Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Negative teacher Mrs. Frank has worked for several years with Mrs. Smith. They are not only co-workers but also friends. Mrs. Smith is extremely negative with her students. She yells at her students often, and unfortunately, the students (and some parents) do not care for her at all. Mrs. Smith wonders why her students are doing so poorly. Every year she complains that she "always gets these kids". How does Mrs. Frank handle the situation? Does she talk with Mrs. Smith, an administrator, or leave well enough alone? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) Mrs. Frank should try and get to know Mrs. Smith outside of school. They need time to talk about themselves as people and not as educators. You never know what people may be going through outside of work. If they are truly friends then Mrs. Frank should feel comfortable talking to Mrs. Smith as a professional. Administration should step in and try building a mentor program that will allow all teachers to vent their concerns to someone not on their team. Building a positive culture is part of the administration's responsibility; however, it is up to us to build positive relationships within our classroom as well. Mrs. Smith could also work on building positive relationships with parents by simply calling twice a year to say positive things about their children. Send a message to parents that you are all on the same side and that Mrs. Smith will look for the best in all of her students.