Sunday, May 13, 2012

"COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN" - I SOON GAVE UP EMAILING TO CYBER BULLYING YOUNGER STUDENTS IN THE "TEAM"

ULTIMO TAFE YOUTH WORK DIPLOMA "GROUP WORK" CLASS 2012

I was a middle aged male in a class of mostly much younger females, except for one younger male, "Walshee", also probably less than half my age. He and a young female,"Nicole", were late in joining me in the last "group" to be formed. Initially there was only a younger female "Lily" turning up to some classes. She and myself  started emailing each other - and even instant messaging, to try and work out how our first assignment would go. Afterall, we were still the only students in this yet to be "formed" group. Even so, she was also attending irregularly and emailed asking me to update her on classes she wasn't getting to! Given that I knew none of these three students (who hadn't been in the cert 4 course from last year) -  I asked the teacher "Felicity" if we could try communicating between all of us by emails, especially if I was going to be asked to update them on what was happening when they weren't attending.

Based on the support of the teacher "Felicity" in the 9 March class that I could be a "peer" leader, "to get things going" - as the teacher put it, I suggested in my first email to the three irregulars that perhaps I should be an acting  (ie temporary) team leader/co-ordinator, until they all managed to hold a meeting outside classes - to decide how to run things as an actual team. They could then choose an elected team leader - if they wanted one. I assumed that our emails between us would be private - and I certainly would not send any of the others's emails to the teacher "Felicity". However, I also assumed that the other students would read my emails carefully and not make hasty and false conclusions about them. The teacher "Felicity" endorsed my idea for students to swap contacts - and got all students to do it in class. Students in the other groups mostly already knew each other - so they would have long had each other's contacts. Ominously, the teacher asked to have all those contacts too because when I showed her a text message in class, about "Lily" being late to class on 9 March - she went through the nessages on my mobile, a clear invasion of my privacy. There were no messages from me group members on my mobile - but it showed that  "Felicity" had some kind of agenda that was about controlling this dysfunctional "group" slowly forming around me.

Unfortunately, there was also both a lack of diligence by others in the "team" in reading emails properly and of politeness from them in replying to my emails. Perhaps it is the facebook-twitter generation lacking classroom/workplace communications etiquette. Emails from "Lily" to me became full of unfair criticism of ideas I was proposing to advance for teamwork and "Walshee" sat back judging everything and endorsing "Lily's" false claims about my emails. I can't even find an email input from "Nicole", but this young woman, who I had practically no contact with in class - was the most belligerently critical of me - in the only outside class meeting of the "group" I got to go it. Was their cyber bullying of me - a means to get rid of the older guy out of "their" team?  Certainly they were ganging up on me. What follows is an attempted commentary on the key emails - which are presented in chronological order (as much as possible).

Since there were no mobile phone/verbal interchanges or  or outside class social interaction between any of the "group" and me - and all in-class "group meetings were closely monitored by "Felicity" - the only interactions were by emails, which are being released here. On 23 March, before the start of "Felicity's" class on Friday afternoon - the Head Teacher, "Catherine", politely asked me to come outside supposedly for a brief "chat" (before the class really started) but instead took me to a nearby office to talk with a new "acting" Head Teacher "Peter". The students were moved out of the classroom, by the time I got back from their office. It took a week later for them to indicate that they now wanted me to leave the campus. I had been emailing a main teacher, "Helen" of my intention to keep attending all classes - given that "Cath" and "Peter" could give no reason during their unlawful detention of me (outside class) why specifically they wanted ,me to see them.

Their problem is that they refused to say on 23 March what I could have done to merit their humiliating actions of sneakily removing me from the beginning of "Felicity"s class. Before this happened I had even handed "Felicity" a signed RPL form - with supporting documentation, at her suggestion from an email. Early in that class, she positely reviewed that documentation to the few students already there. One young female student,"Mom" - confirmed in front of "Felicity" that she and "Margaret" wanted me to join their Internationals group(as already agreed in the previous 16 March "Felicity" class. ThereforeI had no reason to remain in her class - as I was either to be allowed to exit her subject (Recognition of Prior Learning) or to be allowed to exit the new "Walshee" run group and instead join the Internationals. I certainly didn't want to rejoin that class without either of those outcomes. I only briefly returned toof me by "Cath" and "Peter" in a nearby room - when the refused supply me drinking water diring their lenthy pointless interrogation.

