Dear We Are Teachers,
My 3rd grade team and I have to meet every day in close quarters for our PLC. One of our team members is constantly coming to work while obviously very sick. We’re talking hacking cough, tissues all over her desk, can barely keep her eyes open, that kind of thing. When we’ve encouraged her to go home, she says she “doesn’t like to use her sick days.” (What she really means is that she likes to save her sick days to travel.) Should we confront her about this?
—We Have a Team Plague-er
Dear W.H.A.T.P.,
I am of two minds when it comes to this issue.
On one hand, I think she should be able to use her days however she wants. Teachers get so little flexibility during their contract year for personal days (as if our personal needs should always just magically coincide with a preexisting calendar?) that to me, this is not a battle worth fighting. Since your meeting space is in close quarters, start by setting a norm for the whole group. If anyone is feeling sick, they commit to joining the PLC remotely via Zoom to prevent the spread of illnesses.
On the other hand, I do think it’s somewhat irresponsible to come to school when she’s demonstrably ill, and she is definitely putting others at risk if she comes to school with a fever (even one brought down by medication). If the teacher refuses to honor your PLC’s boundaries about meeting remotely when not feeling well, I think it’s fair to bring in an administrator to the conversation at that point.
So, proceed with caution. And maybe a N95 during your PLC for the time being.
Dear We Are Teachers,
I have a 6th grader that has gone from needing a regular 10-minute bathroom break in my 50-minute class to suddenly taking 20-30 minutes in the bathroom every day. I reached out to his mom when this first started happening to make her aware how much class he was missing, but she simply thanked me for letting her know. His peers have started remarking on how much he’s gone during class, and it puts a strain on a lot of our activities (e.g. group work, missing notes/instructions, etc.). I don’t want to pry if it’s a personal/medical issue, but it’s also becoming an academic one, too. Should I address this again or just let it go?
—Bathroom Break is Turning Into a Bathroom Credit
Dear B.B.I.T.I.A.B.C.,
This kind of situation is always tricky. But when in doubt, let them go to the bathroom. Good for you for not interfering with what very well could be a medical issue.
Talk with an administrator first about this additional check-in. Likely, your administrator will recognize the need to offer the student a 504 and medical accommodations. Your admin might take over the situation entirely (whew!), or can at least guide you to the right starting point/people for this process.
By already familiarizing your admin with this situation, if Mom then rejects a 504 and insists a bathroom break that takes up 40-60% of your class every day isn’t an issue, your administrator is already positioned to work on solutions with her.
Dear We Are Teachers,
I’m in my third year of teaching at a completely toxic school, and just this morning I just turned in my two weeks’ notice. I can’t take it anymore. Would you put a semester + two weeks of school on your resume for future jobs (I’m applying to other schools as well as jobs in completely different fields), or just leave off this year’s experience entirely?
—It’s Past Time, Honestly
Dear I.P.T.H.,
I would still leave your experience this year. Future employers will want to speak with a manager or principal from your most current school. You won’t want to set yourself up with conflicting information.
The application or resume will ask you for reasons for leaving your workplace. Don’t put “toxic work environment” or any other subjective descriptors. I think the best thing you can do is find points of praise, and then word your reasons for leaving as searching for positive, not trying to escape negative. Here’s what I mean.
- “I’m grateful for what I learned during my time at Oakwood, and am now looking for a school with more opportunities for growth and leadership.”
- “I learned so many valuable skills in my time as a teacher, and am looking to apply these in a new and exciting field.”
- “I had a fabulous mentor at Oakwood, and am searching for a school where I can have the kind of influence on others that she had on me.”
Will they read between the lines that you left midway through the year? Yeah, probably. But principals and other employers know this happens. (And there’s always a chance your principal already knows the principal at Oakwood is toxic, too. 👀)
Do you have a burning question? Email us at askweareteachers@weareteachers.com.
Dear We Are Teachers,
I’m in my first year teaching high school biology. Ever since the new semester started, my students are either totally apathetic or spend the whole class goofing off. We can’t get anything done, and it genuinely feels like they hate me. How do I reset them to factory settings? And please tell me it doesn’t take weeks!
—I’ve Got the New Year Blues
