Teachers who gossip: a cautionary tale

[Anonymous]

Gentle tip, teachers:

If you feel compelled to call another teacher to trash talk a student, perhaps mute your video first?

This happened today. MCPS middle school. Teacher realized her mistake eventually, but it was clear what was happening.

Since I was in earshot, I heard it, too.

Not cool, teacher.

This wasn’t the first time I heard a teacher say/do something inappropriate. Distance learning has been an eye opening experience.

I don’t hate on all teachers. I know it’s a tough job. But gimme a break! Be professional. And if you can’t be professional, then be smart enough to mute your video.

[Anonymous]

BTW, this all happened during class.

[Anonymous]

Teachers talk. But in my experience, the moms standing outside the school and at the bus stop are even worse. They will trash talk another mom's child in a heartbeat. Overheard it too many times to count from a distance, because I avoid most other moms like the plague.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers talk. But in my experience, the moms standing outside the school and at the bus stop are even worse. They will trash talk another mom's child in a heartbeat. Overheard it too many times to count from a distance, because I avoid most other moms like the plague.

1. Teachers are paid to teach, not gossip.

2. Teachers shouldn’t be playing with their teacher friends during class time...particularly with a live mic and a classroom of students.

3. The trash talk was inappropriate. Period. No excuses.

Saying “stupid house fraus gossip at the bus stop, too” isn’t a justification.

[Anonymous]

OP, just to clarify...
Your kids had their computer on, and the class was still there (or the video link for the class was still on and active) and a teacher left that on and then called up another teacher and was talking about a kid?
That's... really bad.
I'm pro-teacher, but that should be reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just to clarify...
Your kids had their computer on, and the class was still there (or the video link for the class was still on and active) and a teacher left that on and then called up another teacher and was talking about a kid?
That's... really bad.
I'm pro-teacher, but that should be reported.

Yep. That’s what happened.

[Anonymous]

This year has really lifted the veil on teachers.

[Anonymous]

The kids could see her talking on her phone.

Apparently, she talks on her phone during class regularly. One time she unboxed a delivery during class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This year has really lifted the veil on teachers.

I think it's unrealistic to expect teacher to never vent about a student, anymore than saying that a person working can never vent to another co-worker about a co-worker. It's all about the manner in which they do it.

Years ago, a co-worker did the dreaded Reply All on an email that she DEFINITELY didn't mean to Reply ALL. It included some disparaging remarks about another co-worker. That co-worker was objectively a frustrated person to deal with, however....
Venting should NEVER be done in a way that others can see. In this case email. Even if they hadn't done Reply All, there's no guarantee that message wouldn't have been forwarded.
Same with this teacher situation. AFTER work, AFTER class, someone wants to privately vent--go for it.

It's just amazing to me how lax people are with Zoom and Zoom-like things. I am so super-duper cautious about my video calls, my audio, what's visible in the background etc. It's just weird to me that some people just aren't. It's not a "teacher" thing, it's a "working people" thing, and it's dumb.

[Anonymous]

Even before the pandemic, I submitted formal complaints against a MCPS HS counselor who told her friend everything she could about our son, who was dating her step daughter.

Teachers and counselors needs to keep their traps shut.

[Anonymous]

I would alert the principal and ask for a teacher change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids could see her talking on her phone.

Apparently, she talks on her phone during class regularly. One time she unboxed a delivery during class.

Occasionally talking on phone, one time unboxing a delivery I can accept, but regularly talking on the phone? That really should be reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The kids could see her talking on her phone.

Apparently, she talks on her phone during class regularly. One time she unboxed a delivery during class.

Occasionally talking on phone, one time unboxing a delivery I can accept, but regularly talking on the phone? That really should be reported.

Would you talk on your phone on camera if you were zooming with your boss?

Would you unbox a delivery on camera in front of your box?

How many hours a day do middle school teachers even work? How hard is it to focus on instruction during class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, just to clarify...
Your kids had their computer on, and the class was still there (or the video link for the class was still on and active) and a teacher left that on and then called up another teacher and was talking about a kid?
That's... really bad.
I'm pro-teacher, but that should be reported.

+1

[Anonymous]

Lol our principal did this