Staffroom Palaver: How to handle stubborn teacher

Every school has a staffroom rhythm. It is where teachers decompress after lessons, share ideas, solve problems, and sometimes quietly pick each other up after tough days. It is the informal engine room of a school. When the staffroom is healthy, it boosts morale, teamwork, and even learner outcomes because teachers cooperate better. But when the staffroom turns toxic, the whole school begins to feel heavy. One of the quickest ways a staffroom loses its balance is when an obstinate teacher dominates the space—stubborn, resistant, combative, and unwilling to shift position even when the facts are clear.

An obstinate teacher is not simply someone with a strong opinion. Schools need teachers who question, challenge, and bring new ideas. That is healthy debate. Obstinacy is different. It is the refusal to listen, the habit of opposing everything, the constant “No” that kills momentum. It is the teacher who turns every small matter into a fight, who dismisses colleagues, who rejects agreed procedures, and who thrives on being the loudest voice in the room. If not handled wisely, such a teacher can drain energy, split staff into camps, and slowly destroy the professional culture of a school.

The first rule in handling an obstinate teacher is simple: do not fight them emotionally. Many staff members fall into the trap of trying to “win” the argument in the staffroom. That is the worst battlefield to choose. An obstinate teacher often enjoys confrontation because it gives them attention and power. They want an audience. They want to prove they are untouchable. When you respond with anger, sarcasm, or insults, you feed their fire and elevate them. The staffroom becomes a theatre and everyone else becomes spectators. The best response is calm firmness. You can be assertive without being rude. You can correct without humiliating. You can disagree without turning it into a personal war.

This is why private engagement is one of the most effective strategies. If a teacher is being stubborn in a meeting or in the staffroom, it is rarely productive to confront them in front of others. Public correction can trigger pride and defensiveness. The teacher may refuse to soften simply because they feel they must protect their image. Even if they are wrong, they will insist on being right because the room is watching. A wise colleague or administrator waits until the discussion ends, then invites the teacher aside. A private conversation removes the audience and forces honesty. It communicates that the issue is serious, not entertainment. It also reduces the chance of the staffroom becoming divided into “supporters” and “opponents.”

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In that private conversation, begin with listening. It may sound like weakness, but it is actually a powerful tool. Listening disarms tension. Sometimes a teacher becomes obstinate because they feel ignored. Sometimes they have genuine frustrations that have been building up for years. Sometimes they are reacting to past experiences—maybe they were once embarrassed by leadership, or they feel they carry the heaviest workload, or they believe decisions are unfair. If you do not listen, you will never understand the real source of resistance. However, listening does not mean tolerating disrespect. You listen to understand, then you set boundaries. You make it clear that they are entitled to an opinion, but not entitled to disrupt professional spaces.

Boundaries matter because the staffroom is not a personal kingdom. It is a shared professional environment. Teachers are role models. Their conduct sets the tone of the institution. If one teacher constantly interrupts, shouts down others, mocks colleagues, or spreads negativity, it creates fear and silence. Soon, good teachers stop contributing because they do not want conflict. Meetings become shallow because no one wants to be attacked. That is how schools lose innovation. Therefore, boundaries must be firm and consistent. Respectful speech is not negotiable. Courtesy is not optional. Even disagreement must follow professional rules.

The next key strategy is to anchor decisions on facts, policies, and agreed procedures. Obstinate teachers often resist personal persuasion. If you try to convince them emotionally, they will interpret it as weakness. But policies and procedures have authority beyond personalities. When discussions become heated, return to what is written, approved, or agreed. If it is a duty roster, show the duty roster. If it is a departmental resolution, refer to minutes. If it is a timetable matter, refer to the timetable approval process. When the staffroom conversation is grounded in facts, the obstinate teacher has less room to manipulate emotions or create confusion. It also protects the school from “he said, she said” arguments because the evidence is clear.

Another dangerous element around obstinate teachers is gossip and staffroom politics. Some stubborn staff members are skilled at creating camps. They whisper, recruit, exaggerate, and plant seeds of division. They frame every decision as oppression. They paint leadership as enemies. They pretend to be “defending teachers” while actually defending their own ego. When colleagues join gossip, the staffroom becomes a battlefield of rumours. Trust breaks down. People stop sharing openly. The environment becomes suspicious and heavy. The best defense is refusing to join that game. If someone tries to pull you into gossip, redirect them to professionalism. Encourage the use of official channels. Remind staff that complaints should be raised respectfully and formally, not through poisonous talk.

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One of the smartest ways to handle obstinacy is to force the teacher to move from complaining to contributing. Many obstinate teachers are loud critics but weak builders. They oppose proposals but never provide alternatives. They reject plans but never offer solutions. A simple but powerful move is to give them responsibility for their criticism. If they oppose an idea, ask them to propose an alternative plan. Ask them to write it down. Ask them to present it in the next meeting. This changes the game. It moves the teacher from emotional resistance to practical thinking. It also reveals whether their opposition is genuine or simply a habit. When asked to provide solutions, some stubborn teachers soften because they realize complaining is easier than building.

At times, you must also recognize when a discussion has reached its limit. Not every disagreement deserves endless airtime. Some decisions must be implemented because the school cannot freeze operations waiting for everyone’s comfort. That is where polite repetition becomes useful. You do not debate endlessly. You repeat the final position calmly. You acknowledge their feelings but do not change the decision. This is sometimes called the “broken record” approach. It is not disrespectful. It is simply firm. It communicates that the institution cannot be held hostage by one individual’s stubbornness. When done consistently, it reduces the power of the obstinate teacher because they realize their resistance does not stop the school.

However, there is a line between obstinacy and misconduct. If a teacher’s stubbornness becomes open insubordination—refusing duties, disobeying lawful instructions, intimidating colleagues, bullying staff members, or sabotaging school programs—then it is no longer a staffroom annoyance. It becomes a management issue. At that stage, leadership must act. A school cannot survive if discipline is weak. Professional standards must be protected. The teacher should be guided through proper processes, not through emotional wars. This is why documentation is important. Not for revenge, but for accountability. Keep simple records: dates, incidents, witnesses, and the impact on school operations. When leadership engages the teacher, they should speak in terms of performance and conduct, not personal dislike. The language should remain professional and evidence-based.

The truth is that some obstinate teachers never fully change. They may soften, but they remain difficult personalities. That is why the school must focus on what matters most: service delivery. Are they teaching? Are they attending lessons? Are they covering syllabus? Are they performing duties? Are they respecting learners and colleagues? A teacher may be stubborn, but if they deliver professionally and do not disrupt others, the school can manage them. But if their behaviour affects teamwork, morale, and operations, then intervention is necessary. Leadership should not wait until the whole staffroom becomes demoralized. Early action prevents bigger damage.

Ultimately, handling an obstinate teacher is about protecting the culture of the school. A healthy staffroom is not one where everyone agrees. It is one where disagreements are handled respectfully. It is one where teachers debate ideas, not attack people. It is one where decisions are implemented once agreed, not endlessly sabotaged. The staffroom should remain a place of support, not a daily war zone. When calm firmness, clear boundaries, and consistent procedures are applied, even the most stubborn teacher learns that the school will move forward with or without their approval.

And in the heat of staffroom tension, these quick phrases can save the day. They help you redirect conversations, set boundaries, and keep professionalism intact:

“Let’s stick to facts.”

“We can disagree respectfully.”

“We have a decision already—let’s implement.”

“If you disagree, write your proposal and submit it officially.”

“This conversation is becoming unproductive—let’s pause.”

By Hillary Muhalya