I was having lunch with my husband the other day, who is starting his third year of teaching, when the subject of administrators came up—it often does. My husband was talking about his principal’s concern for the school’s test scores. He wondered aloud to me, “I can see why he’s worried, but what can a principal even do about test scores?” This was one of those topics that makes me sit straight up with a ready answer. “There is a lot a principal can do actually!” I said, to my husband who was already looking sorry he asked.
I began to list the variety of things that administrators can do in their schools, not only to improve test scores, but to provide a healthy and productive environment for their students and their teachers. I may not be an administrator, but as a teacher I have worked in several different schools with many administrators—and I have seen the difference that a great principal can make. I would like to share a few examples of what I have seen my best school principals do in order to start a discussion on what great principals can do to help students and teachers have better performance overall.
1. Administrators can provide good training. I have worked in schools where the principal will begin the school year with a week’s worth of presentations about teacher evaluation procedures, team building activities, or basic classroom management techniques. Now, I am all about a few activities to get the energy going. But, applying a one-size-fits-all training schedule for every teacher is wasteful. There are teachers that need to learn about evaluations and classroom management, but veteran teachers with years of experience under their belt should not be expected to sit through the same training year after year. The very best schools I have ever worked for gave teachers a choice in what training we would receive. Teachers often want training that will help us improve our courses, that will help us address student needs, or will allow us to integrate technology or writing into our classes. A great principal trusts her teachers to know what training they need and then provides it. There is no time wasted, and teachers are better prepared to work with students.
2. Administrators can be supportive. All teachers need to practice good classroom management, but without consistent support from administration, any teacher is likely to struggle with discipline. I have worked in schools with administrators that have no problem stepping in and working with students who are reluctant to participate in class. In a supportive environment, a teacher does not have to use the majority of their time trying to manage student behavior, the teacher can focus on the most important part of their job, teaching the students. I have also worked in environments where the administrators say that it’s the teacher’s job to set expectations for behavior. I can tell you now that I have never met a teacher that does not set those expectations, but without solid support from administrators, students know that their teacher cannot do much on her own, and so their negative behavior will continue. When working in schools with little to no support, I did everything I could to encourage students to participate in class. I talked to them one-on-one, I moved students to different seats, I called parents, I sought help from our counselor, etc. Students would work harder for a little while, but without school-wide discipline policies, maintaining order was difficult. Working in an unstable environment is not just hard for teachers, it’s harmful to students. Teachers and students need their school principal to provide a safe and structured environment that will allow students to grow into mature and successful professionals.
3. Administrators can not be obsessed with data. Ok, I feel like I am already crossing a line here. First, I want to express that I absolutely believe in providing training for teachers that shows them how they can use data to help their students. Teachers should use data to determine what their students’ weaknesses are so that they can find ways to address those problems in their lessons. However, some administrators will have their teachers spend hours plugging numbers into excel sheets and filling binders with documentation on their classes and students. In other words, some administrators require their teachers to create proof that they know how to work with data, rather than giving them time to use that data to actually plan. It doesn’t make sense that teachers have to spend hours accumulating evidence that they are working with data. Teachers could spend that time creating lessons that demonstrate their understanding of their students’ needs.
4. Administrators can treat teachers like professionals. When administrators believe that their teachers are experts, they ask their teachers for solutions rather than view them as the problem. A good administrator understands that teachers want their students to be successful. When students are struggling, those administrators ask their teachers why they think their students are failing and ask what they need to help them. When administrators view teachers as the problem, they will pressure teachers to work longer hours, to provide more documentation, to create more strategies because they believe that the teacher must not be working hard enough. The best administrators I have worked with, talk to their master teachers and ask them to share their ideas and most effective practices. I have worked on campuses where the administrators select their strongest teachers to provide training or to mentor struggling teachers. Administrators need to tap into the talent they already have on campus. Good administrators know who their strongest teachers on campus are. Rather than working them harder, they should use them as guides for excellence on their campus.
These are some of the practices that I have seen at the best campuses I have worked for. I am so fortunate to have worked with administrators who understand the importance of their role as a campus leader. I would like to open a conversation on this matter and ask what else an administrator can do to help students and teachers?
Vivian Maguire is an English teacher at Transmountain Early College High School in the El Paso Independent School District. Follow her on Twitter: @maguireteacher.
