Most (although it should definitely be all) school administrators were once classroom teachers, or teachers of some kind. However, often those days are long gone. I’ve had some really fantastic principals and some… less than great principals in my years in education. The ones who weren’t so great often didn’t really remember what it’s like to be a classroom teacher. School administrators forget what it’s really like. Let’s explore some reasons why your principal doesn’t get it and how to address the issues it can create.
The Problem with Being an Administrator
Before you think this post is going to be a 1000 word essay bashing admins, it’s not. In my third year of year, I actually got a very, very close look at the life if principals and vice principals. Let me tell you, it made me realize that administrator was not the job for me. Halfway through my third year of teaching, I took a job as an educational clerical assistant. If you’re thinking “Martha, please stop making up titles.” I promise I’m not. I left the charter school where I taught for this position at a new school.
Basically, my duties were to monitor attendance (yes I was the one calling you telling you to please put in your attendance), send out truancy letters, do reading intervention with K-7th grade, help manage a character ed program, and to be the assistant to the assistant principal.
This experience was totally eye opening. I think before this I sort of thought administrators had a lot of free time. The reality is that being an administrator is super busy, stress, and hard. They are juggling a million different things from a million different sides. This includes upper administrators (superintendents, district level admins), parents, teachers, and students. They’re both focusing on making sure things are going well now, and also looking to the future and planning months and months in advance as well. It’s a lot and a job that I personally do not envy.
That being said, I don’t think it’s okay for administrators to treat teachers poorly and not recognize their struggle. In many cases, I think it’s often an issue of school administrators forgetting what it’s like to be a classroom teacher. It’s a bit like how we, as teachers, can often forget what it’s like to be a student. If we aren’t cognizant of what our students are dealing with, we can’t be the best teacher to them. If our administrators don’t remember, empathize, and work to fix the barriers for us as teachers, we can’t do our best either. So, I’ve written this post in love to both administrators and teachers. We all need to be aware of the struggles that others are dealing with so we can support them through it.
Some Things Administrators Forget and How to Handle It
We don’t have time for all the paperwork and it’s not that important to us.
You know you’ve been there. You sit down to a meeting and realize there was paperwork you needed to fill out, and you definitely didn’t do it. The thing is, the paperwork and documentation is super important to administrators. But, as teachers who are working so hard on a day to day basis in the classroom, it’s the last thing on our mind.
As as teacher, I have told my administrators before, “I understand that this is important, but if I have to choose between being prepared for my class and filling in a form, I’m going to do the first one.” I think that often times, administrators forget that that’s the choice we sometimes have to make. We shouldn’t have to work outside of contract hours, and even if we are, that still doesn’t mean there’s enough time in the day to fill out form 704B.
What can we do? First, sometimes paperwork really isn’t that important, but other times it really is. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with paperwork and forms, ask first for what is absolutely necessary. It’s okay to say “I am overwhelmed and this doesn’t feel like a priority to me.” It’s important to speak up because if teachers don’t, administrators will likely assume everything is just fine.
Then, ask for deadlines. Set a calendar reminder or write it on your planner. Try to set aside a chunk of time to get it done. And, lastly, don’t be a perfectionist. Of course, some paperwork is extremely important, and you should give that your full attention. But, other paperwork might not matter that much, so you can complete it quickly and move on.
Meeting the needs of 25+ students is incredibly difficult and we’re trying our best.
If your administrator has been out of the classroom for 5, 10, 15 years, they no longer truly and fully remember the difficulty of being a classroom teacher. In addition, the classroom changes so much in just a few years. Throw Covid years into the mix, and it’s a whole different experience. Add to that the fact that many administrators have never been a regular classroom teacher, or often haven’t taught the grade levels they’re responsible for. Suffice it to say, they often don’t quite grasp how hard our job is and that we’re doing our best.
Again, I don’t think this is a malicious action, but it can feel very frustrating as a teacher when administrators suggestion things that aren’t feasible or won’t really solve a problem. Of course, sometimes they do have excellent advice, and if so, take it. But, if their solutions aren’t realistic or are overly simplifying the issue, it can be helpful to speak up. If possibly, respectfully explain why you think that suggestion wouldn’t work. You can even ask them to come in and model the strategy. Maybe you’ll learn that it will work, or maybe they’ll realize that it won’t. Either way, it can be a valuable experience.
Telling us you understand feels like a lie.
On the same thread, I think a lot of teachers have to suppress an inner eye roll when administrators say that they understand how teachers feel. Although we realize that this is likely an attempt at expressing empathy, it falls short for a few reasons.
