Hey everyone, I need some perspective. I’m currently in my last semester of my Teaching degree and I’ve been practicing in the same middle school classrooms for two years now. My mentor teacher is amazing; she always respects my interventions, actually cares about my suggestions and gives me full autonomy.
Last week, I was in the middle of leading a lesson when the school janitor knocked. Mind you, he's been working here for over 15 years: the janitor is very popular among the staff and students from this small school. He asked my mentor (who was in the corner on her phone) for permission to speak to the students. She said yes and I stopped my class and just stood there in the middle of the room while he gave a speech.
He told the girls he was honored they chose him as their "padrino de generación" (graduation godparent, not sure how common is this in your country) but that he couldn't do it, though he'd still support them. It was a very emotional moment for the kids, but here is the part that bothered me: when he finished, he thanked my mentor teacher, excused himself for the interruption to her, and left. He didn't acknowledge me at all... not even eye contact or a "sorry for interrupting your class"
I felt completely invalidated. I was the one standing at the front, I was the one whose lesson was interrupted, and I was the one actually teaching, yet I was treated like I didn't exist in my own workspace. bro, i felt really bad, is my fragile ego the problem? or is it a personal thing?
I see a pattern: he greets me inconsistently and has even reported me to administration for "arriving late" to the building, even though I am always on time for my actual classes.
I don't blame my mentor teacher because she’s always been supportive, but I’m really struggling with how the rest of the staff sees (or doesn't see) us student teachers. Am I being too sensitive, or is this a legitimate professional boundary issue?
TL; DR: While my mentor teacher is incredibly supportive, the school janitor recently interrupted my lesson to give an emotional message to the students and completely ignored me afterward, acknowledging only the mentor teacher who wasn't even teaching.