Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

Many of you know that I teach adult ESL and am also a part time librarian in the library where the classes are held. I genuinely love what I do, despite the fact that I work two part time jobs and get no benefits, sick days, vacation days or paid holidays. I get paid hourly and that is it. No work, no pay.

Yesterday was our annual Student Recognition Day. We presented our students with certificates of achievement. We praised them for their hard work and dedication to learning English while working full time and taking care of families. We had a wonderful celebration finished off with cake and coffee.

Our students were even so wonderful and generous to recognize their teachers' efforts and we received thank you gifts!

Then as we were cleaning up, it became apparent that my colleagues envelopes and gifts from her students were missing. After asking anyone if they saw anything, my colleague reported the incident to security who promptly showed her the surveillance video and right there in front of her, she saw one of her students look over his shoulder to see if anyone was looking and then take her gifts and cards (with money in them).

After a long, drawn out afternoon involving confronting the student, him lying and saying he thought the cards and gifts belonged to a classmate and that is why he took it home, my colleague screaming and yelling, the police came and he was arrested and also banned from the library for two years.

Sigh...I know my students are wonderful and I can't let one rotten apple spoil me. But I can't help but feel disillusioned. I feel like we work so hard to teach people the language and customs of our country. We try to help them find their way as they settle in the U.S. We give them everything we can and from our hearts, and this happens!


Sorry, I am not sure what I am looking for. Maybe I just need to publicly vent. Maybe I just need someone to tell me again, that he is only one person. Maybe I am just babbling.

Thanks for reading.

Re: Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

I am so sorry that one bad apple ruined the bunch.

Re: Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

I don't have any advice but I understand how you feel. I am a social worker in a homecare agency so I see stuff like this happen sometimes, even with people we often think are our "best" aides or who have been working for the agency for years.

I have said on more than one occasion that if I ever get to the point where I need someone to come into my home to take care of me, just shoot me and let it all be done and over!

I can see how an incident like this would make you (or anyone really!) very untrusting of people in general.

Re: Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

It IS just one person. You have to remember that. The fact that everyone else chipped in for gifts, etc tells you that most of them appreciate what you do. Don't let one bad apple sour you.

As I tell my toddler-shake it off

Re: Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

You really cannot let one person make you feel disillusioned. It happens everywhere, no matter whom you're teaching, how much you love them or how much they love you. It sucks, but it was one person.
My mother is also an ESL teacher and trust me, she has seen her share of bad apples, but in the end, the vast majority of the men and women she teaches are just wonderful, wonderful people and it is so rewarding to teach them. I'm sure you feel the same way. I hope that you and your colleagues will move past the bad feelings and have only the happy ones left. You're doing a great thing!

Re: Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

I can't imagine what his friends in the class thought of what he did.

Re: Feeling disillusioned due to an incident at work.

Posted by nrthshgrl



I can't imagine what his friends in the class thought of what he did.

Message edited 6/18/2010 8:59:04 PM.