The Head Teachers could not tell me what supposed "incident" had occurred in the 16 March class of "Felicity". I think hey only claimed that some of the younger students didn't want me in the class (but did they?) - but again, no reason given. Only a false middle aged male behaviour stereotype was trotted out - that does not apply to me. Besides I had RECORDED inside and straight after that class - to show "Felicity" make false claims about me and "Peter" had let me go on the excursion after. THIS RECORDING WILL BE PUBLISHED INITIALLY AS A TRANSCRIPT - GIVEN ITS VARIABLE QUALITY BEING MADE IN LARGE SPACES. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE 23 MARCH RECORDING WAS MADE WITH KNWOLEDGE AND PERMISSION OF THE FALSE INTERROGATORS - SO IT WILL BE RELEASED ON ANOTHER WEBSIDE IN DUE COURSE.

On 23 March "Peter" ridiculed my complaint that the young students in the group (I founded) were "ganging up on me" - as the emails from them show. See these emails coming here over coming months. A complaint about this is before the NSW Antidiscrimination Board (lodged by mid 2013)

A FALSE "INCIDENT REPORT" WILL BE ALSO RELEASED - REGARDING HOW ULTIMO TAFE FABRICATED THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MY FALLING OFF A BREAKLING TAFE CANTEEN CHAIR IN EARLY 2011. THE ONLY PRODUCED (IE FABRICATED)IT YEARS LATTER BECAUSE OF MY DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS TO THE ADB - GETTING EVEN THE DATE OF THE OCCURRANCE WRONG - AND LYING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THIS INJURY TO MY DIAGNOSED LOWER BACK DISC CONDITION.

I have a series of anonymous letters from all students from the 2011 cert 4 course (from a final class exersize)- giving glowing recommondations about me. Will shows that this brutal unfair treatment by youth dominated full time courses can happen to other middle aged males. This is because young TAFE students don't want to work with students different to them (especially middle aged males with any disability, but this would surely apply to any Aboriginals and any male with a disability) in groups and role plays in "their" classes. The mainly female teachers go along with this discrimination and victimisation.They fail to ensure diversity of students in these "teams" and won't intervene in discrimination and victimisation by younger students.

CAN YOU SOLVE THIS MYSTERY?

You can try and work out why the TAFE Head Teachers did this after following these emails, transcripts of meetings recorded and my COLLEGE DIARY account of those last classes on  http://mask-college.blogspot.com.au . There is also the matter of other students in the class having witnessed everything - and their account of how some students bullied me, not being sought by the head teachers.The real reason for this bullying was because of discrimination by some students, and supported by the teacher and TAFE itself, against me. "Felicity", promised in emails, but failed to help ensure - that I could participate in a class group through  doing a non active-sports based program, with youth in a local youth centre (given my lower back problem). It was passive discrimination regarding prejudice regarding my age/gender, that meant that none of the initial three groups wanted me to join them.

A SHORT PLAY CALLED "THE EXAMINER" WILL APPEAR SOON - which outlines how Ultimo TAFE should have had a Student Onbudsman to mediate in this discrimination/victimisation situation by those teachers/head teachers.

HERE ARE SOME MORE CLUES:

The mostly young female students were only including others like themselves in "their" groups. Just before the 23 March class, I managed to come across "Dorwell" walking near the Library at TAFE. I told her that I had negotiated (again) with one of the young "international" women to transfer to their group. She seemed surprised by this, though I'd already been emailing "Felicity" that they were now interested in my joining them. She then remonstrated with me that I would have to get "permission" of the other young female international in the group (who, like the other - had already agreed to have me join, the week before in the class on 16 March). Her comment confirmed my view that she had been lying in her emails - where she claimed she wanted to talk to me about the issue of group formation.

Here are the series of emails, that were falsely characterised as "offensive" - to unfairly end my continuous run of studies at TAFE, since 2005. I made a formal complaint to Ultimo TAFE on 30 March about the discrimination permitted and supported by "Felicity", as shown in these emails. I made recordings that also demonstrate that she was fabricating a false complaint about me in the classroom on 16 March and that the Head Teachers were enforcing the discrimination (re; recording of them on 23 March, that I told them I was doing). They were clearly breaking laws on discrimination, as a discrimination specialist at Redfern Legal centre told me. Some things to keep in mind is that community services/welfare classes at NSW TAFE colleges are overwelmingly taught by female teachers and the students are overwelmingly female and young. This is particularly strange in Youth Work courses, as most of the clients are young males. Indeed, most of the female students in this class were young enough to be youthwork clients themselves. There is also an interesting preference for middle aged lesbrians to get the good placements (ie likely to get a job there) from a mainly female TAFE teachers - with a large proportion being middle aged leasbians themselves.

