At one of the studios I work at, they can be kind of unprofessional. A few of the teachers are very lazy and one in particular is not very effective. Anyhow, the problem is this. I work at the studio, but dont own or manage it. Parents repeatedly approach me complaining about various things with other teachers. Now I know to take everything with a grain of salt because parents are for their kid at the end of the day. However, it's constant. Mainly what I'm hearing is that I'm the only teacher that teaches corrects challenges, that they've been requesting me for years and keep being denied ( although, I have them for one class, they want me for more). I just listen, but the awkward thing is, I agree completely:/ their children's other teacher doesn't even have them in a straight line, texts during class, etc. Tells them to practice without giving them clear direction, etc. What do I do? As I said, I've pretty much just listened and said I understand but I don't run the studio.

1. Tell them to discuss it with the SO and don't gossip with them.
2. Tell the SO yourself who and what they are complaining about.

I feel funny tattling on people to the SO. Especially since they've tried talking with her from what I'm hearing.

As a SO myself, for 8 years, I would 100% want you to come to me with this gossip from parents. Just tell her once, if nothing changes, at least you tried. SO's get a LOT of parents complaining/gossiping to them all the time so maybe she has dismissed these comments about the other teacher. If she heard it now from a 2nd source, i.e. you, it may make a difference...

Don’t listen to them. You are encouraging the complaints. When they start to complain, I would develop a stock phrase to use. “Oh gosh, that sounds like something the SO would need to deal with. Please make an appointment so that she can address your concerns.” Then turn your attention elsewhere. I do also try to “warn” the SO if I have directed a parent to speak with her. I think it’s a courtesy to help prevent her from being surprised.

If you are witnessing inappropriate things, it’s not tattling. You are simply stating the facts. I would not word it as “Ms. OtherTeacher is TERRIBLE!!! She never teaches her class correctly.” Instead stick to the facts. I also tend to word things as “clarifications”. “I just wanted to clarify that you prefer us to not text while teacher, as I may have saw another teacher doing so and maybe that wasn’t clear to everyone.” If she asks for more details, I give what I saw, but keep my own evaluations and emotions out of it.

Although, you can also turn a blind eye to things. It's not your job to monitor the other teachers and it's up to the SO to make observations.

In the end, it’s really up the SO to act or not act. If she is hearing the complaints and not doing anything (and maybe she is coaching this teacher), then there is nothing more you can do. You have the decision to either work within these conditions or decide to work elsewhere, but you can’t fix this issue for the parents.

Dancingpsych, you and others that advise me to talk with the SO are correct however, I have tried before. I understand that parents will complain. Sometimes, it's because they don't understand the how and why of what we do ( and that's fine they aren't dance teachers and we need to educate them to cultivate understanding). Other times, it's because their kid feels slighted, finally, some people complain and bring negativity wherever they go because it's their nature. I feel as though these particular complaints have value and they personally strike a chord with me. If I were paying money for my child to learn and they couldn't make a straight line, i too would be angered. Perhaps you're right, I listen because I agree inside, but know it's not right to verbally agree. However, I have actually said to each of these women, " That's something you may want to speak privately with the teacher about, or maybe the director; I can't really help you."

Maybe I'm a frustrated studio director but I say to myself, It would be a cold day in he** before I'd hire and retain an ineffective teacher. I'm not saying in a cruel way we all have challenges as teachers. It's more like a teacher should care and have self-awareness and reach out for help in his/her weaker areas. I talk to my SOs about challenges I may have because we as teachers are stronger as a unit than we are alone. I'm getting tired of putting my heart and soul into teaching without proper support ( students other teacher comes in and texts and tosses movement at them their bodies cannot handle safely, never bothers to warm them up, undoing my work with the students (ex. teaching them fouette turns when they're just getting pirouettes they're freakin' 9 and take 40 minutes of ballet per week). Maybe I should just accept that's how it is at this particular place.(laughing because now the post is about me)

What if you can convince the SO to put out a comments and suggestion box in the lobby. That way everyone can complain all they want and you won't look like the bad guy.

It is you SO's business. If parents are unhappy with what is happening in other classes you need to direct them to discuss the issue's with her. It is not really your place to discuss other teachers with parents.

If you are unhappy with how things are you can.
1. Discuss it with the SO and try to work out a solution
2. Leave and find somewhere else to work
3. Ignore it and just do the best you can in the situation

^^^These are your basic choices. You need to have better boundaries with the parents to have a more professional relationship with them. They are now used to going to you and you listening to their complaints. You are not the complaints department that is the office/SO's job. Don't even let a parent start to complain. I would say to my parent, "unless this concern has to do specifically with my classroom, please take your concerns to the SO".

If you are observing situations at the studio that you don't approve of, you have to weigh the pros and cons and decide if you need to move on to something better.

Yes, here I was trying to convince myself I wasn't being unprofessional because I was only listening lol. Part of what makes me nervous about all the parental stuff is that several of these parents are asking my opinions on other studios (Read:AWKWARD). These has been discussed with the SO before but nothing is done to effectively make change, and I think this is another reason I listen, but from now on I will re-direct them immediately to the SO. To the last poster it looks like option two or three is what I have left. Either way, it's nerve wracking because I want to have good relationships with everyone.

The minute I get a complaint I direct it straight to my SO at the one studio or the management committee at the other one.

You can stand there and ooh and ahhh with them but in the end it's not your problem it's the SO's and you don't have to tattle if you've directed those parents to actually tell the SO what her employees are doing.

Wash your hands of the situation, your concern is your classes.

MissTalia wrote:

Yes, here I was trying to convince myself I wasn't being unprofessional because I was only listening lol. Part of what makes me nervous about all the parental stuff is that several of these parents are asking my opinions on other studios (Read:AWKWARD). These has been discussed with the SO before but nothing is done to effectively make change, and I think this is another reason I listen, but from now on I will re-direct them immediately to the SO. To the last poster it looks like option two or three is what I have left. Either way, it's nerve wracking because I want to have good relationships with everyone.

This also happens because they're afraid to bring it to the SO when they already know the answer, and they're trying to find anyone who will give them the answer they want to hear.