The setup
The teacher target became aware that things were different, that
something was afoot, and she felt a sense of foreboding. A competent teacher
was about to be systematically attacked by the people who were up to this point
considered colleagues, friends. She started to feel isolated. She’d go to the
staffroom and sit next to someone who would move when the principal came into
the room. They were under instruction not to engage with their colleague as
this would be seen to be siding with the ‘miscreant.’
'She started hearing
negative things about her being circulated among the staff and other teachers
soon began ignoring her in the staffroom'
Someone had concocted a ‘problem’ regarding a person on the staff which
had to be ‘dealt’ with. Of course, such a problem was affecting the morale of
staff etc. etc. and had to be 'nipped in the
bud.' The principal and her acolytes actioned their plan. The school
principal asserted that:
‘Serious claims by others had been made
against her’
The consequences
Slowly her mind and body grew tired of the incessant innuendo and
enforced isolation. Her colleagues wanted to protect themselves and in doing so
became enablers; they allowed this to happen. The bully was in the driver’s
seat and her sycophant co bully passengers went along for the ride.
'Initially I just
started getting sick, getting colds, my immune system went into decline'
Her body was winding
down as her immune system allowed opportune bugs to find their way in to cause
sickness. Her health continued to decline. Things were so dire that she:
'Eventually tried to
commit suicide'
Principals who bully:
‘Single out a target for constant
criticism, can make unreasonable demands, and provide critical and inconsistent
directions.’
The
bully principal will have a right-hand person perhaps to take notes, to add to
and embellish the narrative of ‘the toxic teacher.’ He or she has a job to protect,
and the teacher target is just collateral damage.
The
bully boss profile
The
experience of this person is not unfortunately an isolated case. If you find
yourself the target of the boss bully, there are ways you can tell if your boss
is a bully. You can read an article called When Your
Boss is a bully by
Ronald E Riggio, who identifies eight tell-tale signs your boss is a bully:
- Does your boss blame
you for fabricated "errors"?
- Are you given
unreasonable job demands or goals?
- Does your boss threaten
you with pay cuts or being fired?
- Does your boss insult
you and/or criticize your abilities? Does this happen in front of others?
- Are you excluded by
the bully and his/her "henchpeople" or given the silent
treatment?
- Does your boss yell, scream,
or curse at you?
- Does your boss
inconsistently enforce rules?
- Does your boss deny or
discount your accomplishments and/or take credit for your success?
- They have ‘eyes and
ears,’ someone who reports what they see and hear.
If
you want to find out more about workplace bullying, you may find these websites
useful.
https://www.hracuity.com/blog/how-to-identify-exclusion-in-the-workplace-5-examples/
Giulio is an
ED.D. candidate at the University of South Australia. He is a student
counsellor in the public school system and specialises in Rational Emotive
Behaviour Education. He is also a consultant to schools in counselling-based
behaviour education systems in school. He is the author of two self-published
teacher/counsellor resources; People and Emotions and Have a Go Spaghettio!
both endorsed by Dr. Albert Ellis, creator of Rational Emotive Behaviour
Therapy. He is a member of the International
Committee for The Advancement of Rational Emotive Education.
