How do you deal with a gossipy backstabbing paraprofessional wanting to come back to your classroom next year?
This is my second year teaching and I had a good team of paras last year, responsible, respectful, one of them quit, so we got a new one this year, superficially she is nice, does her job, whatever I ask etc. but I am starting to see my paras getting too comfortable.
My instinct told me something is off with my paras and how they behave toward me and toward their responsibilities.
Today I realized that it's my new para, she gossips about me with them and with even some fellow teachers, what I do with my kids, what I don't do with my kids. What I say....
My instinct says to let it go, ignore it.... but her gossiping made me realize that she is also inciting my other paras (I never had an issue with them) to gossip and turn against me, and they went from relatively professionals, to looking at each other and laughing when I say something.
I felt their change, and now I can see the pattern started when she came along, I am not entirely sure she likes me which is ok, but I need a professional ready to do her job.
She has an attitude when I make a final decision, she is also contacting and texting parents as if she was a teacher and they were her buddies to the point one of my parents wanted her in the IEP of her child.
I just don't want her in my classroom?
About the gossiping, I already moved on. I am too busy to care. But she is a toxic element in my classroom, and she wants to come next year to the school and I know she'll be assigned to me if she does.
I also don't want to take this pettiness to the principal who is tremendously busy.
I just want for the end of the year to come so that I can tell her kindly, that I am thankful for her work and help this year and I wish her the best but I do not want her in my classroom next year.
I want to be nice and respectful but that she gets the message that next year she is not welcome into my classroom. I know she will come to the school because all her friends are here, and I know she'll be placed in my class by my principal who ignores all this and assumes she is a good fit (so I don't wanna be stuck with her next year), and I don't want to tell my principal this petty stuff.
What would you say so she gets the message that I am thankful for her work, but I don't want her in my classroom. Once again, she'll be assigned to me because you usually get the same paras.