______________________________________________________
EMAILS THAT WERE ALL SENT TO REDFERN LEGAL CENTRE
(names changed - but identifiable to other students in class)

assignment group          (to “Verity Dowell”  TEACHER from me)

Priority

Mar 7

Hi,

Last week I asked Helen ((Course Co-ordinator)) how I might get to talk to you about your classes, before seeing you on Friday - but she couldn't really say how I could do that. My concern is that there is now little time before the first "group" assignment is due in (Task one - Community Needs Assessment). Instead I tried to raise one of my concerns with a new "group" member, “Jacob” - that the existing groups are poorly formed eg with the younger females together, then the older ones in another one and the "ethnics” in another. I said that at the very (least), the three males "present" should be distributed among the groups - but he wasn't at all interested in my point of having more varied group participants.

The problem for me, personally, is that, not only does “Walshee” seem intent on contradicting anything I say (in some sort of male V male game) but he says he will not be coming to class this week at all. This means that he will have attended only one out of three classes by the end of this week. We don't have each other's contact details - though I gave my phone number to the new female in the group last week, while he was present. I will call her “X” ("Nicole") for the moment, as I didn't get her name. She hasn't called me at all, but “Lily” has already texted me (saying she was ill and couldn't come to class). “Lily” wants me to update her in an email !!

I think I should (privately) call this "group" I'm in, the LEFTOVERS, since I'm the only one in it who has been to the last three classes, and none of the other groups were interested in having me in "their" group. It seems to me that there are only three” separately to be in the two groups that have no male in them
. On the other hand, I'm happy enough to work with "X", (ie “Nicole”) as she is cooperative and shows some real knowledge and experience of the subject - and “Lily” at least seems interested (if not all that involved so far).
However, until whoever I'm supposed to be working with (including out of class meetings) can both A) supply contact info to all group members (mobile and email) and                                                                                                                                                                   B) attend classes every week

I will be trying to do as much of TASK ONE by myself as I can. So far there seems to be no agreement even on the RESEARCH PURPOSE from “Walshee” and "Nicole", but that may be because they hadn't seemed to have read the assignment at all by last week. So far I've decided that the Purpose is to find out what needs local young people have (that a youth service could help them achieve). These may range from needing help with homework to getting reengaged with schooling or learning how to cook healthy for themselves and finding some engaging group activity to do after school. I'm happy to discuss this question with the rest of the "Leftovers". Even so, “Lily” didn't want to discuss it 2 weeks ago, because the whole "group" wasn't there yet. Maybe "Nicole" and “Lily” still won't decide on it until “Jacob” is back next week (given that he seems determined to be the dominant male).

I am certainly used to being ostracised from group work in TAFE courses, because I am a mature age male among younger students - but those students will have to get used to working with males even as old as me in the workplace. I think a real TEAM should involve a mixture of ages, genders, ethnicity and even disability. 

Regards

(Myself)



NOTES:

Some words added in (italics) within brackets are used to clarify meaning. Words within double brackets are added explanations. I have corrected my typos and obvious grammar mistakes– but have not added or subtracted any sections. Any underlining of sections was added after theses emails were sent (ie for emphasis – for this presentation). New additions added later here will have the italics and underlining removed for the moment - due to time needed to add such code.



Mar 8            (TEACHER “Verity Dorwell” to me)

to me

Hi (my name),

I understand your concerns but I think it wouldn't work to mix up the groups at this point in time. “Walshee” is just married and a father to be which understandably is a big distraction for a young man but from last semester I have observed him to be a good student and will do his fair share I'm sure. I don't think it is a bad thing for the males to be together, we will talk it through tomorrow. Thanks “Felicity”



NOTES : I have added underlining to “Felicity”s email – to highlight her rejection of my concern, about how “Walshee” is already showing signs about how he will dominate the “team” and marginalise me (as another male).  Teacher “Felicity” never did talk to me directly about these issues. I have not corrected typos or changed anything in emails sent to me.



COMMENT : All the known members of this fourth "group" - yet to be formed into an actual Team, appeared in "Felicity"s class. She not only sat in our in-class group meeting,but was actively involved in it. She was critical of the fact that "Lily" wasn't there yet. My last email to "Felicity" to "Lily" saying she was late for class - but she was still coming. "Felicity" then hung onto my phone and went through my texts without my permission.

