Five Ways to Sabotage Your Teaching Career

Without Realizing What You’re Doing

by Nancy Soonpaaby Nancy SoonpaaAssociate Professor of LawAssociate Professor of Law

Director, Legal Practice ProgramDirector, Legal Practice ProgramTexas Tech University School of LawTexas Tech University School of Law

““Sabotage is indeed inflicted by Sabotage is indeed inflicted by one’s enemy, never by one’s ally. one’s enemy, never by one’s ally. But the troubling truth is this: Each But the troubling truth is this: Each

of us carries within an enemy of of us carries within an enemy of greater potential destructiveness greater potential destructiveness

than any external foe.”than any external foe.”

1. Fail to model professional 1. Fail to model professional behaviorbehavior

1. Fail to model professional 1. Fail to model professional behaviorbehavior

examples:examples:

– behaviorbehavior

1. Fail to model professional 1. Fail to model professional behaviorbehavior

examples:examples:

– behaviorbehavior– attitudesattitudes

1. Fail to model professional 1. Fail to model professional behaviorbehavior

examples:examples:

– behaviorbehavior– attitudesattitudes– teaching materialsteaching materials

1. Fail to model professional 1. Fail to model professional behaviorbehavior

examples:examples:

– behaviorbehavior– attitudesattitudes– teaching materialsteaching materials– timelinesstimeliness

1. Fail to model professional 1. Fail to model professional behaviorbehavior

examples:examples:

– behaviorbehavior– attitudesattitudes– teaching materialsteaching materials– timelinesstimeliness– preparationpreparation

2. Fail to recognize institutional priorities

2. Fail to recognize institutional priorities

examples: examples:

– complying with school policiescomplying with school policies

2. Fail to recognize institutional priorities

examples: examples:

– complying with school policiescomplying with school policies

– publishingpublishing

2. Fail to recognize institutional priorities

examples: examples:

– complying with school policiescomplying with school policies

– publishingpublishing

– receiving good evaluations from receiving good evaluations from studentsstudents

2. Fail to recognize institutional priorities

solutions: solutions:

– find a mentorfind a mentor

2. Fail to recognize institutional priorities

solutions: solutions:

– find a mentorfind a mentor– watch analytically and ask criticallywatch analytically and ask critically

3. Fail to understand students’ priorities

3. Fail to understand students’ priorities

examples:examples:

– being respectedbeing respected

3. Fail to understand students’ priorities

examples:examples:

– being respectedbeing respected

– getting a jobgetting a job

3. Fail to understand students’ priorities

examples:examples:

– being respectedbeing respected

– getting a jobgetting a job

– passing the barpassing the bar

3. Fail to understand students’ priorities

examples:examples:

– being respectedbeing respected

– getting a jobgetting a job

– passing the barpassing the bar

– understanding what is expected of themunderstanding what is expected of them

4. Fail to know yourself as a teacher

4. Fail to know yourself as a teacher

examples: examples:

– Who are you as a teacher in the Who are you as a teacher in the classroom? (A good resource is Daniel classroom? (A good resource is Daniel D. Pratt’s Teaching Perspectives D. Pratt’s Teaching Perspectives Inventory, which identifies five main Inventory, which identifies five main ways that teachers view what they do in ways that teachers view what they do in classrooms filled with adult learners.)classrooms filled with adult learners.)

4. Fail to know yourself as a teacher

examples: examples:

– Who are you in the classroom?Who are you in the classroom?

– What are your goals for your students?What are your goals for your students?

4. Fail to know yourself as a teacher

examples: examples:

– Who are you in the classroom?Who are you in the classroom?

– What are your goals for your students?What are your goals for your students?

– Why do you teach the way you teach? Why do you teach the way you teach? hand out what you hand out?hand out what you hand out?

5. Fail to know yourself as a person

5. Fail to know yourself as a person

examples:examples:

– What makes you feel good about What makes you feel good about yourself?yourself?

5. Fail to know yourself as a person

examples:examples:

– What makes you feel good about What makes you feel good about yourself?yourself?

– What makes you feel angry? What makes you feel angry? challenged? defensive?challenged? defensive?

5. Fail to know yourself as a person

examples:examples:

– What makes you feel good about What makes you feel good about yourself?yourself?

– What makes you feel angry? challenged? What makes you feel angry? challenged? defensive?defensive?

– What are your priorities?What are your priorities?

Questions? Comments?Questions? Comments?

Thank you!!Thank you!!