Teachers and Nurses

Furball · Apr 8, 2002

Originally posted by joannep
In my opinion teachers have never left school. They went from school to college/university and back to school. No experience of life in any other workplace environment.
They are also obsessed with rules.
When my children bring home their reports I read them, and then later read the one I got at the same year level. Nothing changes in what they write.
My husband's reports say from the very beginning that he is a dreamer and doesn't concentrate. He is a physicist, and is payed for dreaming now.
My reports say that I am a non conformist and opinionated. I thought education was meant to liberate not confine. I am not as opinionated now that I am 40. I was very arogant as a younger person.
I don't read too much into my kids school reports.

Your post brought back a childhood memory. I remember drawing a picture of a flower and one petal was smaller than the others. The teacher wrote a comment about it in red ink. My mother was furious. She told me my picture was more "true to life" and that it was beautiful. Oh yeah, I am an artist now as an adult. I truly believe many children who don't fit the mold get snuffed.....terrible.

Dr. Kate, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2002

Well, for what it's worth. I went through grade school, high school and college in single sex schools. Then I got adventurous and went to grad school in a male dominated field. Needing to make a living, I went to nursing school, at a women's college. I immediately noticed two things: 1) the pervasiveness of what I call female *****iness, and 2) the tendancy to hitch up one's skirt to straighten a slip or pull down a blouse in public (women don't do this in mixed groups but freely do it when just among women.)

I think the two are related. We as women are more comfortable in our skins in a single sex setting, more likely to say what we think and feel. It isn't always pretty.

k

jhrn · Apr 8, 2002

I am a teacher who is thinking about going into nursing--this subject seemed too good to pass up! At my elementary school quit honestly most everybody was sincere and helped each other out-honestly! When I stumbled onto this bb I was quit in shock and almost questioned my decision to go back to school to become a nurse, a lot of negativity about the profession displayed on this bb. Then I came to the realization--every profession has negative things about it if you look at them that way. We each choose how we view things, each other, the work. If we choose to gossip and back stab, in any profession, it is my belief it will come back to you.

Just my thoughts!

Agnus · Apr 8, 2002

jhrn

please be assurred it not like this at every nursing job. Though it is at some. Please remember this BB is a place where we can safely blow off steam. This site provides anonymity which in itself is safty.

delirium · Apr 8, 2002

I don't know if its a male thing or a female thing but I know that I hate it.

I'm in nursing school right now and the infighting and gossip and cattiness is totally out of control. I think CEN is right, that there will always be people you do/do not get along with, and I don't know if its a female thing, but it seems to be a has-a-little-too-much-time-on-their-hands thing.

I go to school full time, I work full time, I have a home to take care of, other responsibilities, I couldn't give a flying you-know-what what Sally got on her test or how drunk Jake got over the weekend. I can't understand people who take pleasure in this sort of thing.

I just take care of my sh*t and leave everyone to all their gossip and catty comments. Maybe it will make them feel better about themselves, probably not. Either way, I'm not a part of it. Call me antisocial if you want, I don't mind.

:roll

I just don't get why people are so much more willing to cut somebody down when it takes less effort to boost them up.

Ange · Apr 8, 2002

Originally posted by Nrs2b71
Hi everyone.

I have aol and recently I went over to the "educators" message board to ask some teachers their advice. My son is developmentally delayed and I wanted to ask their opinions regarding his education.

Anyways, as I was casually surfing through their board I noticed a very interesting trend. They are as bad, if not WORSE than us when it comes to fighting with each other! At least the ones on the aol message board are. Now since they all have bachelor's degrees they dont spend time arguing about each others level of education. But they are constantly nit- picking and trying to one up each other. A seemingly innocent statement can end up turing into a long drawn out fight quite easily and their is alot of tit for tat going on.

So maybe, just maybe all of our fighting isnt just a nurse thing but more of a female thing (god I would hate to admit that but maybe it is true?)

I hope this makes at least a few people feel a little better about nursing. I was begining to get very discouraged about nursing and was starting to wonder if maybe alot of disfunctional people were attracted to the profession. I am saddened that their is so much bickering between teachers, but at the same time, I'm relieved that its not just a nursing thing.

