Mobbing in the teaching staff: how not to fall victim to a young specialist

Effective tips on how to prevent misunderstandings with the staff and administration Do you have many acquaintances who once worked as teachers, but under certain circumstances resigned? Didn't you ask what exactly influenced their decision to leave school? Mobbing in the teaching staff.

Many current teachers complain about the intolerance of modern students, their free-thinking, lack of authority of seniors and more. However, it is interesting that teachers who had to resign, over time, students are usually remembered with warmth. But about the team of teachers - not always. Why so?

Caution: mobbing!

The term "mobbing" is used to refer to phenomena such as psychological pressure and harassment in the team, aimed at an individual employee.

This term was first proposed in the early 1980s by the German psychologist Heinz Leiman to denote psychological harassment in the team.

Mobbing can be expressed in prejudice, information isolation, gossip, ridicule, ignoring success and systematic exaggerated criticism. This phenomenon, unfortunately, is present in almost every team.

According to the results of a general survey of employees conducted by the hh.ua portal, 4 out of 10 respondents said they had witnessed mobbing. At the same time, almost half of the respondents admit that they suffered from harassment at work in person. So the problem is really global in society as a whole and in schools in particular.

Why is there mobbing

The purpose of mobbing is to eradicate otherness. It would seem that it is bad when a young, creative, ambitious and energetic person appears in the teaching community? However, everything is not so clear!

Let's face it, despite a number of recent reforms, the school is an extremely conservative environment. Not all teachers support innovations and therefore dislike the "white crows" who try to embody them. Therefore, a young enterprising teacher can become a victim of mobbing, especially if he quickly finds a common language with students, but ignores the rules of the teaching staff.

Competition for attention and authority among students, the desire to feel power over others, unwillingness to change the usual course of things and job responsibilities - are possible reasons for harassment of a young teacher. The school has its own hierarchy, and mobbing is a way to show "who is the master of the house", so it is often observed by the school administration.

What are the consequences of mobbing

Systematic harassment can lead to serious psychological and psychosomatic illnesses, low self-esteem and moral devastation. If you purposefully criticize a person every day, then over time he begins to doubt his competence, despairs of himself and really performs his duties worse.

Unhealthy relationships affect not only the victim of bullying, but also the quality of the learning process, students and the school as a whole. There is a peculiar domino effect!

Often, faced with misunderstandings from colleagues, young teachers soon experience the first signs of psychological burnout and drop out of school. Is it possible to prevent mobbing and painlessly join the long-established school team?

Must Read: Five Unobvious Mistakes by Teachers That Will Cost Loss of Trust and Authority Among Students

Tips on how not to fall victim to mobbing

1. Examine your job responsibilities

Read the labor code and job description to find out exactly what you get paid for. Legal literacy will allow you to have a qualified dialogue with the administration in case you want to burden you with additional responsibilities, go to work on weekends, for replacement, unplanned educational event or prevent the signing of a contract that does not provide for leave at the end of the year. - an example from my own experience!).

2. Try to do your job as well as possible

Prepare for lessons, try to submit all paper reports on time, fill in the journal carefully, do not be late for lessons and meetings; if you do not know what to do, follow the advice of the administration or colleagues before the administration itself will call you "on the carpet." Remember, first do the highest quality exactly what you have to do according to job descriptions, and only then - everything that comes from your personal initiative, and not vice versa!

3. Maintain a friendly business relationship with everyone

Say hello to colleagues, sincerely smile at everyone, support a secular conversation, but do not try to please everyone. Be polite and equal with all colleagues, avoiding either brotherhood or excessive formality. Keep in mind that you are not the only one watching and studying colleagues. they do the same, trying to understand what kind of person and specialist you really are.

4. Find a mentor

Choose an experienced colleague to whom you can turn for advice and help. Senior colleagues are usually happy to share their experiences with young people, tell stories from school life. Learn about traditions, and will always come to the rescue. If they have to help establish discipline during the lesson.

5. Mark your boundaries with colleagues

Remember the golden rule: you are treated exactly as you are allowed to do! Therefore, starting work in a new school, you should immediately establish yourself as a strong and confident person who respects the boundaries of others and does not allow to violate their own.

6. Respect the unwritten rules of the team

Each community has its own traditions. Demonstrative disregard for these rules will cause dissatisfaction or even indignation of colleagues. Do not shock others with provocative behavior or extravagant attire.

7. Take care of your health and self-development

Try to make a schedule where there is time not only for work but also for personal life, self-development, and healthy sleep. After all, a person who sleeps well eats well, and is constantly learning something new, better analyzes the situation.

A young specialist who has recently come to school needs to learn a lot from his colleagues. We hope that you will be able to build a friendly relationship with the staff and administration and prevent misunderstandings.