How should I deal with my angry colleagues?

Question

Today was my second day at a new teaching job. (Teaching English to adults.) I had to make some copies before my 9am class. I arrived at work at 8:30, which I thought would be plenty of time. I waited until another teacher had finished, then proceeded to make my copies (I needed about 100). For some reason, it ended up taking a LOT longer than I'd anticipated, and it turned out that the other teacher still needed to make more copies himself. I was standing there waiting for the job to finish, and he kept getting more and more irritated. Then, the copier must have gotten overloaded, because it started spitting out random garbled pages after my copies were finished. The man waiting to use it started hitting all kinds of buttons on the machine and cursing. I felt terrible, but when it was fixed, I left for my class so I wouldn't be late. He was still there doing his copies, so I know he must have been late as our classes started at the same time. More to come in a sec...

Answer 1

Apologize, and bring cookies.

You can get a party tray of assorted cookies from Subway for less than $15.

Or just make them yourself. Treats will wash away a multitude of sins!!

Answer 2

When people are short on time, this is what happens and tempers flare.  No need to apologize, you were just making copies.  Use the same copier, but if you need many copies then use the other copier.

You're the new girl on the block so people may think they can take things out on you since they don't know you as well as others (except for your friend - that was uncalled for on her part).

Answer 3

The person who should be the least at fault is you.  If these other people have been working there that long, they should know to come in even earlier than 8:30 AM to make photocopies or do the photocopies the afternoon before they go home.  What was that teacher in the copy room doing?  Printing a book for each student?

Answer 4

It wasn't your ineptness (it was the copier), and a learning curve is always expected in any new job.  Unfortunately the type of work you are involved in though (I am sure) adds to levels of stress.  It was a Friday too!!!  

So ... don't worry about it!  Start anew on Monday just as if nothing had happened.  I'm sure that once they de-stress a little they will forget it too.

Answer 5

LOL- as a TA, I experience this very issue and was talked to rudely by a middle school teacher, who apparently thought her job was more important than mine for my teacher.

You should not be apologetic! You are a new teacher and I gather that these people have more experience so they should know the deal with the Xerox machine. It's not like they couldn't have come earlier or gone to the other copier. They probably don't like their jobs and/or lives and any little snafu sets them off. Just stay away from their poison. I would get away from that roommate, too.