Avoiding Cliques At School
- Date: 2010-07-22 - Word Count: 422
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If you thought that cliques were just part of the school playground, think again. Perhaps it is due to the type of working environment in school, or maybe the behavior of the students affects staff more than they realize. Whatever the reason, cliques are a common staffroom occurrence. It is not just newcomers who have to battle cliques. Even teachers who have been at the same school for years can feel isolated and pushed out of these select groups. It seems that whatever we teach our students about acceptance and friendship, we often fail to put into practice in the staffroom.
Cliques can be based on any factor that differentiates people from one another. This may be as simple as age and gender, or social habits. There are no real rules for gaining a place in a clique, and the kinds of alienation we may have experienced as children can also follow us into adulthood. Even as grown-ups we may begin to ask, "But why don't they like me?"
Cliques can be positive things: a group of people with similar interests who band together will also share ideas and strategies. However, cliques can also be destructive or exclusive, and those outside the group may be denied important information or professional support.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate cliques completely. Senior staff may wish to discourage cliques if they feel they are affecting the unity of the teaching team. Members of cliques may however resist change and merely band together more tightly.
Remember: teachers who are incredibly popular with their students will not necessarily be equally popular with staff. Although it may seem hurtful or bewildering, try not to take it personally. Concentrate on making a few close friends rather than trying to be accepted into a clique.
Being a new teacher can be very stressful. You have a lot of demands put on you, and you have a lot of pressure to prove yourself. Staffroom cliques are particularly difficult because you have no idea of the dynamics or politics of each department or who you can go to talk to if you have a problem. It can be quite alienating and depressing at first, and for the first few weeks it's possible you will sit on your own in the staffroom, hoping that somebody will eventually want to chat with you.
Try to make the effort to welcome new teaching students and newly qualified teachers now. Having likely been in their shoes before, you probably know how awful it feels when no one talks to you.
Cliques can be based on any factor that differentiates people from one another. This may be as simple as age and gender, or social habits. There are no real rules for gaining a place in a clique, and the kinds of alienation we may have experienced as children can also follow us into adulthood. Even as grown-ups we may begin to ask, "But why don't they like me?"
Cliques can be positive things: a group of people with similar interests who band together will also share ideas and strategies. However, cliques can also be destructive or exclusive, and those outside the group may be denied important information or professional support.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate cliques completely. Senior staff may wish to discourage cliques if they feel they are affecting the unity of the teaching team. Members of cliques may however resist change and merely band together more tightly.
Remember: teachers who are incredibly popular with their students will not necessarily be equally popular with staff. Although it may seem hurtful or bewildering, try not to take it personally. Concentrate on making a few close friends rather than trying to be accepted into a clique.
Being a new teacher can be very stressful. You have a lot of demands put on you, and you have a lot of pressure to prove yourself. Staffroom cliques are particularly difficult because you have no idea of the dynamics or politics of each department or who you can go to talk to if you have a problem. It can be quite alienating and depressing at first, and for the first few weeks it's possible you will sit on your own in the staffroom, hoping that somebody will eventually want to chat with you.
Try to make the effort to welcome new teaching students and newly qualified teachers now. Having likely been in their shoes before, you probably know how awful it feels when no one talks to you.
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