Hoping everyone is having a great weekend!

Stacey

Just in response to your statements above, I must say that I find Nursing Teachers to be the worst at fighting with each other. I am currenlty a Nursing student at the end of my studies and I have never seen more fighting than what I have seen amongest the teachers. They all seem to think that they are the one with the most knowledge and should be "running the show". Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the help they have provided me with, and I, as well, can't say that it is just a woman thing. Trust me I have seen guys do it just as bad.

Ange

Agnus · Apr 8, 2002

MsPurp,

That is so true. too much time on thier hands. You are too bussy to tear others down because you are too bussy building a life.

It's the old crab effect. You know, when there is a bucket of crabs and one tries to climb out; the other crabs pull him back down into the bucket. Don't worry about them they'll do enough of that for themselves.

StirLady · Apr 8, 2002

As an Army Waivers Clerk I worked around mostly men. Love this part, I had 135 male recuiters coming to me because their recruits couldn't get in without the waiver. TRUST ME when I say it is not just a female thing. We are just more educationally articulated and more imaginative in how and what we say. Men tend to be more aggressive, combative, take-no-prisoners, and throw it in your face type confrontationally. They also are getting a little (and I stress LITTLE) better at understanding that they can't equate all things with a particular part of the anatomy, either theirs or yours. I did learn to have them eating out of my hand because they did learn that they had to play nice or I would take my toys (typewriter and 'accepted' stamp)to play someplace else. A day of silence while waiting for their waiver worked wonders. hehehehehehehehe.

Agnus · Apr 8, 2002

Stirlady,

I hear you. I spent 12 years in the Army where I was most often the only female. It's a people thing. The biggest (and actually about the only, now that I think of it) backbiter, tattler, and "catty" person were I work (small hospital) is a man.

It's a people thing.

Nrs2b71 · Apr 8, 2002

I know that my husband and I have very different ways of dealing with conflict.

For example: he will come home after work complaining about one co-worker or another, saying how much of an ass this person is because of some disagreement they got into...yet he will turn around a few days later, and tell me that he and this same co-worker are going to stop off at the bar for a couple of beers after work.

Now if that was me...Im sure not going to be getting any cocktails with the person I was so upset with just a few short days ago. Frankly I would still feel slighted or hurt or whatever..and the disagreement would be too fresh in my mind to want to be buddy buddy with them again so soon.

Now is this a general difference in the way men and women deal with conflict....or is this difference mainly an individual thing?...Im not sure. Of course there will always be an exception to the rule but I wonder if other women frequently notice this difference too.

Stacey

Nrs2b71 · Apr 8, 2002

Also wanted to say thanks to PRMENRS for posting that great link. It was very informative and just what I was looking for.

Thanks again! :)

Stacey

mattsmom81 · Apr 8, 2002

Wholeheartedly agree, Stirlady and Agnus...it is a people thang, and a sociology 'people in groups' thang! :)

Also feel there's a lot of truth in points about nursing as an oppressed group....and the lack of respect for our profession...we are still seen and portrayed by many as overpaid handmaidens, (Hillary's quote), servants, bedpan pushers, low class, akin to prostitutes, etc. If I had actually known all this before I went into nursing, I probably would have run for my life! LOL!

Guys seem more competitively "in your face" by nature; sometimes they adapt to the prevailing environment and become even MORE catty and underhanded than the rest of their nurse group.... Boy have I seen a few of these.

But it's dog eat dog in a man's world too...make no mistake..they just may go about it a bit more obviously. Remember it's never been 'feminine' for women to APPEAR too competitive....so some disguise it...LOL!

Teachers...well the NEA has successfully united them and as a group I feel they have better wages, respect and benefits than nurses. They work within a stifling bureaucracy though and have a tough, tough job today...most teachers I know feel they have very little personal voice, and are punished if they are display independent thought or action within their school system. Sad. I remember my best and favorite teachers as those who WERE 'their own person'...that's what caught my attention and motivated me to be a free thinker. :)