Many moons ago when I was still a teacher in my 20s, the principal sent an email reminding colleagues not to be late. A colleague had been more than a few minutes late for lesson and this had come to the school leader’s attention.
At that time, the school was using a home room system which meant that the teachers stayed in the room while the students moved to lessons. The movement time would waste time and students would often arrive late for lesson.
I took this as an opportunity to reply to the principal that students are also often late and maybe he should reconsider this home room system?
I replied to the all staff e-mail thread. This was not an accident. I thought, naively and coming from a perspective of public discussion that staff e-mail was an outlet to share differences of opinions.
Shortly after I sent the email, a senior colleague told me, “Yue Heng, good luck.”
I, a mere rookie teacher, had publicly contradicted the school leader!
I was summoned to see the principal. I cannot recall what we discussed but he was very gentle and very nice.
Maybe he took pity on this 不懂事 beginning teacher.
Later on, I would meet principals who would not have taken kindly to being contradicted like that.