How often do you lose your temper
The network manager at my school regularly loses his temper and shouts at daft teachers. He has quite a short fuse. Where as I am completely the opposite. It takes a hell of a lot to make me lose my temper and I have only been made really angry once in 18 months. Dim teachers don't make angry, although teachers who totally basic lack manners do.
Where do you think the balance lies between being patient and not allowing dim teachers to take the p***?
Walk away, sarcasm, baffle them.......
As a break off I use "I have another job that is very urgent that has been reported on the Helpdesk, I will get back to this as soon as I can and will notify you of its progress and if you can log it onto the helpdesk that would be great....followed by a cheesey smile and a nod of the head" then I wander off before any one has chance to answer.
That way it gets me out of a stressful situation if needed and I can come back to the problem when said Teacher has moved on letting me get the job done a lot quicker.
RE: why don't you just shout at them..
Well we all have bad days, I can understand why teachers get upset sometimes when in front of a class of 30 pupils the lesson starts to go horribly wrong because of an IT fault.
But....the fact they get upset and dont have a backup plan is unprofessional, me acting in a equally unprofessional manner would not resolve the issue or be a good example for the pupils or any one who enters the room while the argument/heated discussion is taking place.
In the past I have had to take far more abuse from corporate customers than a teacher could ever be capable of, that helps alot :D