12 Ways Administrators Can Support Teachers
During my first year as a teacher, I got lucky. My academic coordinator was empathetic, open-minded, humble, and strategic. She leaned into wisdom from a variety of sources and saw the best in teachers. Her kind leadership was a model for what I wanted to be like as a teacher (and a human outside of school).
Not everyone is that lucky. I follow many teacher groups online and have heard so many stories of moments in which they felt unheard and micromanaged by leadership in their schools. Based on my positive experience with admin, as well as the negative stories of other teachers, I want to share some tips I've gleaned from other teachers about how admin can support staff.
1. Ask teachers how they are and what they need
Take time to get to know your teachers. Build relationships and trust. Rather than just assuming what they need, directly ask how you can better support them.
2. Don't send vague emails or texts that ask teachers to come to your office
Vague messages often make teachers feel anxious while they're teaching, especially if their only free period is at the end of the day. Many teachers will think they are in trouble. Try to be more specific in your email or text. Say something like, "Hey! Would you be free later today to meet about a student with a new IEP? Let's plan how we can better support them."
3. Trust the testing data
If a teacher's students are rocking state assessments, trust that the teacher knows what students need in the classroom. Even if that teacher's classroom methods are significantly different than your own, let the data speak for itself. Don't create more work for that teacher. Great teachers are difficult to replace, and pushing too hard will alienate them. (On the flip side, if a teacher is NOT hitting target goals for state assessments, do make intentional attempts to support that person in the classroom more frequently.)
4. Get outside of your office
Walk around the hallways, offer to help staple worksheets, volunteer to grade a stack of quizzes, visit classes and read a chapter of a book aloud to students, deliver coffee to the teacher's lounge, etc. Be visible in supportive ways. If you just sit in your office, teachers may resent you and feel that you do not see what they are experiencing.
5. Be fair and consistent
Hold the same expectations for all teachers. Don't give permission to one teacher and then refuse to let another teacher do the same thing. Don't micromanage one teacher who is performing at a similar quality level as another teacher.
6. Teach a class to remember how teachers feel
If you can, try to teach a class once a week. Volunteer to sub or even model a class for a teacher who is struggling. I can guarantee that this experience will remind you how challenging classroom management and instruction can be. It will make you more grateful for the (often underpaid) work your teachers do.
7. Stop sending blanket emails to the whole team
If there is only one member of your team who is violating a policy, directly communicate with that person. Don't send a blanket email to your entire team. This can dampen the morale of the team and create a culture of shame, rather than a culture of restoration.
8. Don't take advantage of the "yes" teachers
There are some teachers who will always say "yes" to volunteering at events, subbing for absent colleagues, etc. If you always ask the same people to help you, they will eventually get burned out. Respect their planning time as much as you respect the planning time of someone who always says "no."
9. "Catch" the good things
Intentionally try to find at least one good thing per week that you can praise in each staff member. Celebrate the great work your team is doing. This will create a positive team culture that ultimately influences the way teachers speak about their own students.
10. Find out what's already working in your school
If you're coming in as a new admin, don't try to change everything. Ask teachers what they already LOVE about the school. Learn about the yearly traditions that students cherish. Spend the first year observing how your school works. During the second year, you can begin to make improvements if they are needed.
11. Listen to the quiet voices
In every staff meeting, there will be teachers with a variety of personalities. Some may be eager to share their ideas, while others may sit quietly and observe what's happening. If there is a teacher who doesn't share much in all-staff meeting, try to set aside one-on-one time with that person. Ask for that teacher's opinion and encourage them that their voice matters.
12. Talk about what goals need accomplished and let teachers figure out how to accomplish them
Share goals for state testing, etc. and let each teacher figure out how to meet those within specific classrooms. Trust their creativity in lesson planning and remember that they know their students' needs best. After setting the vision for the end goal, don't micromanage the process.
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