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What Every Target of Workplace Bullying Needs to Know

Teacher Assistant at a Middle School

by Gossamer
(New York)

I used to work in a corporate bank for over 21 years as an executive assistant until my department decided to move to another state. I was given a generous severance package and made a total career change working for the Board of Ed as a teacher's assistant. Although I have been only in this field for two years, and the pay isn't very generous, I was very content with the extensive school breaks and benefits. The trouble started when I was assigned to another school because the class program I used to be in had to terminate to accommodate another type of curriculum. The teacher I now work with seems nice but she's not the type who wants to corroborate with you workwise. She seems to be very attached to the teacher's aide and seems to give her more responsibility in lesson planning instead of delegating the work to me who's her assistant. They have long conversations and laugh and joke with each other and I am the odd man out. It's almost as if I wasn't there. My pet peeve is that the aide can't spell worth a damn and every time she writes a misspelled word on the blackboard, it just about drives me crazy and I have to walk up to the board to correct it. I tried to do this in a tactful manner. I sometimes whisper the corrections in her ear, but I guess she doesn't like it nor does the teacher. For this I get picked on for the slightest infraction so insignificant that it's laughable. The aide gets away with a lot of things like coming to class late or taking days off. She's also a compulsive liar acting as if she's a victim. How do you handle a problem like this? I was advised to lay low until I'm tenured. What advise can you give me? Sometimes I feel that I'm about to go mad. Teachers, assistants and aides are suppose to work as a team in lesson planning and instruction. Like I said, I feel like I'm being treated as a pariah. One morning I went into the bathroom and burst into tears to be comforted by another teacher who felt bad for me, but she understood that a lot of that happens in this school. What advise can you give me.

Comments for Teacher Assistant at a Middle School

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Teachers Run Assistants
by: Anonymous

I have worked in numerous schools as an assistant. Teachers can be control freaks. If they don't want to make it easy for you because they like someone else, you better watch out. I don't see administrators in tune to this problem. I can only say try to be somewhere where you feel backed up by the administration. I have had to leave places because they only ask the teachers opinion and they don't really know what's going on. Too bad, cause kids aren't benefited.

Working together is a must. Some teachers are egocentric and won't.

iam teacher assistant being treated badly
by: Anonymous

The teacher that is my supervisor treats me badly.
She gives me so much work I cant get it done and then changes my schedule every week expects me to keep up. I am to the point i dont know what job is anymore or who my boss is at this time. I cant get any help. I am frustrated I broke down crying this morning and had a panick attack to the point i had to leave school and go to the doctor. I was hired to work only for her now i work for so many people I dont know what is going on at work. This teacher has been awful!!!!! no backing from the administration I am treated like iam the invisible women. I have worked so very! very! hard. I really care about kids!

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