What is her issues? 10 points for the best answer. Thank you?

Question

My host mom is in her 50s. She is currently a teacher in Baltimore City Public School. I have been known her for 5 years. She has been struggling with her teaching jobs in the areas for all those years.

She always tells people that her bosses dislike her because she is an African American and has her Master's from John Hopkins University. She believes her bosses are racists or intimidated by her education. the unfortunate truth is every years she has been asked not to come back to work AKA she gets fire.

I know for facts that she is a kind and loving lady. Althought I tend to think she is not the best worker because she likes to talk and does not get her jobs done as fast as others. She is now distress and depressed because she thinks her bosses treat her unfair.

What do you think? What is her issues? How can she improve herself?

P.S. I am only 22. She always talks to me about her problems. I feel obligate to give her my thoughts.

Thank you so much for your kindness

Answer 1

don't get in the middle of this, tell her to discuss her situation with other teachers, or talk it out at teachers meetings, etc.

from what you tell me I determine that the lady has educated herself well and is probably up to her ears in student loan debt, that perhaps she is in teaching so as to pay off her student loans (you're required to work so many years as a teacher to have your student loans paid by the government, maybe she signed up for that program). And, teachers get good benefits, teachers are in demand, teachers incomes continue to rise (so why should she miss out?), and teachers are helped to secure their own home. So that's probably why she's sticking with a teaching job...however it's very stressful for her, but she has fortitude and is just sticking it out till her loans are paid and then she will move on.

I have no first hand knowledge that her bosses treat her unfair, however I do know that they are not allowed to be racist, plus there are a lot of african american both males and females in the teaching field and other fields and once you're a professional that stuff usually doesn't happen because it's against the law. Perhaps because of her frustration and their reaction she's more sensitive at this time. But time (as it passes by) will solve her problem and her perceived problem.

Answer 2

1) She is African American so, yes, probably does get some automatic discrimination because of that. TRUE 2) She is a woman , so probably does get some discrimination because of that. TRUE 3) She has an excellent education, probably better than her bosses. TRUE 4) Bosses are indded intimidated by people with better educations or smarter than they are. TRUE 5) She is kind and loving. TRUE 6) Liking to talk is a detriment in a teaching job, often. TRUE 7) Working slowly is a detriment in a teaching job. TRUE. Therefore: 1) It is unlikely that she will be happy in her current position, over the years. 2) She has wonderful potential and ability. 3) She can find a niche where she can be welcomed. 4) I think she would do better as a community college teacher. 5) I think she would do better in a suburban or rural school district, not an urban one. In the others, her education would be more valued. 6) I think she would do better on the West Coast, like Sacramento, because there her education would be seen as more special than on the East Coast. 7) She should not teach in public schools, with No Child Left Behind. Better to look at the private school arena. 8) She would do well with a Non-Public School setting, where the kids are often minority...especially at high-school level, where she could use her "talking" skills as an asset, not a liability. 9) She would do well in a setting where quality is valued over hurry, such as working with Gifted but Learning Disabled college students, perhaps in a Disability Helping Center. 10) Ask her to contact the head of the English Dept., a female English teacher, at Cosumnes River College, Los Rios Community College District. She is similar-- a very bright, highly educated African American woman--who may have ideas on work in West Coast colleges--if your host mom is able to move to the West. She would offer excellent advice. (Don't contact her if can't move to West Coast--would be bothersome). Good luck! She's just not in her niche, yet...but could be, soon.

Answer 3

It sounds like your mother is very insecure about her life and the choices that she's made and that she'd rather blame others than accept the responsibility for her own actions. I don't know why you've only known her for five years but that may also be something that's bothering her. Even though people have advanced degrees does not mean that they don't have their own psychological issues. You don't say what level she teaches on and she may be really insecure teaching children. If she either gave you up or let another family member raise you she may have doubts about her ability to interact with children and if that's the level that she's teaching it may come through in her teaching and in the way that she interacts with the children, parents, and her co-workers and the administration of the school. If these are her issues and they keep interfering with her ability to make a living I would suggest that she might have to go into therapy to resolve them and in the mean time she might want to think about switching careers.

Answer 4

Although being kind and talkitive in its self is not bad, when a job needs to get done, it needs to get done. Perhaps it also could be a racial issue but alot of times people who want to find an excuse for their failure could use that as an excuse. your host mom sounds like a nice person and highly educated, perhaps she should ask for an honest evaluation from one of her co-workers on why or how she could improve her performance at work and see what they say. perhaps she could also seek out counseling from someone she respects either in a professional or personal capacity. I hope this helps a little. you sound like a kind and caring person yourself. I hope this helps.

Tony

Answer 5

She is using her race as a crutch. She slacks off and doesn't work as hard as the others but still expects to be treated the same as them, and when she isn't, she pulls the racism card so she can try to make people feel sorry for her. She is having a pity party for herself and needs to stop being bitter. Black, white, Mexican, Italian, blue, green, purple, Asian, or whatever color you are, you still have to act equal to be treated equal. If she isn't doing the work, she deserves to be fired.

Answer 6

Another black who blames everything on racism. She can't accept her own shortcomings, so she blames everything on being black. This attitude is a cop out and is itself a racist attitude. It is an excuse for screwing around on the job and having an all to convienent built excuse. "I'm black and you disagreed with me, therefore ,you are a racist." Pathetic.

Answer 7

MTell her what you think. Maybe it would help if she would talk to a psychologist.