No matter what students think of you, they will at some point or another make comments about another teacher. Beware the temptation to raise an eyebrow, sit back, and pretend to be a therapist. Even if you connect with a student and may even sympathize with what they are about to say, my advice is to shut it down. Immediately.
If the students are talking about someone else while in your class, they most definitely talk about you while in other classes. This is a pencil-in-the-other-hand scenario: would you want another teacher encouraging talk about you? Or entertaining it? As teachers we want to present a united front to our students. We need to show them we are a team - not that students are the enemy, they are more like our fans. Fans don't like conflict on their team. It sure is juicy, but we like to see teammates working hand in hand, cooperating with each other, the slap on the shoulder type of camaraderie. Gossip can undermine your respect for that teacher, and it will start to show.
So the minute they try to entice you with a snippet of gossip, act as disinterested as you possibly can.* Change the subject. I have said many times, very simply, "I don't want to hear about another teacher" and move on. If for some reason you feel the need to respond at all, make a noncommittal, innocuous statement, such as "I'm sorry that happened" or "Let's focus on the positive" and leave it alone. There are two sides to every story.
So let's give our fans something to cheer about, and nothing to chew on. Those students will leave you after June comes around, but that teacher will most likely stay put for a chunk of your career.
*This obviously excludes a legitimate complaint, such as reporting inappropriate conduct between a teacher and student. This post is referring to things like "Mr. Smith never checks our homework," or "Mrs. Johnson is late to every class."
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