Team Work

We have a big English staff at my school. We are supposed to write together the English tests as the principal wants all the classes to take the same exams according to different levels. I do not know why but the same members of the staff always work hard while others do not contribute anything to the joint effort. For the last two years, every time I write a test, I swear that this is the last time that I let some of the teachers dodge this exhausting task.

A few weeks ago, all of our students were supposed to be tested immediately after Hannukah. I knew that I would not have time to write 5 professional exams in 2 days. Therefore, during the Hannukah break, some of us worked for hours every single day on the tests. I came back to school terribly tired and frustrated to find out in the staff meeting that some of the indifferent teachers complained about a competitive atmosphere among the staff. Apparently, we disturbed them during the break when we asked them to write some of the exercises or at least to express their opinion about the ones we had produced. They claimed that we could have prepared the tests after the holiday. I decided to accept their criticism although I knew that it was totally detached from reality as we had spent hours preparing and editing the exams.

Yesterday, at the last minute of the staff meeting, we were informed that the 9^th graders are entitled to improve their marks by taking an additional exam.Therefore, we were asked to write new exams until Wednesday. Teachers who felt offended by the criticism of the rest of the staff decided to ignore the requirement. They are anyway planning to leave the school at the end of the year. Although I promised myself not to take an active role in the preparation of tests, I found myself today, once again, writing tests. Nothing has changed and no one seemed to care.

To sum up, I do not understand how I end up in the same situation time after time. To be honest, I do not expect team work anymore. Things will not get better unless the seven dwarves start visiting us before exams take place. Where I come from, to let others to do your work is unacceptable. It is simply not done. Moreover, the way I was brought up you need to take an equal part in team work in order to earn the right to comment on other people's way of work such as contacting other members of the staff during the holidays. Is team work better at your school?