This past school year, I have been taking part in a leadership academy with other teachers in the Silver Creek School Corporation, and it has been fruitful and thought provoking. What I am about to write about are my perceptions and feelings when it comes to leadership and education...so bear with me, especially if you don't agree with anything I am about to write about.
Teachers:
Teachers do not want to be led. We are leaders, we don't need to be led, we for sure need to be nudged from time to time, but more often than not, we lead. We all haver different styles and there are some people who need to be led and maybe even fired because they cannot or will not lead.
In the picture above, teachers do not want a Boss...ever, and only want a Leader if that leader has decided we are going to do something radically different. Even then, teachers don't like leaders coming in and messing with them when it's not broken.
Teachers tend to even be aggravated by leadership that seems to micromanage, don't push us unless we need it. But, reward as often as you discipline...then you will get the support of us "followers" in times that you need us.
Now, if teachers get in trouble or are being questioned by students or parents, we do want a Leader then who will take up for us, stand with us, or pull the sled. Too often, it seems, we as teachers get ourselves in that trouble, but not always.
It's then that we want leadership to have our back and support us publicly.
In teachers not wanting to be led, if there are no complaints from administration, then we must be doing it right, so it seems natural to want to be supported in hard times.
Administration:
The school board should support the Superintendent, the Superintendent should supports his principals, and all of them should be pulling the sled at all times.
Too often, we don't see anyone pulling the sled, but we feel the whip or the words from the top of the sled when it comes to admin leadership.
Most Principals do not need to be micromanaged and neither do most teachers.
But work with those admins or teachers, do not use sweeping language or emails for the issues of one or a few, it's unnecessary and aggravating to those who are doing their jobs leading.
At our school, things run pretty smoothly and even the small change by admins or above can have a Princess and the Pea feeling. It may not seem like a big deal, but it becomes something that we notice, cannot get comfortable with, and sets off overreaction by those under leadership.
Finally, I just want to say that I believe that a large majority of admins and teachers are doing great jobs, but the "fix" on teachers or admins should be single situations, precise incisions, and not complete overhauls, or blanket accusations.
Unless it's needed and we all know situations like that, but too often that's not what we do.
We know you have jobs, you do not have to justify them by making more work for admins or teachers.
We know you're doing a good job because we are doing a good job.
We know you're allowing us to be what we need to be as leaders because we are happy and, in return, our students are happy which should make all admins above us happy.
You don't need a legacy for a radical change or some new radical hire.
A simple "hello, thanks for all you do, keep up the great work" with a smile will suffice, and for that, we will have your back when necessary.
