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Teachers bullied by 'colleagues'

margaret1
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member


If you’re a teacher being bullied by HOD/ Principal/ colleague I think this may help you. It helped me a lot. I couldn’t understand why when I
was such a good teacher I was having such ridiculous, hurtful, nasty, petty, time wasting, health destroying problems at work.

Anyway here you are; this is why we get bullied:

Teacher bullies in schools “fear exposure of their perceived shortcomings, such as inadequacy and incompetence, and these people bully not
for fun but in order - they think - to survive. Competent colleagues fuel the bully's fear that shortcomings in their capabilities will surface, so they tend to select targets who fulfil some of the criteria below.

Being competent, that is being good at their job, often excelling; being willing to go the extra mile and expect others to do the same; being successful, tenacious, determined, courageous, having fortitude; being imaginative, creative, innovative; being able to master new skills;
thinking long term and seeing the bigger picture; being helpful, always willing to share knowledge and experience; being diligent and
industrious

Being Popular with colleagues, pupils, parents, Being regarded as an expert and the person to whom others come for advice, either personal or professional, having a sense of humour, including displays of quick-wittedness

Having strength of character displaying integrity, honesty,intelligence and intellect; having a well-defined set of values that they are unwilling to compromise; being trustworthy, trusting, conscientious, loyal and dependable; a sense of fairness: willingness to tackle injustice, low propensity to violence and strong forgiving streak, refusing to join an established clique; being sensitive, having empathy, concern for others, respect, tolerance, being slow to anger, showing independence of thought or deed, refusing to become a corporate clone and drone, having high coping skills under stress, especially when the injury to health becomes apparent


71 Replies 71

Guest_27255504
Community Member

I can relate. Just got yelled at by a colleague again this time I apparently haven't been doing anything for 3 years. I'm a teacher and have taught for 17 years. Taught lots of curriculum but in this particular staffroom I'm often singled out as not being trained to teach HPE, which I've taught before in other schools. I do feel anxious about sharing information because it's been shot down in the past. I feel like I do my job as well and even better than some staff. I do feel like I'm at a stage in my life where I'm not the teacher I once was, young, no kids, can work all hours on school work. I'm recently divorced, full-time single mother and full-time teacher. Kids father is not in the picture. I wake up at 3am everyday and function on 4 hrs sleep. I am surviving and doing everything for my kids. I don't get child support so my income is important. I love teaching. I have been avoiding lunches in my staffroom but now this last attack has left me embarrassed and upset. Yes, the staff member even attacked my style of parenting. Apparently I do too much for my kids, referring to the time I spend helping my kids with their school work. I'm at a loss. I want to resign but need employment. Surely it doesn't have to be this hard. Where are the professionals? 

Sara
Community Member

Hi Margaret,

This forum is invaluable. I only discovered it last night and the posts help me to see that others are broken by a system that seems to follow no rules when it comes to executive staff.

The system really does need to be the subject of an enquiry. The public need to know that teachers can be psychologically tormented by executives until they break and that there are no repercussions for those who overtly breach policies, procedures and the WHS, Fair Trading legislation.

I am convinced that Allianz, as the nominated insurer is in bed with the government as they declined my application twice based on their assumptions as opposed to the facts. That the can do this, demonstrates that they know that they are not regulated sufficiently by the government and that they can be blatantly dishonest without repercussions.

Again, the public need to know this. Tax payers are funding Allianz yet they do not know that this insurer is not helping those who are in need. Instead they are doing the exact opposite to save the company money, thereby further destroying the injured.

So many systems are rigged and corrupt. That this is happening, is an indication that Australia is no different to 3rd World countries where corruption and oppression of justice are the order of the day.