1-833-933-4TFD Teaching is one of the most fulfilling careers in the job market. The job has easy hours, and the pay is relatively good. There is also the fact that you feel really good about yourself when you can make some positive changes in your learners’ lives. However, to be a successful teacher, there is a certain code of conduct you are supposed to adhere. Most teachers find it very easy to follow these regulations, which are put in place to simplify the learning process and protect the learners. However, there are a few instances where mistakes happen, leading to teachers getting fired.
Quitting is Easier than Getting Fired
One important thing to understand about teaching is that it is one of those careers where it is extremely hard to get fired. One of the issues that some teachers struggle with is unpreparedness and laziness. However, the kids you are teaching will always be your accountability partners in that they will nag you till you shape up or quit the profession.
There are a few extreme cases of gross misconduct which can lead to the school administration starting disciplinary action against a teacher.
1. Romantic Involvement with Students
One of the main reasons why school administrations let teachers go is when they get romantically involved with students. Students and especially teenagers are very impressionable. A lot of high school kid, for instance, will talk about having a crush on a certain teacher at a certain point during their high school life.
As a teacher, you are supposed to act as a guardian, realize that you are the adult and you are expected to have higher morals and sober decision-making skills. The best way to hold your job as a teacher and also your integrity as an educator is to steer clear of any level of romantic involvement with a student, especially if they are below the age of 18.
Usually, when school administration finds out that you are romantically involved with a student, they will interdict you or send you on compulsory leave. During this time, they perform an independent investigation, and if you are found guilty, they will fire you and in most cases, revoke your teaching license.
2. Lying on Your Resume as a Teacher
One mistake which people make when looking for a job is going a little further than they should with embellishing their resume. It is good to want to present yourself in the best light possible as a teaching job candidate. Unfortunately, if you lie and the school administration discovers that you did, they may have to let you go.
The decision to let you go will, of course, depend on the extent of the lie. If for instance, you stated that you are fluent in French because the school was looking for someone to be teaching French part-time, but you do not know French, they will have no option than to fire and replace you. It is always best to represent your skills in the most honest way possible.
3. Job Hunting While Still at Work
It is good to always look out for greener pastures. If you want to grow as an educator, you have to seek the opportunities available for career development. However, it is important to do this at your own time.
When you are at school, your focus should be preparing lessons for your kids and making sure that they are getting the best of your services as an educator. Sending out resumes through your work email will come back to haunt you as the emails can be traced back to you. It is even worse when colleagues and students find out you are looking for a way out of the institution because they will lose their trust and confidence in you.
4. Inability to Coexist with Co-workers
The other main reason why teachers are fired from their jobs is when they are unable to live harmoniously with their co-workers. One of the basic and unspoken requirements for success in an educational environment is decorum and excellent teamwork.
Teamwork means that if you are part of the science department, you will liaise with the other teachers in the department to come up with the practices which make teaching easy for learners and convenient for other teachers.
Teamwork also means not engaging in activities which may undermine the general goal of the institution. For instance, going through a test before it is done with your learners as a way of ensuring they get high scores to go against the principle of teamwork. In short, if you are continuously caught up in situations where the school has to doubt your integrity and sense of teamwork, you might end up getting fired.
5. Violence in the School Environment
Schools are supposed to provide a calm and peaceful environment for both teachers and learners provide a calm and peaceful environment for both teachers and learners. Engaging in activities that undermine this peace will automatically lead to getting fired.
For instance, it is illegal to hit or in any other way assault a student physically. Fighting with colleagues is also not allowed. Teachers are also supposed to treat each other with the same level of respect.
Verbal violence is also considered inappropriate and punishable behavior. This is a common challenge for teachers because sometimes students can be hard to control, which frustrates teachers into shouting at them. However, personal verbal attacks on a student’s character can lead to a lot of administrative problems, and even loss of a job, depending on the gravity of the harm you cause a student.
6. Substance Abuse
Another behavior which can lead to the loss of a teaching job is the inability to control substance abuse issues. If you know that you struggle with issues such as alcoholism, or you have an addiction to other drugs, the school may find it necessary to remove you from the school, when your behavior becomes a danger to the others in the school environment.
Note that drug abuse is considered a problem when you start coming to school drunk or intoxicated in any other way. At the same time, schools expect you to be a role model, and when you start getting to school high or drunk, the administration will be disappointed.
7. Slacking on Your Responsibilities
Another common reason why teachers get into trouble with the school administration is the failure to take their roles and responsibilities seriously. For instance, you are supposed to mark and grade student tests and give back to them on time. If you are unable to meet these deadlines, you will be complicating your students’ lives and slowing down their learning process.
There are also other responsibilities which come with teaching such as being a homeroom teacher, liaising with parents about the progress of the students. If you are unable to carry out these roles and your students end up falling behind the others, you may get into administrative problems.
