How to Properly Complain: A Guide for Teachers

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ben Jatos, GoLocalPDX MINDSETTER™

Photo credit: iStock

As with every profession, there seems to be a large amount of complaining done by teachers. As a teacher, I can say that this is definitely true. There are some definitive guidelines for topics of complaint, however and hopefully this will serve as a guide for proper protocol.

First off, there is one rule about audience. There can be no complaining to students. That would be just too unprofessional put kids in awkward situations. Even if you really, really want to, don’t do it.

Complaining About Education “Reform” and Standardized Testing

Not only is this topic acceptable, it is actually highly encouraged. With the corporate takeover of education (Common Core, Smarter Balance testing, Pearson as a demigod), visible and demonstrative complaining is really just logical. The Badass Teachers Association (BAT’s) have been leaders in this area for a few years and are actually very good at it. They speak truth to power, (Read about their meeting with Arne Duncan if you want to be entertained and scared all at the same time) they have rallied other teachers together, and they make just so much sense when they complain. Complaining about “reform” is just honorable and if enough teachers would do so, maybe we could bring facts to light about the sheer wrongness of the current climate in education.

Complaining About Meetings

This is a tough one. If the meeting is about a student, you aren’t allowed to complain. Teachers are there for the students and anything involving them directly is off limits. But meaningless meetings where administrators or paid experts drone on and on and on about things which have no direct bearing on your students? 100 percent acceptable. There are some meetings where the information being disseminated is valuable and those are the meetings which may not be the subject of ridicule. Those other ones, though, are fair game. The litmus test for whether a meeting is valuable is if it directly affects our students. If the meeting content doesn’t impact our students, that is wasteful of time and needs to be complained about.

Complaining About Students

This is unacceptable. One of the basic tenets of education is that every student can learn. Sometimes they get off the track a little and need nudges and reminders to be better but by complaining about students teachers are not helping anything. It is an easy trap to fall into but it serves no purpose. Teachers are there for the students. It’s who we serve. We also need to take some responsibility for them. I have done some complaining about students in the past and what I realized is that I was usually just disappointed in how I handled a situation with a student. I decided about six years ago that I would try, under all circumstances, to refrain from ever complaining about a student and I can honestly say that the past five years have been my best. It’s changed my outlook and made me focus on working to improve the students instead of just focusing on bad behaviors or performance. Also, it’s nowhere near as fun as complaining about stupid meetings or ridiculous national tests.

Complaining About Other Teachers

This is frowned upon, but under the right circumstances, not the end of the world. These complaints need to be clever or funny and not overly mean-spirited. You also have to know your audience to make sure that the terrible things you are saying about a science teacher don’t get back to her. In a perfect world, if you had a problem with another teacher, you’d talk to that person. But sometimes it is just much easier to talk behind their back and be gossipy.

Complaining About Salary

This is very easy to do but shouldn’t be done in mixed company (i.e. with non-teachers). Every person in America (exept for certain politicians) knows that teachers are underpaid and to talk about it is just depressing. We knew going into the profession what it was going to be like and if you have to preach to a non-educator group about it, it's just sad and makes you look bad.

Complaining About Administrators

Never do this. They have ears and eyes everywhere.

Complaining about Parents

Never do this either. I used to do this and then I became a father. It totally changed my perspective. My child is the most precious thing in the world to me and I will email her teacher whenever I feel like it and her teacher better never complain about me being “too involved” or anything like that. It’s also just rude. We are here to serve the students mostly, but the parents as well.

When I student taught 22 years ago there was a glass jar that sat on the big lunch table in the teacher’s lounge. If a teacher wanted to complain at lunch, all they had to do was put in a dollar and they could have at it. But if they wanted to complain about a student, it was five bucks. It was a pretty good lunch environment.

Ben Jatos is in his 21st year of teaching secondary English. His opinions are his own and in no way represent the views of his school district. He is passionate about his family, the Portland Trail Blazers, the writing of Raymond Carver, and educating young people. For more of his opinions and reviews of literature for the classroom, check out his blog at www.benjatos.com

Banner Photo Credit: iStock