The problems affecting teachers are not unique to Britain. It seems that teachers are treated to intolerable and unacceptable abuse throughout the world. Why is that ?
I recently discovered two good blogs operating from Queensland, Australia :
Bad Apple Bullies
I extracted the following comment from the above site as it provides some excellent advice :
Self-Defence for Teachers Tips :
- Don’t have an opinion. Certainly don’t express it.
- Don’t help other teachers or students who are being bullied. Report it to the head teacher. Walk away. It’ll continue. But there is nothing you can do. If you try to fix it, you’ll end up the one bullied.
- Don’t go remote (EVER !) Stay somewhere where you can have a life and feel normal.
- Don’t be competent or hard-working, but pretend to be, and point out every little thing you do to the head teacher. Make a big deal about small things you do like you’ve done something massive.
- Gossip and backstab - or it’ll happen to you.
- Suck up, big time, to the head teacher. (It’s hard, but grit your teeth, fake smile and do it.)
- If other teachers act jealous towards you because you are competent, make intentional mistakes and act like a ditz. Tell the jealous teachers they are wonderful every day.
- Shut up in staff meetings. Smile and look pretty. Nod frequently. Think about your leisure time.
- Don’t complain to your union, LEA, head teacher, or anyone else about any concerns you have. Waste of time.
- Take sick days when you are sick. Forget the guilt trips they give you for being sick. But pretend to care what they think.
- Don’t let anyone blame you for their issues (teachers, parents, students, head teacher). Know you did the reasonable thing even when they are abusing you, but pretend you are worried by what they think.
- Remember you will be abused frequently (probably daily). This is now normal behaviour in schools.
- Pretend to “love” teaching, like everyone else.
- Talk curriculum nonsense frequently. Accept the curriculum nonsense will change again next year, as it did last year, and is doing this year. Remember you can teach what you want all the same, just use the new politically-motivated discourse.
- Don’t get to school too early. Once the bell rings, you’re “at work”, which means you won’t get anything done. Don’t stay late. Planning is best done at home without interruptions.
- Find a place to hide at lunch, so you can have lunch.
- Record every behaviour incident - EVERY ONE in a special book. You will need to justify yourself and your behaviour management techniques repeatedly ... stupidly ... repeatedly. (Unfortunately, you’re not allowed a video camera in the room ... stupidly ... but that might change !)
- Say “No” and mean it, when they dish out the extra jobs, but do accept one extra job. Too many - others get jealous, too few, others get jealous. Be the last to pick.
- Talk crap in the staffroom. Pretend to like the bully. Pretend to admire them too. Know the truth.
- Know when it’s enough. Run, leave the profession. Be yourself. Be happy !
Down under, on Bad Apple Bullies they kindly added a reciprocal link to my blog with the following comments :
Don’t you just love the way that Pommie teachers refuse to “accept the things you cannot change” ?
Pommie women grew up singing “Fight the good fight with all your might !”
And that is what they do.
Their fathers did not fight, suffer and die in World War Two “for freedom” so that their daughters could be driven out of work by the gossip of silly dim twits, incompetents and psychopaths.
English women do not “accept the things you cannot change”.
It’s a cultural thing.
Teachers throughout the world suffer injustices every day – where are they ? Why do they not speak ? Again I ask for abused teachers in the UK to come forward – fight with a common voice !
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener of Khartoum (1850 - 1916) is most famously remembered for being the face in the recruiting poster of the British people, in the First World War. His accomplishments were many more than that single, yet enormously important, campaign. 
Jane Jameson (née Watts)
