Query: Support staff & teaching staff relationship

[pete]

While we were interviewing recently, one of the candidates was surprised that we (IT guys & support staff) went for coffee in the staff room at break and also go down the pub with the (albeit less annoying) teachers.

 

The school he was from is rather strange about some things, but SMT and I definitely got the impression that support staff were _really_ treated as second class citizens there and "didn't belong" in the staff room.

 

Is this anyone else's experience? I know we take the mickey out of and rant about teachers, but I'm on friendly terms with most of them here and no-one (support staff or teacher) would dream of displaying the kind of behaviour he'd hinted at.

[MkII]

Friendly here too.

 

One SMT that just left was a bit old fashioned - treated support staff like trash but would then encourage and back.

[markcuk]

staff friendly what a JOKE!!!

 

im always told by certain staff that my face doesnt fit (so no promotion for me)

 

i eat with the caretakers!! (mostly to get peace at dinner)

 

mark

[beeswax]

sorry to read that markcuk. It can't be a pleasant working environment. Whichever school I've worked in the head or one of the deputies has always told me/us that we're staff, and he expects us to be treated accordingly. There are one or two teachers who you suspect may be condescending towards you, but everyone feels the pressure from time to time, just try and make allowances.

the techies here don't go into the staff room for tea/coffee etc for 3 very good reasons. Our office is at the other end of the school from the staff room, we're usually working anyway, or, someone would ask you about their computer/laptop etc at home. Otherwise, if somebody's leaving or retiring, we go down for the speech and presentation.

You'll get a lot farther as a team.

[Norphy]

The two technicians (Myself and Ully) generally get on with most of the teachers at our place as does our NM to a certain extent. Our NM does seem to do his best to make life difficult for teachers sometimes and I can't help but worry that its rubbing off on me :|

 

However we all spend our tea breaks with the teachers and occasionally socialise with them

[Ric_]

Most people are fine and all the non-teaching staff get on well... during the holidays we all cook together in the food tech room

 

Teachers tend to leave us alone but most are quite friendly.

[john]

We go to the staff room, its where you actually find out about the PC that has been broken in room X for like 4 weeks but everyone thought everyone else reported it. At my last place, I went in the staffroom but only because my work drawer was there and to check in with a member of staff who took note of the days faults and let me know about them. I had afternoon tea and biscuits with the cleaners.

 

@Ric, I love that, you have a great team there cooking together in the holidays.

[Midget]

CDT stick to the CDT dept and they have some nice tea, so I tend to go there. Never bother with the staff room except to get stuff from my pigeonhole.

[SpuffMonkey]

We don't even have a staff room - just "team bases" that are very cliquey. Though its very "officers and other ranks" here - pretty much we're pondlife (unless they want a favour).

[BKGarry]

Well, i go in the staff room atleast 6-8 times a day, mainly to make myself some Tea or Coffee as there is not room to safely have a kettle in our office, and if any of you want proof skype me on my username (same as edugeek) and i will show you. Also pretty much all the old school staff have left but i seem to be the only member of technical staff that will go into the staff room to relax and one other member of support staff, the librarian. I tend to go in there to excape.

 

The support staff have had traditions of socialising other places due to legacy passed on from when the staff room was for teaching staff only.

 

But it seems most of all non-teaching staff go to the pub for the end of term drinks, and I always seem to get invited out with the younger staff members. And sometimes go clubbing with office staff older than my mum!

 

The other Techie here seems to lack all social interaction though. I mean I had to force him to come to the pub for when the NM left in sept, which means i have been covering and have to go up against external candidates in interviews for the job.

 

But there is more a reluctance of support staff here to go in the staff room rather then the support staff not being allowed in.

[russdev]

Get on with all staff here maybe something to do with the fact that stood up to a senior member of staff when they tried it on once in staffroom.

 

But also they know that everybody requests get treated same from cleaner to head and if I am willing to tell head to wait got no problem doing same with everybody else.

 

As for staffroom make a point of going having lunch in there at least once a or twice a week and was told it is good that i make effort has major impact.

 

As number of support staff is coming to equal number of teaching staff all staff are seen as equal here.

 

Russ

[bossman]

I am the same russdev except that there are certain female members of staff and i mean only a few who think that they are much better people than the rest of us and so they think you should bow and scrape to their every whim.

If you say no to these people then they go running to HR and put in a written complaint without following line management procedure and some even go to the headteacher and complain. I have had to engage my union on more than one occasion because of these persons and i did feel intimidated at one time but i have stood my ground and they have been told by my union in no uncertain terms that what they are doing constitutes to nothing more than victimisation and bullying.

This has stopped them in their tracks for the minute but i am sure they will club together to come up with an excuse to have another go at me but i am ready for them. I have tried to encourage good dialog between us but they remain aloof and stuck up like spoilt brats. All of the other members of staff always have a good word to say about me and i treat everyone exactly the same from the head to the cleaners.

[StewartKnight]

I personally go to the Science department meeting every Friday.... just so happens that it is in a local hostelry!!!

 

I would go to the staffroom at break, but I'd just get hassled about spyware and the like, otherwise, there is no issue with teacher v non-teachers. They even sent me on a teacher-only trip to South Africa!

 

However.... no one bothered to organise a whip round last month when my wife gave birth. I'm a bit cheesed off about that, but the PE department did get us a card, which was nice!

[e_g_r]

At my first school i was told that i had the "honour" of being the "only non teacher" to be allowed in the "common room" at break for coffee and biscuits. This was so that members of staff could approach me with their problems.

