how do you handle teachers who have big egos?
- Thread starter ananan
- Start date
Can you tell us about your experiences?
Perfect advice.
I immediately postured when I saw the title of this thread, teachers can be the worst and pretty useless outside their comfort zone. Teachers are like actors.
I've adopted an 'arms length' approach, with most. Except those that are genuine.
Their ego will usually trip them up at some point, with no input from you. Deep breath & arm's length 
Peter Dale
Dammit man! I'm a technician, not a magician!
Laugh at them and walk away. Nothing wounds an ego like not understanding how someone can possibly dismiss them so easily.
Also Emma R's advice is good if you're not feeling sassy or confrontational.
Thankfully I've not encountered anyone in my science department with such an ego, and anyone outside of the science department isn't really smart enough to justify whatever ego they have. Seriously, how are some of these people still alive, let alone teaching our children? (I saw a maths teacher trying to microwave a metal ready-meal tray once. I had to switch it off at the plug before it went for too long.)
Purple Cat
It's real Science not Rocket Science
Totally agree - some of them shouldn't be allowed to leave the house
Not just teachers with big egos, some of us have to work with technicians like that, no support from the HoD or school.
paul r
COMMITTEE
I hope you are not the technician that works with me !
Totally agree with all the posts . An Egotist cannot abide being ignored !!
I had one calling themselves "head of chemistry" (they weren't).
"I want ethanol absolute"
"You're getting IDA."
"No, I NEED eth absolute"
"No, you don't."
"I DO!"
"You don't. Listen to the tech who's prepped this for 7 years. You're GETTING IDA."
"I'm more qualified than you, I know what I need!!"
"I'm more experienced than you, I know what you're getting."
"It's not the same!!"
"Look at the chemical formula."
"No, it's not the same."
"LOOK at it."
"I..oh...it is what I need. But that's not ethanol...that's IDA..why is it labelled differently?!"
"It has many labels. IDA, IMS, Meths, ethanol..it's not the label, it's the formula that matters. This is what you're getting."
Walked off..
"I want ethanol absolute"
"You're getting IDA."
"No, I NEED eth absolute"
"No, you don't."
"I DO!"
"You don't. Listen to the tech who's prepped this for 7 years. You're GETTING IDA."
"I'm more qualified than you, I know what I need!!"
"I'm more experienced than you, I know what you're getting."
"It's not the same!!"
"Look at the chemical formula."
"No, it's not the same."
"LOOK at it."
"I..oh...it is what I need. But that's not ethanol...that's IDA..why is it labelled differently?!"
"It has many labels. IDA, IMS, Meths, ethanol..it's not the label, it's the formula that matters. This is what you're getting."
Walked off..
Peter Sigsworth
COMMITTEE
Trouble is many have never been outside the education environment and then find themselves being the font of all knowledge and correctness in front of unruly students who must do what they are told....end of.
This can, over time, have a massive impact on their personality and interpersonal skills. I know, I was that person in my early days as teacher - I talked to colleagues and friends like they were children - not a nice person - leaving teaching made me learn and change. I hope I have, or at least got better.
Taking this into account helps me to accept such arrogant people and I smile to myself because I know why they are like that... it's not their fault. Accept that some people are a product of their very stressful environment. I pity them and that helps me to understand.
However, I take no s''t from them and will tell them straight in an understanding way, by fully explaining the reasons why I am doing what I'm doing.
This can, over time, have a massive impact on their personality and interpersonal skills. I know, I was that person in my early days as teacher - I talked to colleagues and friends like they were children - not a nice person - leaving teaching made me learn and change. I hope I have, or at least got better.
Taking this into account helps me to accept such arrogant people and I smile to myself because I know why they are like that... it's not their fault. Accept that some people are a product of their very stressful environment. I pity them and that helps me to understand.
However, I take no s''t from them and will tell them straight in an understanding way, by fully explaining the reasons why I am doing what I'm doing
.
Peter Sigsworth
COMMITTEE
Look up 'Betari's Box' which might help - the only way is to make sure their behaviour doesn't affect you attitude - break the cycle
Betari's box describes how people can get locked into a vicious or virtuous circle of communication, based on how their attitudes and behaviour respond to each other.
Betari's box describes how people can get locked into a vicious or virtuous circle of communication, based on how their attitudes and behaviour respond to each other.
Peter Sigsworth
COMMITTEE
so just smile to yourself and know that we all end up in the same place eventually.
I had to interrupt this teacher in a lesson, in front of kids and some primary staff who were observing...they were doing exploding can...and they were saying it happened due to pressure difference, heating, air expansion.
"No, no, stop. I'm sorry, I can't allow this to continue. You're mistaken."
Gave the class a brief lesson on the fact that gas doesn't explode without an oxygen mix, the finer points of stochiometry, etc etc. Branched off into how engines work, and the fact that the lid isn't bolted down, so what do they think might happen when the gas mix reaches peak flammability.
Went to HoD after and explained what I'd done..he laughed. Physics head, old MG - lots of experience with that about economy and stochiometric mixes for that..
"You and I are old school - we KNOW about this. Youth of today, not a clue."This, absolutely.
The ony 2 teachers who even get OFFERED ethanol are the two who teach A level chemistry, and even then I check each time to be sure they really need it.
Luckily the only 2 egos I ever met were both student teachers - one chap who was convinced he knew everything and didn't need any advice (fine, I didn't give him any!) and another was a woman probably about 14 years ago who decided to "tidy" away the old Nuffield 9.something (electrostatic fields/liquid jets), in the process removing all my labels from the 6 different chemicals. She then tried to physically help me tidy then despite me saying she had already helped enough, contrived to get propanone in my eye (past my safety glasses - she was pretty talented!) and then get offended when I told her to just s*d off!
Can confirm a) propanone in the eye is not fun and b) it took me a full hour to test the burette contents and return everything to the correct bottles.
Peter, this is so helpful.
I have one at the moment who is proving difficult to handle, and I think this might just help.
I am being the adult
Thank you
Someone nearly had apoplexy when I said, " Yes, but in the great scheme of things, does it really matter?"
I also told a member of SLT that he may be a big fish, but in a very tiny pond...