A couple of research shows that teachers dicuss the following in their staff room.
“Who has duty next week?”
“How is your son’s soccer team doing?”
“Has your daughter heard back from any colleges?”
“Did you hear where Chuck is moving after he retires?”
“Does anybody have jumper cables in their car?”
“I’m stopping by Starbucks on the way in tomorrow … anybody want anything?”
“Damn! They’re finally going to build a bathroom down by the 700s.”
A teacher reading what is the most absurd student essay ever out loud.
A full discussion on torture methods - vivid with full body gestures.
Intense complaints about students not doing their work.
Stories about travel adventures.
Complaints about students.
Complaints about parents.
Complaints about administration.
Complaints about other staff.
Complaints about the Governor of the State and the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Inter-Department Rivalry. This particularly came from the English Department who called their area of the school “The Academic Wing.”
Of these I got tired of the negativity of the first four, but understood that most of it was simple venting.
