Crap

Just got an email from my supervisor informing me that someone called the BOE to complain that I have tattoos and as such am unsuitable to be a teacher. They were apparently going to call the school too. (I can only guess they haven’t seen my hair!) Unfortunately he was out of the office so he does not know who the caller was. I’ve asked if it is a parent of one of my students, and if they are complaining about my tattoos being visible at school, or if in fact they have seen me around town, when I make no effort to conceal them.

He has also informed me that although he understands my tattoos’ significance to me, he cannot support me in this. My instant, defensive, reaction was to think, well it doesn’t seem you can bloody well support me in anything, even when it’s someone else in the wrong. But that’s just defensiveness trying to hide the sick feeling in my stomach of having had someone complain about me. I know it is nothing to do with me as a teacher, really, nor my ability or suitably to teach, but it still hits me that way. *sigh* Also apart from hiding them, there is nothing I can do about my tattoos. So what recourse does that leave him with if the citizen insists that just me having them, regardless of their visibility, is unacceptable? Firing me? *gulp* Okay, jumping ahead of myself here.

At least, I’ve had a really good run here and to go for two years with no complaints and other teachers being cool with them, is pretty damn amazing. I haven’t been as careful as I initially was about hiding them because so many other teachers asked why I bothered and thought it was unnecessary.

The funny thing is, I’m one of the first teachers to tell students to wait until they’ve graduated high school at least before getting piercings or tattoos. I tell them I didn’t get my first tattoo until I was 23, even though I wanted one since 14. I also tell them I wasn’t allowed to dye my hair till I was at uni. I do want to impress upon them that they don’t have to do all their growing up and explorations right now. It’s actually quite fun leaving them till later/uni.

At least winter is coming, which means turtle necks for me. It has to be the bat they’re worried about. My watch covers my om, and I never wear tops with necks low enough to show the cat. Of course, this past month I’ve been wearing my hair up in a scarf to conceal the colour, which then shows off the bat! Not that I never put my hair up before, just maybe not every day.

I really really hope this stops here.

lirionOctober 6, 2005 - 1:26 pm

*hugs*
Damn and blast 🙁
*fingers crossed that it all comes out ok for you*

kowariOctober 6, 2005 - 9:57 pm

The Japanese never cease to amaze me in their oxymoronia!

psuedonym777October 7, 2005 - 2:06 am

*hug* I hope your boss doesn’t do anything foolish. If he has any intelligence at all, he’ll recognise the good teacher in you and make the right call. Take heart Gypsy girl. :o)

jokrackOctober 7, 2005 - 3:27 am

Cover them up while at school and hope for the best? I doubt you can get fired over this, though it *could* make your life a little more difficult for awhile. Hopefully it blows over soon. (Maybe the complainer will find a new, less annoying hobby than “town moralist.”)

gypsyamberOctober 7, 2005 - 12:56 pm

I’m not sure exactly what you are refering to as their oxymoronia in this case.
The fact that tattoos are bad but purple hair okay?
The fact that there are many (too many) Japanese teachers out there who whilst not displaying any body art, are clearly unsuitable as teachers?
The fact that my body art has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with my teaching abilities and suitablities?

or something I haven’t thought of yet!?

gypsyamberOctober 7, 2005 - 1:03 pm

Unfortunately it’s not a case of intelligence. He knows I’ma good teacher. I teach his daughter and she loves my classes. He has told me he gets really good reports from my school.
However, here, appearance is everything. So if someone takes issue with my appearance, and is not satisfied with what ever I do to ‘fix it’, then it would be much easier to let me go than to fight for me.

And let’s face it. if he’s not willing to go in and bat for me when I have problems with violent students, then he’s hardly likely to defend me on this.

He’s not a bad supervisor, in fact he is really quite good. I am lucky to have him, especially compared to the horror stories I’ve heard. But he is a product of this society and bound far more than I by it’s rules and expectations.

gypsyamberOctober 7, 2005 - 1:07 pm

Maybe the complainer will find a new, less annoying hobby than “town moralist.

I’m hoping so! I actually suspect it might have been one of the obaachans doing traffic counting outside the school yesterday. I stopped at the bus stop to strip down o tank top for the ride home – out of sight of students – and so they would’ve seen both my back tattoos. It just seems too wierd for it to be a parent complaining now, when I’ve been here for two years and met all this years students, and heard not a peep of complaint.

No more tank top to and from work, not even to the few blocks away. And all head scarves are being worn with long tails to hide my bat now.

tracybelleOctober 7, 2005 - 3:33 pm

Quite frankly that just sucks… Wakayama’s a conservative town in a consertative country but still…

Can’t really comment much for the fuming I’m doing inside on your behalf my lovely.

Can’t believe your superviser – how dare he say he cannot support you in this – you are entirely right for your first reaction – I totally blame him for not being willing to take a stand for an excellent teacher or even just for the principle of the thing… What sort of system do you have where the organisation won’t support their teachers – have they never heard of a united front, at least in public?

I had forgotten just how backward the place was in so many ways. Makes me really mad that you even have to think about covering them.

I’m still fuming, so much I can’t even write a coherent sentence.

I’m sure it is the sort of thing that they will forget about if you do as you say and make sure that the tattoos are hidden, but it still makes me mad that you have to do this.

Anyway, Amber my lovely I am thinking of you – and hoping like hell that it all blows over for you.

Trace

psuedonym777October 8, 2005 - 2:19 am

Point. Once more I am putting a western spin on an eastern culture. *hug* Sorry Gypsy. I hope it works out. Wish I could be more helpful.

kowariOctober 9, 2005 - 12:05 am

d) all of the above
*grin*

AnonymousOctober 9, 2005 - 9:13 am

Tats

That just isn’t cool. I tell ya people are really crazy out there. Hope it all blows over. You have less than a year and you’ve done so well until now. You’ll be cool.

Shanta

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