Help with a co-worker

Question

I work on a team of teachers in a middle school and one of my co-workers is negative and extremely needy. She has been teaching for 20 years and I have been teaching for 10 years. The problem is she needs so much attention whether it is a health issue or praise for being a "great" teacher, I and the rest of my team is exhausted by this. She volunteers for hardly anything, comes in just in time and leaves right at the end of the day. ( In the world of teaching this is a big deal!). She does not participate in any extra activities and if she does not have the final say in something curriculum related she digs her heals in until she gets what she wants or makes life miserable for all of us. Talking to the administration has already been done and nothing has happened. She can't be fired- another wonderful part of the world of teaching. So, what I need is just some advice. We tried to sit her down and talk with her a few times last year and she leaves the room crying saying that there is so much going on in her life. Any ideas??? This is a tough one I know, just want a good start to this school year and there have already been issues... I ignore her as much as I can, but working with kids it can be tough.

Answer 1

well, i think there isnt much you can really do besides tell her how you feel... i dont think it should be done with a lot of people in that group because then she might feel like you guys are ganging up on her and that can be very overwhelming.  but if she doesnt respond, then i think you should just let it go and deal with it.... i know that sucks but, i dont see what else you can do

Answer 2

It sounds as if she keeps dumping her issues on others, whether they ask for it or not, while doing the least amount possible in her position.  

Since administration has already been talked to and nothing has been done (I'd be shocked here but...), maybe leave the district and go somewhere else?  If the woman won't listen to *others* criticism..which is sounding more like she loves the sound of her own voice than anything else..can anyone persuade her to retire?

I hate to be the negative one here, but I'd just shut my door and tell her to go away.  If she starts in on her issues, I'd either counteract everything with my own problems or tell her I don't really want to hear it, we all have problems, deal with it.  The problem is you are hitting the point where you are disliking your job because of her, and that can be construed as a hostile work environment.

Teachers of this caliber really need to go ahead and leave the field, whether it be through retirement or other.  When it hits the point where the faculty is getting dumped on because others can not do their share of work or they just put up with a needy teacher the situation no longer is 'what is best for the student?'