"Felicity" then suggested that we could divide up the assignment tasks between us, and "Walshee" and "Nicole" quickly baggsed the easiest tasks that only have to be done at the end of the assignment. "Lily" was bumped in next, leaving me with the least desireable task - the Demographics. "Walshee", having imposed his Chairing of the "Felicity' supervised in-class meeting, then repeatedly challenged me about whether I felt "comfortable" about doing (presumably ALL) of the Demograghics by myself.

"Felicity" kept staring at me through this, as if checking my reactions to his harrassment. I just calmly said that I'd already done the (main) demographics anyway. He didn't say I'd only be doing that - but I then wanted to record any further "group" meeting, to be able to check EXACTLY what he was saying. Though claiming to be Chairman, he was not allowing new agenda items to be offered by others - or taking any sort of minutes.


8 MARCH -EMAIL FROM "HELEN" TEACHER b/> See X Y at PCYC is keen for a Diploma student. Please phone him on "Helen".

EMAIL TO "HELEN": Sorry I haven’t checked these emails as often as usual recently. I’m having trouble trying to control high BP issue – and this has been stuffing up my sleep. I hope recent increased meds may help until I get through preparation for a SS Review Trib hearing likely next month. After that I hope my BP becomes better. I’ll check check out the PCYC wevbsite soon - but hope to contact X today by phone.

(NOTE: This prposed placement, involving mostly boxing and basketball - was not suitable for my lower back condition).

9 MARCH "FELICITY" CLASS - comments - not an Email.
All of the known members of this fourth “group” - yet to be formed into an actual Team, appeared in “Felicity”s class. "Felicity" not only sat in one our in-class meeting, but was actively involved in it. She was critical of the fact that “Lily” wasn’t there yet. My last email to “Felicity” said “Lily” was too sick to get to the previous Friday class. This time I could show Felicity a text from Lily saying she was late for class – but she was still coming. “Felicity” then hung onto my phone and went through my texts without my permission.

“Felicity” then suggested that we could divide up the assignment tasks between us, and “Walshy” and “Nicole” quickly bagsed the easiest tasks that only have to be done at the end of the assignment. Lily was bumped in next, leaving me with the least desirable task – the Demographics. “Walshy”, having imposed his Chairing of the meeting, then repeatedly challenged me about whether I felt “comfortable” about doing (presumably ALL) of the Demographics for the “group” assignment. “Felicity” kept staring at me through this, as if checking my reactions to his harassment. I just calmly said that I’d already done the (main) demographics anyway.

I still maybe assumed that “Walshee” had some local knowledge about the historical and social background of Glebe and that “Nicole” and “Lily” probably knew some of what I knew about the area. “Walshee” later disclosed at some point in class that he came from the regions and/or had worked there – which made me realise that he and the others may not know as much as I did about the background of the area. “Walshee” did not come to the post class 9 March excursion to the Glebe youth services – where we were supposed to question the management (stakeholders) of those services.


10 MARCH EMAIL TO "FELICITY" (TEACHER)

I think you may have seen in class how J (Walshee) has been acting in our group. He grabbed the main report writing part of our joint task one. He then kept asking me if I was comfortable with him doing that and if I was comfortable with just writing the background section. He kept asking the same question again when he couldn’t get a rise out of me about it (head butting me to assume “leadership” of the group). Hopefully me and N (“Nicole”) will be able to keep working together to keep him from persisting with (survey) questions that don’t work – that he keeps coming up with (and returning to) for the survey. She seems to understand the sensitivities of researching with young people far more than him.

Given the way he is, I think I’m better off hiding out in the demographics section – though I’d say he’s the worst person in the group to write up the findings. Since he is determined to dominate (which is the opposite of leading) he should wear how out “joint” effort works out. He also seems determined to make out group do a sports only or dominated program – though us other 3 lean towards arts driven program development. In any case – I already have a Social Science degree with a distinction in community research, so I have nothing really to prove. I don’t think J (“Walshee”) has much idea in that area though. I’d say he’ll make it really hard for us to come up with an innovative program.

I’m prepared to cop any ridicule, as I try to promote ideas that might motivate the young people to get involved. Obviously they are becoming less interested in doing the same of clichés.

FROM "JIM"

12 MARCH (maybe earlier) EMAIL TO "A TEAM" ie others - from "Jim" - (Teacher appointed acting peer leader)

There is an obvious problem that we have as a group with doing communications outside class – as well as having irregular attendance by most members so far at classes and at excursions. Because of this problem I have emailed the teacher to make several suggestions for groups in general. We are to meet for the first time outside class this Thursday afternoon. I think it is very important that each member email each other about 6 questions for the Survey in the next few days – that we can consider in this Thursday afternoon meeting.

