I’ll be moving into leadership next year. What are some things you wish admin would do to make work more fulfilling and easier?

Don’t forget what it is like to be a teacher! Always remember what it was like to be a first, second, third or even a tenth year teacher. Use that understanding as a guide when interacting with your teachers. Be understanding and amenable to meeting them at their experience level!

We have a new assistant principal who has made a positive difference for my morale. He checks on us regularly. If we had a bad day and he knows about it, he texts or stops by the next day to see how we are, out sick he will text, if there is a student complaint, discuss it privately, and support us. As he put it, "I try to treat all the way I would want to be treated." Lastly, it may sound corny but try to find out the love languages for your teachers (of course, ignore the physical touch lol) and try to support them in that way the best you can. When I hear I have done a good job by someone on the leadership team, it makes a difference because my language is words of affirmation.

Listen to teachers. Help them grow, don't punish or reprimand them for their mistakes. Model what they can do to grow as educators. And don't pull the usual retaliation strategies like unnecessary discipline letters or any other method to wear them down. They will just leave you, which can be disruptive depending on the time of year.

I think the biggest thing is just listening to your teachers. Teachers often try and communicate what they need, but it often falls on deaf ears. if a teacher needs support, needs supplies, needs extra resources for students... letting them know either way if you can or cannot support them is huge. Sometimes teachers just need to hear, "we don't have it in the budget right now" because at least they can plan accordingly. A lot of teachers often get left in limbo and the students suffer for it.

I had a principal once who would teach in your room for an hour on your birthday! Great way for him to keep in touch with teaching and nice feeling for us of being appreciated. Also, BE VISIBLE in your building: don’t hide in your office. Talk to the kids, help dish food in the cafeteria, go throw a football at recess. Teachers and kids respect authenticity

Honestly, I think admin should rotate into a teaching role every few years or so. Maybe even just for half a day during that year. Memory is a funny thing, and it tends to blur some of the daily stresses until they’re just a haze. I wish admin could remember those daily stresses. I’ve worked with a lot of admin and I only knew one who was consistently mindful of everything already facing teachers.

If you can budget a planning period AND a conference for all of your teachers, you should.

If you can’t, please communicate that in a way that doesn’t make those teachers with less time to prep/plan/collaborate feel less than.

If you’re an IC who needs to help someone with less prep time, please recognize how much they are doing with more kids, more classes, and less time to grade/pre/plan than others.

If it can be an email, please let it be an email.

Please respect teachers time.

Don't just listen,but act. Try to give your teachers opportunities for a break. Respect their time and money. Always remember your teaching experience and improve upon it for the benefit of teachers but students as well.

Find opportunities to tell your people what they are doing well, and what you appreciate about them. It will do you both good. It doesn't have to be public or fancy. Just a quick "someone noticed!" can be magical.

I agree with a leader being authentic. Try substituting once a month or modeling what you want to see by taking over a class for a teacher. We are sick of shout outs or kudos share the work.

I can organize my thoughts by making lists. I’m sure those who read my posts already know this, but here I go again…
1. Recognize that teachers are feeling so much pressure in school these days. There has been so much added to their plate with nothing being taken off. Don’t add anything more.
2. When a teacher asks for supplies, they actually need them. Please try to get them the materials.
3. Show teachers you appreciate the work they do. Maybe contests for: Lottery tickets, 1/2 off (comp coverage) gifts of leaving when the kids do, birthday pass of maybe, again, leaving when the kids do, doughnuts once a month, (we did) soup Wednesdays during February and March, teacher swap day (teachers change grade positions for half or full day, etc. This helps keep things fresh and fun.
4. Keep your door open. Teachers get busy but have to leave their door open. Don’t expect teachers to do something you wouldn’t do.
5. Back your teachers when they are following school policies. I hated when I would follow school rules, then the parent would call, and admin then made exceptions. This makes teachers crazy mad.
6. Treat all teachers the same. In other words don’t play favorites. You may think you’re being discreet, but everyone knows who is favored.
7. Try to work with teachers when they make doctor appointments. Some doctors office hours are done at 3:30-4 and of course they don’t work weekends.
8. Be human and a good listener with teachers. We all have problems and baggage.
9. Try not to micromanage things.
10. Smile at your teachers. Sounds dumb? I have had not seen my principal ( I’m retired for almost two years) for the last three years I taught.
11. Don’t complain to your teachers. You are now leadership.

Tell us what is going on and keep us updated. Tired of trying to guess who is being hired and if we will have help.

I spent Covid as an admin before running from the office... one thing both students and staff have mentioned that they miss is my weekly email. I tried it get it out by midday on Monday. It included what's up for the week - any special schedules, holidays around the world, testing news and then recognized anyone in the building who had something exciting happen the previous week - Custodian has a new granddaughter, secretary ran her first spartan race, student became an eagle scout, athletes recognized for all-star honors.
This was my way of saying I might not have been at the ceremony or the game, but I'm sure thinking of you and want to recognize the people in my building. It was also humanizing for kids to notice that adults have lives outside their classrooms and for teachers to get to know outside interests of their students.

GOOD LUCK.

Look for one authentic example of something you admire about every person on your staff, and share it with them within a years time - even the people you think are less than what you want as a staff member. Preferably on a notecard or on paper in some way. It’s absolutely amazing how much more effective positive feedback is than negative when motivating your team. I taught 34 years. Only one of the 9 principals I worked with actually did this, and I never forgot it. Most of the leaders I worked under put energy into moving teachers they didn’t like from one grade level to another and to different rooms, I’m assuming in order to demoralize them with the hopes that they would retire, leave, or move to a new building. Those ones were also more likely to respond positively to staff members who were extroverted, or team leaders, and less positively to introverts. Don’t forget that the quiet teachers have valuable input and can be just as effective as student leaders. Also, good luck! It’s great that you are motivated to find ways to connect with your staff by reaching out like this!💗🥰

I would LOVE it if admin communicated. Many times I have emails requesting information go unanswered. I would also be grateful for admin who don’t wait until the last minute to tell teachers about upcoming events or testing schedules and specifics. We are constantly having to change plans due to this.

Listen intentionally. If you don't want my opinion or thoughts, don't get my hopes up. Ask when you need help, don't just push it on us.

Quit adding crap to our plates like useless reports and creating two sets of lesson plans…let us teach.

Unrelated but how did you make the transition into leadership here in NYC? I have my SBL & SDL. My school did not have any opportunities so I applied outside to about 50 schools with no luck. Would love to hear what worked for you. Thank you

Leave me tf alone. 🤣