Blog Comment of the Week: Setting the Tone With Your Principal
Sunday November 30, 2008
It's important to be proactive in your relationship with your school's administration. If your relationship is strained, there is more power in looking inward than placing blame outward, as reader Eduardo Torres writes:
"I like to think that a healthy relationship always begins in the realm of respect. As teachers we must look into ourselves first, and set the tone of the relationships that come into our lives. The relationship depends a lot in what you are giving into it."Building on this concept, other commenters suggest:
- Pleasantly agree with whatever the principal wants today or this week and then immediately go right back to doing what you feel is most effective and right for your students.
- Look at what the principal thinks is valuable in a teacher and try to incorporate that into your professional persona.
- The most important thing we (as teachers) must remember is that the principals are not our friends, but our bosses. Stay on a strictly professional level with your principal.
Comments
IF your principal is competent and respects your competency, then I agree with your suggestions. I was head teacher in all my schools and had great relations with most. I agreed with or compromised with them.
However, there were those who abused their power or were cruel to staff or were even psychotic who were protected by the administration. In those cases it takes courage to stand up to them alone or with staff to protect students, parents, teachers, and your sanity. My book,” ABUSES of POWER in EDUCATION: Challenging Practically Everything” (Outskirts Press, 2008) explains what to do.