Years ago, I was blessed to be in a position to hold seminars with groups of educators designed to discuss and build leadership skills both informally and formally, internally – for the individual and externally for the school. As we discussed leadership skills and qualities, we would talk about new tools being put in our toolboxes as leaders. This year in Teach & Serve, I have decided to talk about many of those tools.
PROVIDE RELIEF
Throughout my career in educational leadership, it has been a helpful exercise for me to vocalize why I got into this field in the first place. I graduated from high school in 1988 and I knew I wanted to be an English teacher. Specifically, I wanted to be an English teacher who directed high school plays. In the almost 30 years I have been in this field, I have never directed a play… but I have taught English in almost every single one of them.
The reasons are simple: I like teenagers. I like English. I like to teach.
The rewards are too many to name.
One of those rewards, however, has become an unintended cornerstone in my leadership. Because I teach, I have to know how to do things, how to take attendance and handle discipline and write my syllabus and use the learning management system. These are not small things but they are critical in the life of a teacher. They would be so easy to not consider from the principal’s office.
But I do because I teach.
This means that I can step in for a teacher whenever and wherever I am needed. This means that I do not need hand-holding in any manner when I am in a classroom. I know this sounds silly, but it is not. Knowing what to do and how to do it is important when stepping in for a teacher.
Providing relief for teachers is incredibly important. They work very hard on teaching their students and, then, they have to complete duties and grades and sub for each other and teach advisement classes and the list goes on.
Whenever, wherever an administrator can step in for a teacher, an angel gets its wings.