Anna S.
OMG, Which country do you teach in? Or wchich school? Don't you have anyone to help you out? I can't believe things like that actually happen. Maybe try to translate the situation in google for the staff members. Good luck.

Anita P.
I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have a masters in counseling though I have chosen to teach English. My training allows me to pick on a lot things. Expats can be an extremely unhealthy bunch. I see a lot of alcoholism, racism, and plain old emotional immaturity. And to top it all off, you just don't have the support and protection of western world systems. Your rights can be violated and you are often on your own. Hang in there.

Michel D.
I work in Eastern Europe in a small international school that is privately owned. There are two huge problems here...the bullying and threats came from a supposedly certified American teacher!!! And the other problems is the lack of experience and respect from the current woman who is running the school, She is a local and doesn't understand nothing about education! We think she just woke up one day and thought, hey I'm going to have a school....most of the family and friends do not pay tuition, and there is something fishy going on with the budget.

Michel D.
Thank you Anita. I never completely understood just how bad this school really is until I was in the thick of it per se. However, the administration here, all local women, blame the teachers...no surprize! For some strange reason they don't think the American male teacher is doing anything wrong by bullying and threatening others. I know in other schools or in the US this person would have been fired! Karma....

Serious S.
Hi Michel, Unfortunately, I've met many malicious so-called-teachers since I've been teaching. These types basically have no morals or standards and aspire to the cheering of their drunk crowd. They push themselves up by pushing other people down. There really is no solution, but they will hit a wall in life one day. There's a saying that I've found to be very true in life: "Birds of a feather flock together." You've found yourself in a micro-network that is not sympathetic to yourself. I would simply leave, and try to spend more time interviewing the next employer and their staff. Liking co-workers in the ESL industry is the exception, and not the norm.

Maria A.
Yes, and you must put a stop to this. Many teachers who work abroad have surpassed anger.

Serious S.
Yes. I've experienced harassment at work before. Primarily from very clique, almost cult-minded, younger graduates. (Also power trippers that are older and believe they are the boss simply based on age.) Some groups of teachers require the Chicken Pecking Order scenario to maintain the cohesiveness and unspoken "chain of command" for the rest of the group. They generally need one person to be the outsider, so everyone else feels better about not being that person. (It's also a form of entertainment for the more bankrupt of them.) I've also experience unethical teachers who deliberately sabotage another teacher because they've got a buddy they would rather get the job for.

Serious S.
I am glad you said this. I find this is very true. There are some very unhealthy, bullying situations in teaching institutions. However, it comes down to bad management. Professional management develop cultures where everyone feels valued. Usually, immature managers cannot handle diversity. It is a very difficult situation to work in. I have been bullied out of a few jobs, but I have to say it was mainly from teachers from my own country, they seem to be the worst bullies.