- It feels patronizing and dismissive. Often times these comments feels like a way to brush aside teacher’s real concerns.
- Teaching is constantly changing, and when you’re not in it day to day, it really is difficult to recall how stressful it actually is. I can attest to this as a teacher who stepped from a classroom position, into an intervention pull out position, back into a classroom position.
- It doesn’t help. Although empathy is great, what teachers really want and need is support through action.
Obviously, most administrators are well meaning when they say this, so a great tactic is to say something like, “I’m so glad you empathize. What actions can you take or can we take as a school to alleviate this burden/problem teachers are facing?”
Making educational magic out of scraps is difficult, stressful, and exhausting.
Teachers are actual magicians. Actually, scratch that. Teachers are wizards. Why? Because magicians are working with hidden objects, but wizards are making something from nothing. As teachers, we are used to turning nothing into something amazing, often times at our own financial, physical, and mental expense. Of course, administrators see the result, but they often don’t get to see the process.
If at all possible, make sure your administrators don’t just see the sparkly finished product, but let them see the before and during also. And, if you’re spending your own money, talk to your administrator and see if it’s possible to be reimbursed. I know many school don’t do this, but it doesn’t hurt to last. And finally, stop spending your money on extras that don’t add to student learning. The US educational system is held up by paper clips, bubble gum, and teachers spending their own money. Of course, I understand wanting to make sure your students have pencils and crayons, but for the rest? Make due with what you have.
We don’t always have time to read the latest research because we’re busying treading water.
I have met a handful of teachers who are set in their ways, unwilling to change because they just don’t feel like it, and don’t care that much about student’s well-being and learning. However, I’ve met thousands (in the schools in which I’ve taught and in online community spaces) that are fully committed to best practices, student wellbeing and outcome, research based practices, and generally doing what’s best for kids and continually evolving their practices.
One thing that administrators often forget, though, is that we don’t always have the time to read the latest research and then develop new practices because we’re busy treading water. That doesn’t mean teachers don’t want to, it’s just that there’s not free time to explore on our own. Assigning an article or paper to be discussed during a one hour meeting isn’t going to cut it either. That still puts an extra burden on teachers.
Instead, we need administrators to set aside time by taking things off of our plates and then providing professional training with actionable, real world, ready to implement strategies.
Sometimes a gift can feel more like a slap in the face.
I think most people agree that it’s nice to receive a gift. However, sometimes a gift can miss the mark. When a teacher appreciation gift is a sticker, a jeans pass, or an ice cream cone, it doesn’t leave teachers feeling appreciated. Although I’m sure the intention is good, it can definitely fall flat. The thing is, what teachers really want is to be treated like professionals. When teachers are handed a card that says, “Teachers teach for the outcome, not the income” or “Teachers are superheroes” it just adds to the pressure that teachers are under to sacrifice everything while also not being respected as experts in their field.
Instead, teachers want to be given space to do their jobs, respected as professionals, and adequate funding for their classroom. One of the most validating moments of my teaching character was when a former principal came to me and asked my opinion on an initiative because they recognized that they were not in the classroom day to day and they needed “an expert’s” opinion.
So, once we’re treated like professionals and not asked to spend our own money, then maybe that chocolate bar would feel more like a gift and less like an insult.
We are TIRED so please value our time and be succinct.
Teachers are tired. After the last few years of teaching in Covid times, so many teachers have reached their breaking point. Those who are left are just tired. Our time is precious, so truly, if this meeting can be an email, please make it an email. There is nothing worse than sitting in a meeting with little value when you have a mountain of things to do in your classroom.
Instead, administrators need to respect their teachers’ time. Of course meetings are necessary at times, but often times, they’re not. So be succinct, be brief, and let us get back to our work.
Why Do School Administrators Forget?
As I said in the beginning, I am not here to bash admins. I have had some amazing principals, vice principals, and superintendents who went above and beyond to encourage and support their teachers. The thing is, even those amazing ones, at times, seemed to forget the realities of being a classroom teacher. However, when approached respectfully, they good ones will listen to feedback and try their best to help support their teachers.
Administrators are being pulled from all directions. They forget what it’s like to be a teacher at time for the same reasons we forget what it’s like to be a student. We have to focus on things at a different level, and so do they. So, don’t be afraid to (again) respectfully advocate for yourself, just like we want our students to advocate for themselves and make their needs known. When we’re all ultimately working for the good and well-being of students and teachers, we can do great things.
Keep Reading and Learning:
- The Best Way to Work with a Teacher Assistant
- The Difference Between Classroom Management and Building Relationships
- How to Set Up and Run Reading Centers
