Great teams lift everyone up.
As an educator, why do you do what you do?
Seriously, why do you teach? As Simon Sinek has taught us, what is your why?
Does your why reflect you and your passion or does it just talk about improving others? Does your why include something about how it is important for the kids, or your impact on the students? Do you reflect your passion in the classroom?
Does your administration acknowledge your valuable input in this process? Do they treat you with respect? Do you feel that your administration and fellow teachers have your interests in mind as well as those of the students? Do you feel your best self is honored when you come into the building by others?
Does your administration say thank you for your hard work? And truly mean it?
Do you enjoy going to work? I don’t mean love it every day, but feel that this is where you should be and are both adding value and getting something from your work?
You should. You should feel that you add value and that value is recognized for what you do. Teaching is an important career and should be highly respected and valued.
My new principal exemplifies this. He likes to remind us that we are in the third year of a global pandemic and in very difficult times. THEN he reminds us that we need to care for each other because there are staff members and students who are hurting and in pain. Finally, he thanks us for what we do. And he does this at almost every meeting or every interaction.
Recently, I was watching the first day parent introduction where new parents, like myself, were listening to teachers and experienced parents discuss the school. He would ask a question of the panel, then, I watched him walk away at one point. He would reflect on their answer, then ask the next question. Later, he came up to me and said that the best thing to do it hire good people and get out of their way because they will do a better job than you do.
As a new educator in the school, if I had any questions about my leader, that moment solidified it in a positive light. Saying vey little, he showed both the teachers and the parents his value of the staff. He let them do their job without interference. Knowing that they would do an amazing job explaining the school and sharing their personal experiences.
This has not been the first administrator I have worked for that has done this. However, not every administrator or educational leader will do this. Not every administrator values the educators in their building with this sense of trust to lead better than they can. It is in fact a rare bird. One I have truly only seen in some of the best leaders in education and the business world.
As educators, we need to know that our administration values us and what we bring to the table in the school. More importantly, we need to do the same thing for our students. We need to trust that they can lead and share as well as or better than we can. We need to instill a sense of trust in them and a sense that their voice matters in our space. This starts at the top. If our administration does not instill this in us, we are not likely to try to instill it in our students. It becomes a school culture issue very quickly.
So how do we do this? How do we trust that others can lead as well as we can? How do we know that people can do as well as or better than us in certain roles? How do we build this culture where everyone feels they add value?
Hire good people. Let them do their job.
There are educational leaders who hire people for certain reasons. Some are position specific. Some are personality or skills based. Sometimes, people are hired for the wrong reasons as well.
Hire people who are skilled in their roles, good quality people, then get out of their way. Let them do their job. You hired them and know what they are capable of, so let them do that job without micromanaging them. This alone is critical. Allow us, the educators, to do our jobs that we were hired for. If we stumble or make mistakes, help us correct them, but do not micromanage us.
Trust your teachers to lead. Put them in leadership positions.
Not every teacher is a leader. Not ever educator should be in a leadership role. Not every administrator should be their either. That is a hard truth. Some educators are amazing in the classroom and master teachers. Some teachers are amazing team leaders in curriculum or at the grade level. Some are niche position teachers who do amazing work in very specific areas. You need them all.
Lift up teachers as leaders in roles that they are best suited for. Too often, good teachers are tapped for administration when it really isn’t their gift or calling. I have seen far too many young teachers get two or three years of education in and say they are going to become administrators because they have the experience now to do it. While this may be the case, it is not always.
Train your leaders up.
Most of the leadership you need to build your school program is in your community right now. If you trust them and if you lift teachers into leadership positions, then mentor them, the community will grow in respect and trust. But, you have to lift up the right leaders.
Assign mentors who are experienced as leaders then train the new leaders. Teach them how to lead and support them. When tough issues arise, ask them how they would respond and coach them. Do not just give them your answer. Help them process why they should respond certain ways. This is how we learn as educators.
Trust your support staff.
Secretaries, custodians, nurses, paraprofessionals, and other support staff are often ignored or assumed that they do not know things. Trust me when I say they are some of the smartest people in the school. They are paying attention when you don’t think people are watching. They know your staff and can give you insight into your students and teachers. Listen to them. I am filling a role right now at my new school because a support staff told my boss about some of my skills. Your support staff in your building know things.
Allow all this to trickle down into the classroom.
Everything I stated above trickles into the classroom. It is the same. Exchange the role of administrator for teacher and the same values should be applied to your students. Your classroom culture will be stronger if you allow students to lead and empower them.
Build positive teams around you. Look for the leaders and the helpers. Lift them up. If you do this, you will notice a significant change in your educational career.
When you enter you place of employment, you should find your joy. You should love your job and want to be there. School should feel like a place where you are respected and trusted to do the job you were hired to do. You should feel that your administration will support you and lift up leaders based on their skill sets in the community. You should be living your why.
As this year starts, ask yourself if you are actually living your why. If not, ask yourself what you can do about it. Sometimes, the answer may be that you need to find your joy and purpose elsewhere. Do not fear change. Seek it out if necessary.
As you begin this school year, may you find joy in all that you do and live your why.
