a snake will always be a snake

Yesterday us Founding Teachers had a bitch session with our director. The shit has hit the fan at our school, and he basically told us that we need to get off our high horses and start being proactive. I totally agreed with him (silently) because compared to some of our big issues, like the fact that our personal relationships with students are deteriorating, some of my colleagues' complaints were downright petty. ("Why do we have to do icebreakers?") He said we had to speak up or shut up, basically. Together, we came up with solutions to our two biggest concerns.

This morning, I walked into a room in which the other three were discussing the meeting, and a certain bitchy someone asked me how I thought it went. "I thought it went well," I said, "We got to complain and then we worked out two huge issues." My satisfaction was not what she was hoping for. She started whining about a number of issues that were bothering her, all of which were apparently the fault of our new principal. I stayed silent, hoping that someone would change the topic. These very same issues were aired at our meeting YESTERDAY. This girl loves to complain, and she is a Repeater. I can't stand it.

Then one of them asked us if we were going to talk to the principal about "it." I didn't say anything, and then the question was directed at me. I said that I was going to talk to her about MY issues, and that YOU can talk about YOUR issues. This did not go over well.

Bitchy looked at me funny and in an accusing tone reported that she HAD tried to talk to the principal, but blah blah blah laundry list of complaints. Whine, whine, whine. I told her that I didn't like it when we all got together and ragged on the principal, that it made me feel uncomfortable when people are talked about behind their back. Coworker GOT MAD AT ME.

At first she was completely defensive, like of COURSE she has a right to vent to her coworkers, to which I replied that it really made me uncomfortable to talk about people who aren't present. Then, she tried to explain to me why it was OK for her to complain about the principal (who was not there) on behalf of other teachers, to which I replied that it really made me uncomfortable to talk about people who aren't present. I left the room. A few minutes later, she came over and made her case again, like why can't I just let her complain in peace? She has a right to vent, don't I know that? What am I doing, telling her how I feel!?!?!? She doesn't agree!!! She was so mad at me, she had the same tone as last year when she scolded me for "not being flexible" (doing what she wanted). I replied that it really made me uncomfortable to talk about people who aren't present.

She stared at me for a few seconds, and I stared back with my, "Yes?" face, and then she left the room.