 

At Christams and the end of summer term i was the only non teacher allowed to the staff buffett. I never went out of principle.

 

Things chaged when a new burser was appointed who beleived in team work etc.. Even then some of the older staff were seen to frown upon us mere mortels in their common room.

 

At my last school all staff mixed freeley in the staff room and we had free coffee/tea and toast in the morning prepared by Sue the tea lady. This helped greatly in the communication between staff and there was little use and them.

 

At my current school there is a staff room but each faculty has its own office so they tend not to use the staff room. As i've not been in post very long i find getting to know staff is a bit more difficult. However we always try to be friendly and you just ignore the staff who think they are a cut above you because they have a degree.

 

If someone openly suggested to me that that was why they were better than me i'd just show them my Masters in marketing. That would probably shut them up !!!!

[Nij.UK]

I have to go with the general feed back here, i get on well with mostly everyone within the school, but i think everyone has fall outs with teachers, i know im the not the favorate with a couple of them, but apart from that get on well with everyone.....

 

I dont tend to go in the staffroom much, but do pass though it and check my tray for messages post, WAGE SLIPS etc!!

[ConTheITGuy]

... during the holidays we all cook together in the food tech room

 

Half of the staff here do that during the holidays... that's me cooking my Super Noodles - the caretaker doesn't. It's quiet round here during holidays!

 

I don't feel any "us and them syndrome". The only person I did feel this off once was a supply teacher who was supposed to be covering a long term absence - he wasn't here long. I get the feeling that Office staff and the LSAs feel it a bit, but tbh - I think that is them more than the teachers

 

Andy

[browolf]

All our faculties have their own staff room/offices so hardly anyone uses the main one any more. Recently alterations cut it in half lol. I've only really seen teachers whose departments are nearby and support staff in there.

 

We get on with all staff but ones that see us the most best, or have their office next door (IT). Some even come and hang out in our office. Clearly we're much more interesting than teachers haha

 

Other technicians in the past have socialised with teachers privately. Me I dont do trendy nightclubs. I go to the staff parties,

[SteveT]

I don`t mind any of the teachers or even SMT coming to my staffroom ........ as long as they know their place in the pecking order, make me tea and supply chocolate biscuits!

[Midget]

hobnob?

[sidewinder]

I get on well with most staff, teaching or otherwise

I wouldnt normally go as far as having lunch with them but thats mainly because I choose not to

 

I get on really well with some teachers, although some departments can be a bit cliquey (typically the ones with the fit female teachers so I dont get a chance to talk to them much )

 

Non teaching staff I see more though and we go on their functions etc more than teaching ones but mostly everything is equal

 

I get on best with technicians from other departments (such as art and music) as they are normally quite young like me and we can relate to each other

[Sylv3r]

I get on here with the majority if not all of the teachers. I was once a pupil here 6 years ago, so was extremely difficult at first but the older generation of staff have moved on now in the last 2 years teachers have been getting jobs here as NQT's and are younger then me.

 

I also play 5-a-side football on a friday after school agaist the 6th form with other teaching members of staff and reguarly go to the pub for a pint afterwards.

 

As far as Christmas do's we generally go out as a whole support staff as the last couple of years they hasn't been a whole staff night out. The last one for all staff was the post OFSTED p**s up which was a good night... I think!

[ranj]

never have time for a lunch. its usually eating lunch whilst working and having a quick look at the world news and sport on bbc and checking my football fantasy league.

[GrumbleDook]

'Non-teachers'? We don't have them at our school ... we have associate staff, and heaven help the person I hear say 'non-teacher' in a derogatory tone.

 

We now have a few more associate staff than teaching staff ... and the teachers are glad for it as it takes huge chunks of work off their backs and provides a nice, comfortable environment (relatively) to work in.

 

Everyone goes to the staffroom at sometime during the day ... it always used to be that during lunch the support office closed, but for the last 2 1/2 years there has been a rota of who has an early lunch, a normal lunch or a late lunch (having hundreds of minions makes this possible) so now people *want* to escape the office to have a breather.

 

We have an embargo on people catching us in the staffroom unless it is urgent and serious. If they ask for something stupid they get a polite reply of, "there is someone up in the office ... feel free to pop up".

 

They get 2 chances ... and if they insist on being pushy the get told to go away we are having lunch.

 

I do have the occasional run-in with the odd teacher (the brave ones ... or those that have forgotten how scathing I can be) and the message that if they choose to allow themselves to be disturbed during lunch then that is fine ... they get paid a lot more money than most of the team and so they shouldn't moan about having to work at home to mark book, prepare lessons etc ... they get a nice wage and nice holidays to cover it. If they would like to donate some of the 1/4 of a year they have on holiday or the film start wages then feel free to hassle the team during lunch/breaks.

 

And this attitude from me gets support from the majority of teachers ... work hard, play hard ... but don't disturb *anybody's* tea break!

[farmerste]

I get on great with the staff at my school, and i find the best way to make my job easy is to fall out with them, and if I can't fall out with them, i tell them i fancy them.

 

only joking

[derer1]

I avoid the staff room like the plague - very cliquey, and all you get is bothered while eating. I generally eat offsite (Ahh, Sweet & Tasty Sandwich Shop!) or in the server room.

 

There's very much a two tier attitude here, and often you're lucky if people actually remmeber your name, rather than just addressing you as 'the Techie' or 'The technician'