Our object, I think, is to find out the felt needs of the young people we will be surveying. Also we’re asking about the sorts of (group?) activities they like to do. I will send you all my 6 or so suggested questions – so I hope you also send me and the others your questions. I have written a proposed “newsletter” for the A team, to send you, that particularly looks at ideas for our decision making process. I think for instance, that members who don’t attend classes, excursions and meetings, don’t get a vote on decisions made by members who do attend, when those decisions are made.

In other words - I do not accept the notion that we are unable to make any decisions until all members are present in classes, excursions and meetings. Since I am the only member so far (who) has been to every event (eg classes) I claim the right to take leadership of this group – until a meeting is held to elect another leader instead. Since I am taking responsibility for trying to consist-ently co-ordinate our current task – I nominate myself as Acting TEAM LEADER – in line with a suggestion by the teacher in our last class (9 March), that a peer leader position may be needed to help get things going.


All members are welcome to be involved in producing my proposed A Team newsletters – which are aimed at trying to get things done for this project. For instance, members at the Friday excursion all seemed to agree with the teacher’s idea that the A Team could be based at the Glebe Youth Service – but we would also keep visiting the Broadway youth service site, as part of the program we are running. I consider that we made a decision to take this approach on last Friday during that excursion – and any member not present there on Friday (ie “Walshee” on 9 March) has no right to reverse that decision by themselves or to block it. We should have a meeting of all members if anyone wants to reconsider that decision.

The “Mom” (Internationals) group will probably run a sports program at the Broadway site – so we should not do the same type of thing. I have an ARTSPORTS program in mind – which I already have a draft poster or two for. That can involve activities during out “floating” visits to Broadway. I am suggesting we put the sports themes in an arts context – and I will outline these ideas when we meet. I suggest that any alternative suggestions be also put in writing for members to consider – backed by draft promotion material. I don’t accept the notion that we can’t start coming up with program ideas until after we do the Survey etc of young people.

The Glebe YS (youth service) has already told us (Friday 9 March) that arts programs have been popular – but none are operating at the moment. The Mom group has shown interest running some types of organised sports at Broadway. I think it would be a mistake to compete with them by doing that there. We should try and be innovative in our program proposals, not just try and do activities that have been done in the past (eg pool competition, conventional art classes and pretending that young people aren’t interested in getting their photos and art on the Glebe YS webpage).

FROM "JIM"


12 MARCH EMAIL TO "FELICITY" - regarding above email.

EMAIL: I’ve tried to send the following email to the A Team members, at the addresses they gave me – but it failed to get through to any of them apparently.

FROM "JIM" (copy of above email followed).

FOLLOWED BY THIS FURTHER TEXT IN SAME EMAIL ONLY TO "FELICITY".


It seems to me that a combination of sexism and ageism is occurring in at in at least two of the groups. Perhaps it could be called the invisible Man Syndrome. In our group, L (“Lily”) kept saying that we can’t make decisions until “everyone” is present in class. Magically this occurred when J (”Walshee”) turned up in class on Friday (9 March). L (“Lily”) and N (“Nicole”) seemed to accept the assumed authority of J (“Walshee”) to decide who was doing what on the report (though L (“Lily”) hadn’t even arrived when he made those decisions (though she (“Lily”) texted me that she would soon (arrive).

It seems to me that none of the younger women will accept me, as an older male – having any real say in decisions. On the other hand, as younger females – they seem to defer to the authority of a younger male. I believe that you witnessed J (“Walshee”) dominating our meeting, rather than showing leadership and encouraging all the members to express their views and come to a consensus decision. In my attempted (leadership) email (above) I tried to take (at least temporary) leadership and propose that we can make (preliminary) decisions together at any time we meet – and those members not present have to accept our right to do that (rather than wait for them to turn up before we can decide anything – even at a minor level).

I will now have to try and briefly contact the other members by mobile (about whether they got my A TEAM email) – with N (“Nicole”) not including hers at all. I suspect that “Mom”s group (will have) chose Jer as their leader because he is a younger male – though he has hardly ever turned up. I think they also should be making group decisions without him being there – and choose an Acting Team Leader of their own until all members are there.

(FROM "JIM").


THE NASTY EMAILS FROM NARKY YOUNG STUDENTS TO ME - TO COME