Other rare reasons why teachers lose their jobs include money-related issues when they allow their students to cheat in tests and excessive workplace gossip. It is important to read and understand the code of conduct in the school district where you get employed because it will minimize the chances of getting into trouble with the school administration.
Quitting is Easier than Getting Fired
One important thing to understand about teaching is that it is one of those careers where it is extremely hard to get fired. One of the issues that some teachers struggle with is unpreparedness and laziness. However, the kids you are teaching will always be your accountability partners in that they will nag you till you shape up or quit the profession.
There are a few extreme cases of gross misconduct which can lead to the school administration starting disciplinary action against a teacher.
1. Romantic Involvement with Students
One of the main reasons why school administrations let teachers go is when they get romantically involved with students. Students and especially teenagers are very impressionable. A lot of high school kid, for instance, will talk about having a crush on a certain teacher at a certain point during their high school life.
As a teacher, you are supposed to act as a guardian, realize that you are the adult and you are expected to have higher morals and sober decision-making skills. The best way to hold your job as a teacher and also your integrity as an educator is to steer clear of any level of romantic involvement with a student, especially if they are below the age of 18.
Usually, when school administration finds out that you are romantically involved with a student, they will interdict you or send you on compulsory leave. During this time, they perform an independent investigation, and if you are found guilty, they will fire you and in most cases, revoke your teaching license.
2. Lying on Your Resume as a Teacher
One mistake which people make when looking for a job is going a little further than they should with embellishing their resume. It is good to want to present yourself in the best light possible as a teaching job candidate. Unfortunately, if you lie and the school administration discovers that you did, they may have to let you go.
The decision to let you go will, of course, depend on the extent of the lie. If for instance, you stated that you are fluent in French because the school was looking for someone to be teaching French part-time, but you do not know French, they will have no option than to fire and replace you. It is always best to represent your skills in the most honest way possible.
3. Job Hunting While Still at Work
It is good to always look out for greener pastures. If you want to grow as an educator, you have to seek the opportunities available for career development. However, it is important to do this at your own time.
When you are at school, your focus should be preparing lessons for your kids and making sure that they are getting the best of your services as an educator. Sending out resumes through your work email will come back to haunt you as the emails can be traced back to you. It is even worse when colleagues and students find out you are looking for a way out of the institution because they will lose their trust and confidence in you.
4. Inability to Coexist with Co-workers
The other main reason why teachers are fired from their jobs is when they are unable to live harmoniously with their co-workers. One of the basic and unspoken requirements for success in an educational environment is decorum and excellent teamwork.
Teamwork means that if you are part of the science department, you will liaise with the other teachers in the department to come up with the practices which make teaching easy for learners and convenient for other teachers.
Teamwork also means not engaging in activities which may undermine the general goal of the institution. For instance, going through a test before it is done with your learners as a way of ensuring they get high scores to go against the principle of teamwork. In short, if you are continuously caught up in situations where the school has to doubt your integrity and sense of teamwork, you might end up getting fired.
5. Violence in the School Environment
Schools are supposed to provide a calm and peaceful environment for both teachers and learners provide a calm and peaceful environment for both teachers and learners. Engaging in activities that undermine this peace will automatically lead to getting fired.
For instance, it is illegal to hit or in any other way assault a student physically. Fighting with colleagues is also not allowed. Teachers are also supposed to treat each other with the same level of respect.
Verbal violence is also considered inappropriate and punishable behavior. This is a common challenge for teachers because sometimes students can be hard to control, which frustrates teachers into shouting at them. However, personal verbal attacks on a student’s character can lead to a lot of administrative problems, and even loss of a job, depending on the gravity of the harm you cause a student.
6. Substance Abuse
Another behavior which can lead to the loss of a teaching job is the inability to control substance abuse issues. If you know that you struggle with issues such as alcoholism, or you have an addiction to other drugs, the school may find it necessary to remove you from the school, when your behavior becomes a danger to the others in the school environment.
Note that drug abuse is considered a problem when you start coming to school drunk or intoxicated in any other way. At the same time, schools expect you to be a role model, and when you start getting to school high or drunk, the administration will be disappointed.
7. Slacking on Your Responsibilities
Another common reason why teachers get into trouble with the school administration is the failure to take their roles and responsibilities seriously. For instance, you are supposed to mark and grade student tests and give back to them on time. If you are unable to meet these deadlines, you will be complicating your students’ lives and slowing down their learning process.
There are also other responsibilities which come with teaching such as being a homeroom teacher, liaising with parents about the progress of the students. If you are unable to carry out these roles and your students end up falling behind the others, you may get into administrative problems.
Other rare reasons why teachers lose their jobs include money-related issues when they allow their students to cheat in tests and excessive workplace gossip. It is important to read and understand the code of conduct in the school district where you get employed because it will minimize the chances of getting into trouble with the school administration.