Tall Poppy Syndrome

Tall Poppy Syndrome comes from the idea that when an individual reaches a higher status, others feel the need to cut him or her down, i.e. cutting the tall poppy. Recently a teacher in my school was awarded a very prestigious national teaching award. There was a huge build-up to the event. We all knew that there was going to be a special assembly, and that many people from around the entire state would be in attendance. There was a huge amount of suspense and they finally announced that one of the teachers in my school won this magnificent award. It was a great event, and I was happy for her.

I had spent the first part of the morning trying to figure out what the announcement was going to be. I met some of the special guests and developed a few theories based on who they were or where they were from. At some point in the morning, my principal pulled me aside and told me that she had an assignment for me during the assembly. She wanted me to read the body language of the teachers after the announcement was made. At first I thought that the announcement was going to be some sort of letdown. Were they going to announce a new initiative dealing with curriculum, or something else less desirable? So now my wheels were really turning-what were they going to announce?

I remembered my assignment and when the name of the teacher was announced I made sure I observed all of the staff members that were within my view. There were many teachers who seemed happy, I'm sure there were a few who were putting on a show, which was fine. But there were a few who didn't try to hide their displeasure or apathy towards the announcement. It was really interesting to see the number of people who were not thrilled about this teacher winning the award. Tall poppy syndrome reared its ugly head. I guess when one person is singled out, everyone asks the question, "Why not me?"

All teachers work hard, so when one person gets recognized, others feel left out. I understand. But I would have hoped that those teachers would see how this one teacher's recognition shines a spotlight on our school. One teacher that I talked to mentioned that we all should be recognized for the work that we do. I agree but I think we should support and celebrate when a teacher is recognized for his or her work. Maybe it's easier for me because I'm not a teacher, therefore I don't have to "compete" with them. This teacher didn't apply for the award, in fact, no one can apply for it, the committee selects each candidate from a pool of candidates that each state provides. This teacher was selected from a pool of candidates and the selection committee liked what they saw. I'm proud of the fact that my school has a teacher that has received national recognition.

BBC