Hello,

I work as a secondary middle school teacher. My coteacher and I work together and share a classroom. How common is a double standard based on age?

I am 29 and pregnant with my second baby, and my coteacher is in her 70s and has only about 4 years of teaching experience. She refuses to do any work. I have written every lesson plan, assessment, I track all the data, do everything, and everyone knows. No one cares. She turns off her phone after school and doesn't work on weekends, and I always do any left over work. I am burnt out from having to carry our department on our back since there are only 2 of us in our subject area and grade. The worst part is she is the chair of our department and I do all her chair work. If I don't do it, we get in trouble and I don't want to lose my job.

I also notice a double standard in performance. She does things like project notes on the board during her lecture, not explain a word, and make them copy verbatim as an entire lesson and then do busy work. She receives good evaluations for this, but for me, I have to be all innovative, engaging, and immersive. I do believe that student engagement is important, but the double standard is killing me.

She also has no content expertise. She doesnt know anything about history and we teach world cultures. It is kind of frustrating, as someone that has two degrees in political science, that she doesn't even know basic facts about the world and teaches kids incorrect facts.

Sorry for any typos! Typed on my phone.