7 Dangerous Mistakes to Make at a Department Meeting

Feb 2020

We all love department meetings…right?! For me this means one less prep period in the day (although I’ll take that over staying late after school any day!). I’m always optimistic that our meetings will run smoothly, we will fly through the agenda, and all have 3 precious minutes to go to the bathroom before our next class. 

Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. And boy can it be painful. Have you ever sat through a department meeting counting the minutes, rolling your eyes, or pulling your hair out? Read on to learn what not to do at a department meeting because nobody wants to be “that guy.”

The “Make it all about me” Guy

Don’t use department time to problem solve your own issues. Yes, colleagues are there to help one another, but if it is a personal issue, deal with it at a separate time. 

The “Arrives late” Guy

We are all busy, but don’t be the person that constantly walks into the meeting late. Everyone is waiting for you and for the meeting to start. 

The “Ignore the person presenting” Guy

Do you spend the meeting with your head buried in the desk, never once making eye contact with the person presenting? Perhaps you grade papers or sleep (yup, I’ve seen it). Honestly, it makes it so hard for the person presenting. They feel unappreciated and that their time is being wasted. 

The “Just one more question” Guy

You just can’t help yourself. You’ve gotta ask that one last unimportant or personal question that makes the meeting drag on. The shoulders around you all slump. 

The Interrupting” Guy

Your colleague is in the middle of explaining their point and you’re so willing to share your opinion, that you jump in before they have a chance to finish.  Make sure that everyone has a fair opportunity to contribute to the meeting. 

The “Wandering off topic” Guy

Your department is discussing a change to curriculum, for example, and you wander down the rabbit hole. Before you know it, everyone is arguing over whether students should be allowed to have water bottles in class. Stick to the agenda. 

The “Not participating appropriately” Guy

Your voice matters and many hands make light work. Pulling your weight in the department is important. 

Hopefully you won’t ever find yourself in a meeting filled with these “guys”.  If you do, you may want to share this post with your department 😉