Ask a teacher how they feel about their school principal and see their feedback. You can see their eyes well in tears of gratitude. They could put their hands on their hearts and whisper respectfully, “My principal is amazing.”
They could make one of those shaky movements with their hands, frown a little and say, “Ehh. They’re fine.”
Or they may sigh, close their eyes, and check their pulse to see exactly how much pressure this question puts on their heart function.
I know. I have worked under three people. (Get exactly half the margarita in me and I’ll reveal the worst stories that will make you gasp.)
Several years ago, a Forbes article brought to the fore an idea that had been circulating for a long time: People don’t quit their jobs, they quit their bosses. As teachers, it makes perfect sense to us. We don’t just take leadership from others, we provide it to our students. We understand ভালো better than many professions, I argue যে that we have a personal responsibility to create an environment for our “employees.”
There are countless books and articles about what best leaders and managers do to retain teachers. But sometimes I know what No. It goes a long way, too.
It is more important than ever to know how to retain the talents of the principals instead of firing them. Feel free to send this article to your principal highlighting their biggest areas for improvement! (No, no. Please don’t do that.)
In 7 ways the principals fired their teachers
1. They are out of touch with the demands teachers face.
The few leaders I’ve met have amazed me that teachers have a conveyor belt to move into leadership roles where their memories erase the time, energy and talent needed to be good teachers. A while ago, they were saying to themselves, “I don’t understand. Why these teachers? So anti Manually taking one hour per week for color-code data when I could do it myself in Excel? However, the amount of time spent away from the classroom is not always inversely proportional to the quality of leadership. One of my best principals was out of the classroom long before computers came to school.
2. It’s clear they don’t actually want to be the school leader.
It happens all the time: a teacher realizes it’s time to leave the classroom but wants to stay in education, so they move into a school leadership role. Sometimes this person wants to lead and is suitable for management, and that’s a great fit. Other times, the person may not be able to lead or be good at it but feels stuck. Maybe their family depends on the high salary of the school leadership. Maybe they should actually have a certain number of years of school leadership to be a candidate for another job.
While I fully sympathize with the situation that may motivate a teacher to leave the classroom, it is detrimental to children and teachers that you do not or do not want to be in a leadership position. Just as it is easy to find a teacher who does not want to be there, it is also easy to find a leader who does not want to be there.
3. They have trouble communicating.
As teachers, we all know that developing a communication style is a difficult task that works for a wide range of people. But the key word is “developed.” Effective communication is a skill that needs to be constantly sharpened and standardized, not a checklist item that you can identify and then ignore. Personal Pets Here: If you see that an amazing number of people don’t understand some of your interactions, it’s not that you’re dealing with a mysteriously unequal number of dummies, it’s You didn’t communicate as effectively as you thought you did.
4. They do not understand the importance of boundaries.
It is important for teachers to recognize the above and outside commitments (sports and debate instructors, drama and music teachers, I see you). But often in teaching, the narrative glorifies those who dedicate themselves the most. Principals should be careful not only to emphasize the importance of self-care for their employees, but also to establish practices that support teachers. Respecting our planning time, keeping in line with parents, typing a staff meeting as an email during a particularly demanding week — all go a long way. In a similar vein, I’ve heard the term “we do what’s best for kids” which was used almost as a threat for teachers to commit outside of reasonable subjects. You can still do the best work for kids in terms of a healthy, balanced teacher.
5. They try to avoid conflict and / or criticism.
The best principals I’ve worked for often talked about the importance of embracing conflict for growth. It was enlightening for me to hear because I never heard positive talk about conflict from the school leader, let alone as something necessary for a healthy team. In fact, I have worked for many principals in the past who were very clear that our school was a positivity-only zone (i.e., an area of toxic positivity). Taking critical feedback is equally important. I mentioned that the same principal was very diligent in finding ways to improve it on a regular basis, can respond and follow them. I’m not saying that conflict and criticism are easy to embrace – I’ve received many student feedback forms with which I’ve been insulted that I still appreciate their creativity year after year – but it’s necessary. Often, the van-diagram of principals is a circle of people who claim to be good vibes and who never want to know feedback from employees.
6. They do not know how to create and maintain a safe and collaborative work environment.
When teachers are faithful and empowered to do their work, they will improve. Conversely, when teachers ’efforts are thwarted by micromanagement and strict rules, they will fail. The best principals can find the sweet spot in holding teachers accountable while giving them the freedom and flexibility to work. (Note: I urge you, when launching a new disciplinary action, please do not tell your staff “this is not a goth.”
7. They forget to lead by example.
As a teacher, saying one thing and showing another is frustrating. For example, on dynamic and engaging teaching … we will be asked to sit quietly through a two-hour presentation reading directly from a PowerPoint. Or we have been told the importance of giving students grace for submitting projects late or for being too late, but then we will be punished if We Arriving late Students ’expectations are obviously different from adults’ expectations, but I think leaders are justified in the kind of drive, heart and attitude they expect from their teachers. You want to see change, folks.
To any major reading this: I can’t imagine how hard your work has been, especially in recent years. I have respect for every minute you don’t cry by locking your door under your desk. If you find yourself reading these and thinking, “Yes. This is an area where I can improve,” which is a good thing!
From teachers everywhere: We see you. People are being managed Tough.
We know. We can’t shoot ourselves.
What other ways do principals fire their teachers? Let us know in the comments.
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