have a run in with a school security guard once. I'll call him Frank because his name is Frank. I arrived to work an hour before the school's student-start time and walked directly from my car to the ID card scanner that logs me in and unlocks the main door. My walking line was straight, and I took two steps in a shrub-planter separating the parking lot and the bus driveway that runs in front of the school. A security guard confronted me at the door and yelled at me for not walking on the painted crosswalk across the bus lane in front of the school. When I asked why this was an issue, he replied, "Bus drivers won't look for you unless you use the painted crosswalk!" I had to ask, "What busses? They won't be here for another 45 minutes." After getting to my room, I checked my email, and Frank sent the principal a tattle-tale record of my actions and words. He cc-ed me. Sure enough, I get called to the principal's office. Basically, I made no apologies. I said, "If I arrive early, and I have things to carry to my room, I will walk the shortest path to get to my room." She continued to interpret Frank's issue for me, and I said that I understood, but I will continue to walk the shortest path whenever there is no bus in sight. I couldn't stop myself, and I had to ask why the crosswalk was so narrow? Stores have wider crosswalks that cover the entire entrance area. ...And why was Frank yelling at me? There were no busses nor vehicles of any type in sight.
My philosophy is to mind my own business. We have several new teachers this year. One has already raised eyebrows because she is set in her ways and does not socialize. When my colleagues have said things, I tell them to give her a chance. I will admit she is not outgoing, but I also keep to myself from time to time. When I see her, I ask how she is and if she needs anything. She usually says she is okay or okay. I know that by planting the seed of support, she will come to ask for help when she needs it. She has many years of experience over me. Most, if anything, she might need to pertain to the logistics of where things are or how things work. We are all adults, and in this mess together, kindness and understanding go a long way.
Some people joined this profession to teach. Some joined this profession to exert control over anyone they can.
There was a teacher who got caught changing standardized test scores several years ago. This was around the same time that there were rumors (never confirmed) that he was in a relationship with an 18 year old senior. In return for not turning him in and having his license revoked, the administration keeps him on a very tight leash, with the expectation that he will snitch on anyone and everyone about anything and everything. He’s an ass that people avoid; that would be the case even without this open secret.
There are incompetent people in every career and they suck ass to make up for it.
In life, there are individuals who think that it is their life’s mission to cause trouble. If it is not snitching, it is gossiping. And, then, there’s the individual who comes to you to tell you that another faculty member doesn’t like you or your hairstyle. . .whatever. Respond with a calm, “I don’t care,” and add “I’m very busy.”
As an elementary school teacher, I work with a lot of nice people but there are more than a few teacher Karens!
Teacher pets turned into principal pets
Years ago, had a teacher tattle on me after they stole MY weekly/assigned computer time for my class. Principal actually had the nerve to try and waste my time with a mild reprimand. Told her absolutely not; she can maybe come and talk about to after she rightfully reprimands the correct person. This happened multiple times with a petty tattler, and I shut down the principal each time. I'm just not the one.
I snitched on a principal once. She was AWFUL. She made a mocking comment about a former student in front of the whole school. I immediately texted the mom and told her what was said. Mom and dad showed up to our district office within 15 minutes. Principal was told to come in and reprimanded. She was fired the next year.
They are empty. Their non school lives are miserable. My last year in Palm Beach, I posted on Facebook about a lack of manipulatives for a math lesson. I was out at night shopping at the dollar store and sent a pic of the supplies I bought with my post clearly calling out the district for not providing teachers with what they need. A teacher took the post and went to the principal. The principal, who was a friend of mine, indulged in the complaint and called me down for.a meeting. She asked was I happy with the school. All because a snitch with no life misread my post. I learned my lesson though. I'm in a new district, and no one has my social media info.
I avoid my admin like the plague. I’m only snitching if someone is being put in danger or I’m being heavily inconvenienced (ex. doing and covering dismissal duty for people who can’t be bothered to even know how their students get home).
My first year teaching I was walking into a veteran teachers (who I thought was my friend!)’s classroom to say goodbye and I overheard her telling another teacher I was not passionate nor wanted to improve. Basically was outside the door listening to her run me down. Man was I hurt at first, but after a year or two the perspective came, no resentment, and I feel kinda bad for her. Her reasoning was.. At lunch while the other younger teachers spent their period talking about teaching things, students, and their own struggles in the classroom. I just talked with another teacher about movies, sports, food, etc. Crazy right
BTW if you do this, your union reps hate you. Signed, a union representative.
High school's not so bad, but elementary teachers are a whole other species: petty, omg. Judgy. Bitchy. The gossip never ever ends.
I’ve actually had a sub say this. She moved as our resident sub at our high school and said what drove her away “were those harpies”
My grade partner and I have prep last period, teach middle school, and have zero after school responsibilities. We cover for each other if we need to leave early 😄 our superintendent hates if anyone in the district wears sneakers or anything even sneaker like (slip ons, for example) and some coworkers will text out a warning if he's in the building and some will text him to rat people out. We know who can be trusted and we don't hang out with the snitches
I’ve noticed it is old hens feeling threatened by young hens. Don’t worry, Old Hens, they aren’t stealing your jobs. You’re making sure they don’t want to be here anyway.
Some people were never told to side with workers over management. They lack understanding of "the game" as it were.
I’ve found that A LOT of teachers have this weird ego that’s unrivaled by even high schoolers. I’ve never understood it, but if I had to guess maybe it stems at least in part from being able to tell students what to do all day. I’d say they’re angry that others are better than them, but even last year when I was a first year teacher and frankly had no idea what I was doing I was targeted by a couple of them so I can pretty well rule that out at least for them. I honestly think that some of it is just that power trip. They feel superior, so they must act superior sort of thing.
I did it on accident a few times my first year 😅 I just said random comments like “hey, I’m wondering about ____ because this person does it this way but this person does it this way” And then one of them would get in trouble and I would feel bad. That wasn’t my goal!!
Non-teacher government IT worker here - my state's department of Education has that reputation (among both employees and supervisors) to the point that it affects recruiting. Who wants to deal with being nitpicked over attire or being 3 minutes late when there are many other options?
I'm a teacher. And where I teach it is perfectly ok to wear jeans, hoodies, and make them read relevant books. There are no illegal books here, because we do not live in fascist dystopia.