Dealing with those teachers that just rub you the wrong way

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.

I will start by saying that almost every teacher at my very small school is amazingly dedicated, puts her students first always, 100% values and respects my opinion regarding the kids...except this one who drives me batty. She is very young (24) and this is her first time teaching in a US school. She did Americorps and Teach for America straight out of college where she taught in small villages throughout Africa. Obviously VERY different from an inner-city Charter school. She has this attitude that she is an "expert" because she taught in villages where they "literally had nothing"and was able to teach them English, teach them to read, etc. Bravo for her, but I hear her with her current students and she is JUST NOT NICE. When she talks to them she bends down over them, gets in their face and looks scary. She is super strict and just not warm at all. Don't get me wrong, I 100% know some kids need a stern teacher, but she is beyond with these kids. I have heard her question some of our veteran teachers and been like really??? You are questioning what a teacher with 20 years experience is recommending you try?

So the other day she emails me and it just says "Kid X needs a vision screen". That was the entire email. I couldn't believe it. So I emailed her back asking for a little more information, a little history, etc. She comes into my office and says "I am telling you the kid can't see. He squints and won't read". He is in First grade.

So I perform my vision screen and I email her back "He is fine 20/20 vision". And she starts to argue with me. I said "He can see perfectly, he doesn't know his letters". Silence from the teacher :yes: My question is, how can such an amazing teacher not know her kid doesn't know his letters after almost 2 months of school????

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

See new nurses like this, too. In fact, thinking back to 1989, I may have been there. She will have many more moments like you just gave her, she will either use them to grow or to stay immature. She doesn't sound like she will be there very long, just sit back and watch the show. It's all in attitude.

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We all work with people we don't like, ad have to just get along as best we can. It happens in every profession across the board.

Personally, as a nurse, I find teachers a bit spoiled as a group, and I'm sure they find me a bit... whatever. I was going to say AWESOME, but pick your adjective.

If the teacher is truly incompetent he/she will hopefully not get tenure.

We are, however, all here for the same purpose. So... carry on???

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Specializes in School Nurse.

Trust me administration already is following the situation. Do play nice, but if you need to protect yourself or a student then speak to her first privately, and then go up the ladder if you do not get the response you are looking for. Had a teacher here that barked at everyone. She got frozen out and is now playing nice.

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I work with a secretary that rubs me the wrong way. She is always complaining about her workload and anything that is added to her day is a huge production. She'll get it done, but she wants everyone to know what an inconvenience it is for her. Then she'll convert to the high pitched "I'm gonna cover up my annoyance" voice and pepper in a fake laugh. I can't wait until she retires next year.

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Specializes in kids.

I have a gym teacher who seems to have incorporating nursing assessments into her class. Kids will come with a small injury with instructions on how to treat it...

yet...yet... she allowed a kid to play in PE with Topsiders, (boat shoes), so who is surprised that he rolled his ankle?

Not me, but he was TOLD to be careful.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

I miss our athletic trainer who quit last year. We now have a "coach" who has decided to not send one kid to me, he refuses. The students come to me a class or two later after suffering. I trusted the AT to know her soft tissue injuries, she rocked at them.

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"I find teachers a bit spoiled as a group, and I'm sure they find me a bit... whatever. "

Here they are beyond spoiled!!!

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Specializes in School Nursing.

There is a teacher at my middle school who I already kinda don't enjoy too much. I was eating my lunch in the teacher's lounge last week. A rare treat since I usually work through lunch. I'm eating my food and paging through a People magazine and she comes into the lounge, warms up her food and then comes to the table and says, "You know you're sitting in my spot, right?" I looked up at her and said, "Oh, really?" Apparently she always sits in this chair, in this spot, at this table. There was literally no one else in the room. Dozens of other places to sit. I think she was seriously expecting me to get up and move. I didn't. ;)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Community Health, School Health.
There is a teacher at my middle school who I already kinda don't enjoy too much. I was eating my lunch in the teacher's lounge last week. A rare treat since I usually work through lunch. I'm eating my food and paging through a People magazine and she comes into the lounge, warms up her food and then comes to the table and says, "You know you're sitting in my spot, right?" I looked up at her and said, "Oh, really?" Apparently she always sits in this chair, in this spot, at this table. There was literally no one else in the room. Dozens of other places to sit. I think she was seriously expecting me to get up and move. I didn't. ;)

Is she still in Middle School? I mean, seriously, that is crazy!

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
There is a teacher at my middle school who I already kinda don't enjoy too much. I was eating my lunch in the teacher's lounge last week. A rare treat since I usually work through lunch. I'm eating my food and paging through a People magazine and she comes into the lounge, warms up her food and then comes to the table and says, "You know you're sitting in my spot, right?" I looked up at her and said, "Oh, really?" Apparently she always sits in this chair, in this spot, at this table. There was literally no one else in the room. Dozens of other places to sit. I think she was seriously expecting me to get up and move. I didn't. ;)

Who did she think she is? A doctor?

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I had a teacher yelling at me in my office because she was CONVINCED that the 3 bumps on the student's face was chickenpox. 1. she was afebrile, 2. she remembers getting mosquito bites while outside, 3. they look like mosquito bites!

After 2 more visits to my office because she felt like they were "getting worse and spreading" (which it wasn't). I finally sent her a 7 page printout of what chickenpox was and what it looked like. I also reminded her that our students are all immunized against it (yes, i know they can still get it despite the shots but it makes it even less likely that it is chickenpox). I then told her that this student recalls getting the bites outside. I then get an email from her stating that because she had it when she was 17 years old, she knew they started out looking like mosquito bites and that this student was a poor historian who was a BAD child and constantly lied. Apparently this student told the teacher she was sick over the weekend, which furthered her belief that it was chickenpox. When I finally threw my hands up in the air and called mom to ask about these "bumps", the mom said "yes, she got them at her cousins house. We were all outside."

can you believe she had the nerve to report me to the vice principal? (who btw, took my side)

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