How to Avoid Getting Fired as a Teacher: 10 Common Reasons and How to Prevent Them

Being a teacher is not an easy job, and losing it can be even harder. You may have heard some success stories of people who started their own businesses after getting fired, but that is not the reality for most people.

That is why you need to be aware of the common reasons why teachers get fired and how to avoid them. Here are some of them:

Poor teaching performance: Your main responsibility as a teacher is to teach effectively and help your students learn. If you fail to do that, you may face the following consequences:

• Low student achievement and engagement
• Negative feedback from students, parents, and administrators
• Loss of confidence and motivation

To prevent this, you should always prepare your lessons well, use appropriate teaching methods and strategies, assess your students’ progress, and seek feedback and improvement.

Workplace conflict: As a teacher, you have to work with many different people, such as colleagues, administrators, parents, and students. Sometimes, you may encounter disagreements or misunderstandings with them. However, you should never resort to verbal or physical violence because:

• It damages your reputation and professionalism
• It violates the school’s code of conduct and policies
• It sets a bad example for your students

To prevent this, you should always communicate respectfully and constructively, avoid personal attacks and insults, listen to different perspectives, and seek mediation or resolution when needed.

Abuse or neglect of students: As a teacher, you have a duty of care for your students. You should never harm them physically or emotionally or neglect their needs. Some examples of abusive or neglectful behaviour are:

• Hitting, kicking, or throwing objects at students
• Insulting, mocking, or bullying students
• Ignoring or isolating students
• Denying students food, water, or bathroom breaks

These actions can not only get you fired but also sued or arrested.

To prevent this, you should always treat your students with kindness and respect, follow the school’s rules and regulations, report any signs of abuse or neglect to the authorities, and seek professional help if you have any personal issues that affect your behaviour.

Misuse of intellectual property: As a teacher, you may have access to various educational materials and resources that belong to the school or other teachers. You should not misuse them for your own benefit or profit. Some examples of misuse are:

• Selling or sharing your notes or lesson plans without permission
• Copying or plagiarizing other teachers’ work
• Using unauthorized or illegal sources of information

These actions can not only get you fired, but also sued or fined.

To prevent this, you should always respect the intellectual property rights of others, cite your sources properly, use only approved or reliable sources of information, and ask for permission before using or sharing any materials.

Sexual misconduct with students: As a teacher, you have a professional and ethical obligation to maintain appropriate boundaries with your students. You should not engage in any sexual activity or relationship with them. Some examples of sexual misconduct are:

• Touching, kissing, or groping students
• Sending or receiving sexually explicit messages or images
• Having sexual intercourse with students

These actions can not only get you fired, but also sued or jailed.

To prevent this, you should always avoid any physical or verbal contact that could be interpreted as sexual, report any sexual advances or harassment from students to the authorities, and seek professional help if you have any sexual attraction or feelings for your students.

Bad influence on colleagues: As a teacher, you have an impact on the work culture and environment of the school. You should not influence your colleagues negatively or encourage them to engage in unethical or illegal behavior. Some examples of bad influence are:

• Spreading rumors or gossip about other teachers or administrators
• Encouraging other teachers to cheat on tests or grades
• Inviting other teachers to drink alcohol or use drugs during work hours

These actions can not only get you fired, but also damage the reputation and morale of the school.

To prevent this, you should always act professionally and responsibly at work, support and cooperate with your colleagues, refrain from any harmful or illegal substances during work hours, and report any misconduct from other teachers to the authorities.

Poor relationship with colleagues: As a teacher, you have to work with other teachers as a team. You should not have a poor relationship with them that affects your work performance or quality. Some examples of poor relationship are:

• Being rude, arrogant, or disrespectful to other teachers
• Refusing to collaborate or share ideas with other teachers
• Competing or sabotaging other teachers

These actions can not only get you fired but also create a hostile and unproductive work environment.

To prevent this; you should always be polite; humble; and respectful to other teachers; be willing to collaborate and share ideas with other teachers; and celebrate or acknowledge other teachers’ achievements.

Failure to perform additional duties: As a teacher, you may have to perform some additional duties that are not directly related to teaching, but are still important for the school. You should not fail to perform them or do them poorly. Some examples of additional duties are:

• Attending staff meetings or professional development sessions
• Supervising students during recess or extracurricular activities
• Participating in school events or committees

Failing to do these duties may not get you fired immediately, but it will reduce your merit and reputation. It may also affect your chances of getting a promotion or a raise.

To prevent this, you should always fulfill your additional duties as required, do them with enthusiasm and quality, and seek feedback and improvement.

Sabotage by colleagues: As a teacher, you may face some challenges or difficulties from your colleagues who are jealous, insecure, or malicious. They may try to sabotage your career or reputation by doing things like:

• Spreading false or negative information about you
• Stealing or destroying your work or materials
• Complaining or reporting you to the authorities without reason

These actions may not get you fired directly, but they will create a lot of stress and trouble for you. They may also affect your work performance and quality.

To prevent this, you should always be aware of your surroundings and protect your work and materials, document any evidence of sabotage or harassment, confront or report any saboteurs to the authorities, and seek support from your trusted colleagues or friends.

As you can see, there are many reasons why teachers get fired, and some of them are not even their fault. However, you can prevent most of them by being aware, careful, and proactive. Remember that being a teacher is a noble and rewarding profession, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility and accountability. Don’t let yourself get fired for something that you can avoid.