Why do you whisper?

A teacher colleague was out of sorts it seemed. They had been quiet and reclusive, electing to stay in their classroom because they felt unsafe. They found it hard to come to work and do their job.

They were a teacher of high quality and competence, well respected and loved by their students. They were particularly strong in their understanding of children on the autism spectrum and provided highly effective, individualised programs accordingly.

A fellow member of staff had taken umbrage at the teachers suggestion that their class move a little quieter around the school so they didn’t disturb others. This was not taken very well, the staff member, whose fragile sensibilities were breeched and who couldn’t handle an adults courteous request spat the proverbial chewy! How dare anyone speak to me like that! thought the entitled individual and after their little meltdown they went to complain to the acting principal at the time.

The acting principal didn’t like the miscreant teacher who dared have a voice, and the two combined to plan how they would apply an appropriate consequence to the teacher who dared to make a reasonable request of a fellow staff member.

A rumour was put about that the naughty teacher was not a team player who offended another member of staff. Ms Putty Nose’s sycophant lieutenants went about their bullying business of vilification and victimisation and that was not all!

Ms. Putty Nose and her helpers would congregate outside the miscreants classroom in plain sight of the target class teacher. Gang members would take it in turns to do this on other occasions, and they would go into the classroom when the target was not there and open the top windows facing the corridor. The classroom teacher target kept these windows closed as they wanted privacy and didn’t want to hear what the gang said when they congregated outside in the corridor, coincidentally under the opened window.

It turns out that Ms Putty-Nose and her cabal of sycophant helpers would use other strategies like using CCTV to track the movements of the target, harvest information from social media to get any information that they could use against them and spread unfounded and unsubstantiated lies about their targets personal and professional makeup. Ms Putty-Nose would instruct others not to associate with the victim target as they were persona non grata.

This was targeted intentional behaviour that can only be described as bullying. The teacher target felt intimidated, unsafe, humiliated, and sick. Their physical and mental health deteriorated to the point where they needed help and was subsequently put on the appropriate medication to help them deal which was a trauma, a trauma visited upon them by grown up and professional adults who should have known better!

A colleague spoke with the classroom teacher and asked them how they were travelling and as their story unfolded it was clear that a regimen of targeted bully behaviour was being visited upon this exceptional educator.

The colleague noted that the teacher was speaking in a whisper and asked them if they had a sore throat. No, they said, they just didn’t want anyone to hear them, they didn’t feel safe. It turned out that they wouldn’t go to the staffroom unless necessary as they would feel sick and start to dry reach if by chance they passed by or was within eye contact of the bullies who pursued them. They would only go to the bathroom if it were necessary so fearful were they of their ill intended colleagues. They spoke of their fear of coming to school and they would sit in their car in the carpark dry reaching at the thought of having to be in a place that was dangerous to them.

Eventually the teacher left and moved on and began their recovery from the trauma of working in a place where bullies held sway. They often asked how adults could behave like those who pushed them so close to the edge, how could they act with such hate and malice.