Teacher-Administrator Dynamics-Tips for An Effective Partnership

Let’s go through some ways to keep a professional, respectful and effective partnership with your leaders. 

Communication First!

I could literally stop writing after this paragraph… Having open communication about EVERYTHING is key to a peaceful and productive relationship between the teacher and administration. This applies to both veteran and new teachers. I have heard older teachers say “I’ve got this, no need to tell the admin”. Of course, that’s when things are guaranteed to blow up. 

Even if you have been in the school longer than the leader, you still need to keep the lines of communication open to better serve the students. 

Keep adminstation on top of all issues in your classroom. I’ve said this several times in this blog- NO administration wants a surprise call or a visit from an irate parent spewing about a topic of which the administration has no previous knowledge! (Dealing With Difficult Parents as a Teacher)

Understandably, your principal will come to you quite upset and you are now on the defensive. This is not a good place to be. The original issue then becomes “back burner”. Your leader is now angry that you didn’t communicate the initial problem and he/she was caught off guard.

Best Ways to Communicate With Your Leader

Email is most effective because it has a “paper trail“, timestamp and can be proofread to keep your tone calm even during those angry moments. Some teachers will even run the body of the email through AI first and ask it to help with using respectful words. I’ve never tried this but I would imagine toning down a letter, written in the heat of a moment, would be wise. We always need to project professionalism!

Besides the email, stopping into the principal’s office after school may be warranted as well. However, since the leaders are so busy, I have found that they are not completely paying attention if you catch them off guard. If the issue is not a real emergency, but still important, I will make an appointment for 10 minutes so that I have their full, undivided attention.

Stay Professional

There are several ways to have administration think of you as one of the most professional teachers in your faculty.

1. Stay out of the faculty lounge! Everyone, including administration, knows that  it is usually a toxic, negative environment. I’ve talked to many teachers and it seems that this is the case in most schools. Gossip is rampant and discussing students, parents, administration, and even other teachers is a sure way to lose professional respect.
2. Keep your private life private. No one needs to know about your second job, a pending divorce, relationship issues, etc. Sadly, not everyone uses that information kindly.  For example, when I first got married, I mentioned to a coworker that I hoped to get pregnant soon. Believe it or not, within days, my principal came to me to ask me to try to give birth in the summer! This was over 20 years ago but I’ve heard of this sort of thing happening even recently. I was a new teacher and didn’t realize that this behavior was WAY out of line.  It is best to keep silent about your life out of school. You can still have plenty of fun with coworkers without discussing all the ins and outs of your private world. (Mistakes I Made As A New Middle School Science Teacher)
3. Stay professional even when you’re angry. If you have a disagreement with one of the leaders, do not vent your grievances to anyone in the school. Save it for your spouse or your best friend out of school. Your angry words will ALWAYS get back to the administration and make things so much worse.

Invite Administration Into Your Classroom

Yes, you heard me correctly. When you are doing a really great project, drop an email and say “I’m so proud of my sixth graders and their filter projects. If you have the time, at 1:30 PM tomorrow, I know the students would love to show you”. 

Remember, most of the principal’s day is dealing with mundane, and even unpleasant tasks. Feeling that they are part of the students that they work for is also important. A bonus is that your principal may remember the exciting science projects when he or she is sitting at board meetings and having budget discussions!

Have Your Students Acknowledge Administration

Administrators are not just for discipline and busywork. They work hard to get funding for all types of projects and materials. If administration stops in your room, and you are utilizing equipment or textbooks that were part of a hard-earned grant, ask your students to thank the administration for the hard work involved to get the materials. Most students have no idea how the process of raising money for education.

Stay On Top of Your Professional Development

No one is ever too old or too experienced to learn new strategies or content, especially in science. Take workshops and professional days.  Perhaps ask the administration if you can give over the information you learned at the workshop at a team or a faculty meeting. Your administration will be pleased that you are staying fresh and willing to try new ideas.

Help Put Your School on The Map

When you do visual projects or events, invite parents, put them in the school newsletter and maybe talk to the PR person about having the local newspaper come out. If you have a parent communication app, such as Class Dojo, send pictures of students doing labs and activities. Display projects in the hallway where there is plenty of parent traffic.

Work Together For Personal Time

We all have important times in our life such as weddings, births, funerals or even doctors appointments. A good administrator acknowledges that life happens and will try their best to accommodate you. However, on your end, you should try your best to give as much warning ahead of time. Also, work hard to have your class well covered with activities for a substitute teacher. Obviously this isn’t always possible for emergencies, but the less scrambling around everyone has to do in your absence, the better. When you get back, send a thank you note to both the administration and substitute teacher.

Keep the Professional Relationship Forever

If you do need to resign or retire, keep the relationship with your administration open and friendly. You may think you will never need them again and then life happens! Stay connected with LinkedIn or other resources and drop a line once in a while.

My principal, from years ago, heard that my first granddaughter was born and gave me a quick call.  That meant so much!  Later, I sent him a congratulatory email when he moved onto another position and his son got married. It’s a professional and warm relationship that will endure time. 

Teacher-Administrator Dynamics Conclusion

Maintaining a positive relationship with your administration is crucial for a smooth running school environment. Effective communication, professionalism and mutual respect are key. Keep administrators informed, handle conflicts calmly, and invite the leaders into your classroom. Acknowledge their efforts, stay proactive with professional development, and collaborate on school projects. It’s not always easy, but by prioritizing communication and professionalism, you can enjoy a lasting partnership with your administration.

Speaking of administration, check out my blog post on How to Survive the Formal Teacher Observation of Your Science Class.