I find I am stepping over my own behavioural boundaries to accommodate a culture I neither like or wish to be part of yet find I need to tolerate and pretend to be privy to in order to 'fit'. I am loving my job. The students make me shine and I hope that I inspire and motivate them as much as they inspire me, but., and this is a difficult 'but'. If we would like students to behave properly, watch their language and conduct themselves in a way befitting for the positive vision of the school, shouldn't teachers, as leaders, motivators and examples reflect those qualities too?
I sit and listen to the ongoing tittle-tattle and even professional banter with all its 'shit', 'fuck', 'bastard' and other swear words being banded about along with obscene finger signs and wonder how the hell these particular 'professional' teachers and leaders expect better from students when they themselves are a very poor reflection of what is expected. What kind of example do the students have? We don't accept this from students yet a staff member does it and everyone laughs and accepts it. It's sick.
I'm not unused to such profanities - I've heard much worse, but frankly teachers should be of better moral and ethical, not to mention professional standing, at very least in the work place. It isn't the students that need teaching manners, professionalism or appropriate interactions, its the teachers. Am I arrogant or, as I was accused of today, too "prissy" for my own good (whatever that means), I don't think so. I just believe that if we expect a certain level of behaviour from our youth then we should model that behaviour ourselves.
Some saving grace is that another PRT 1 and a PRT 2 voiced their difficulty with accepting this culture amongst teachers so thank goodness I am not alone in my utter dismay and disgust. More recently another female teacher voiced her growing dissatisfaction with the seemingly growing acceptance of swearing every opportunity, from pouring a cup of tea, 'normal' conversations and during meetings. She mentioned her dislike of using swear words when referring to students and immediately I thought "me too". It seems strange to me how it is the older generation who have the free-ists tongues and its the younger teachers - those just out of teacher training (plus me., although I am mid aged) that find the language and giving various forms of the 'finger' or 'fingers' inappropriate and unprofessional. It was learning these facts today that gave me hope for the future but which also resulted in a pang of sadness because this small group of PRTs intend to leave the school as soon as possible to escape this. They all had the opinion that such lewdness, for lack of a better word, was not as rife elsewhere and that it wasn't the students or the location that truly reflects the decile of the school but the teachers who seem to think using such language and signs is in any way acceptable. Yes, we all swear on occasion, but it is necessary at every opportunity to speak!
Granted it may be argued that students may not see or hear teachers doing these things but what a fallacy! I've seen heads of departments giving the middle finger through windows to a member of SLT and heard a person in a pastoral care position say "I bet you think I'm a complete bitch" to a class of students. Don't even try and tell me that students don't pick up on unspoken attitudes, thoughts and mannerisms either. How can we even start to think that reprimanding students is fair when the adults supposedly working under a code of conduct behave and act so appallingly. It isn't that these individuals and groups are terrible people, but I fail to understand what part of being a teacher, a role model and leader of young minds extends itself to words and behaviour that are reflected in the staff room, around school and worse still in open view of students.
I'm not a prude or unrealistic but it was far easier to work in a challenging culture that belittles women, where I was spat on and violated when simply walking to school than listening to supposedly educated, professional and collegial 'colleagues' expand, nurture and embrace such low moral, ethical and professional standards. It was so much easier to educate the uneducated spitters and gropers than try and reason with already educated individuals who deem it their right to cuss and carry on in an environment meant for learning, collegiality and professionalism. Individuals who deem me to be a prude, unrealistic, having no sense of humour and 'prissy'. It seems I need to apologise for wanting to keep what comes out of my mouth 'clean' and for wanting to use my fingers for things other than telling others where to go.
I have watched, listened and ultimately judged what I have seen, heard and been subjected to. Maybe I am living in fairyland and seek an ideal world, but isn't that preferable to an environment of cursing, swearing and carrying on when as adults we should know better! Is this behaviour acceptable at home across the dinner table from their spouses, children, parents, when meeting with doctors or even out at the supermarket? Is this how teachers act outside of school too and I'm just not up with the play? I don't think so! This hasn't been my experience or the experience of other PRTs elsewhere so what happened at this school to grow a culture of abuse, however accepted, tolerated and embraced? When did swearing and giving the fingers during almost every conversation become the 'norm' and how.... Really.... HOW can anyone expect better from students if teachers themselves cannot behave!
What a terribly sad outlook. What an awfully negative, unproductive and unprofessional ingrained culture. I wouldn't want my kids experiencing any of it, either directly or indirectly. Sad, sad, sadly disappointing.
No comments:
Post a Comment