[senco-forum] advice and jumping on the bandwaggon

...But, a last year, when we were appointing, one of the candidates

> ...But, a last year, when we were appointing, one of the candidates
> complained that she hadn't been given the job because I had been
> giving her 'the evil eye' during the interview! She wanted to
> complain but as a member of the SMT had been interviewing with me,
> she felt we were 'ganging up' on her. The fact that she was so
> aggressive during the interview, wasn't important (apparently).

I've known some TAs who (in my opinion -- wrongly) regard 'aggression'
as an admirable quality. Such people invariably appear not to
differentiate between this trait and 'assertiveness' -- a very
different quality.

Indeed some I've come across regard their role as not much different
from a prison guard or a warder in a jail who's been charged with
keeping the inmates in line, thereby allowing the teacher to get on
with teaching the more able students. Alas I've also come across
teachers, HODs and Heads all too ready go along with this in the name
of 'a quiet life', much to the detriment of the supported childrens'
self-esteem and education.

Trouble is once such a TA becomes ensconced in a school its very
difficult to get rid of them, especially given you just know they'll
be inclined to aggressively pursue punitive recompense if you try.

Good on you Donna for refusing to bow to this intimidation.

David Bowles

David Bowles