GSU Blogger - Dr. Sauers
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Every Teacher needs a Champion
I am sure we have all heard, Every kid needs a Champion. I wholeheartedly agree. I believe every child needs at-least 1 adult role model to impact his or her life that is unforgettable, worthwhile and meaningful.
On the other hand, I am interested in seeing how do instructional leaders champion their teachers. Or do instructional leaders care? There have been several instances, in which I have witnessed relationships to be perceived as worthwhile, but turn out to be something completely different. I have seen principals use punitive punishments for not "being on the team" and even witnessed Principals shed a tear at the death of a teacher, but the next week act as if he or she was not apart of the school community and environment.
I genuinely want to build authentic and genuine relationships with my staff. I know adults vary in personality, mindsets and character, however, that can not be my focus as I build a climate of care, trust and understanding. What suggestions or readings do you have to build great relationships that are professional, promote positivity, care and are meaningful?
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Great post, Michael! Here are a few things that have been on my mind lately about "championing" the teachers at my school:
ReplyDelete1. We have a "Shout Out" board in the supply room next to the fridge where all staff can see it. I add a "Shout Out" note daily to recognize teachers' accomplishments, triumphs, contributions, and efforts. Anyone can add to the Shout Out board, and it has really positively impacted our school culture.
2. I took the staff out for a team-building happy hour at the end of a rough week and made a toast to their hard work and phenomenal professionalism.
3. I created a playlist on our school's shared Google Play account of "songs to remind us how awesome we are when the going gets tough." (It included Nelly's "#1", Jay Z's "Brush your shoulder off" and other pump-us-up type songs.)
4. My mentor advised me to challenge myself to see how many times I can make each staff member feel like a hero. I wrote that advise on a post-it next to my desk where I can reference it often, and it has become my daily mission.
It has actually been really fun to think of new ways to celebrate the teachers, and it helps me stay positive, too. Thank you for this great question, Michael! I look forward to hearing others' ideas.
Jennifer-Thanks for the real-life examples!
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ReplyDeleteI was able to show Rita Pierson’s video clip, “Every Kid Needs a Champion,” to our staff the first day of pre-planning. I thought it was the perfect video to start off our year. As an instructional leader, I do care about motivating teachers to want to build relationships with their students and among themselves. I think in general,teachers want leaders in their classrooms…not always the leaders that comes in to do evaluations, but the kind that stops by at the end of the day to see how you are doing, the kind that comes in to see the great things you are doing and then recognizes them at the next faculty meeting; the kind that, at the end of the day, rolls up their sleeves and says “What can I help you do, so you can get home to your family?” I think one of the best ways to show you care is to be genuinely interested in teachers' daily struggles. You don’t always have to solve the problems, but to show that you are willing to address issues, work to make things better, and then follow through would be a great way to establish trust and build relationships with staff.
ReplyDeleteWe currently have socials once a month at my school. We divide into groups, usually by grade level. We bring food to share, usually a theme, and spend an hour or so just socializing with each other. It's always a popular event that we look forward to and helps build relationships with people we don't always get to see.
I echo your call for instructional leaders to be champions for their teachers, and I believe that regardless of what the perception may be - whether teachers perceive it as authentic or fake - that it is our job to continue to be champions for all of our teachers, even those who have more challenging personalities. The importance in establishing and nurturing relationships between and among building leaders and teachers cannot be overemphasized, and I believe that it is in our more challenging schools that this idea becomes overshadowed by the problems of the moment. This is where building a leadership team comes into play; one single person cannot be everything to everyone, but he/she can put people into place that can provide that smile and support to each and every teacher in the building.
ReplyDeleteGreat perspective, Michael, as always! I think flipping the script on leaders to champion for their faculty is innovative in itself. It seems so obvious, but equally unfortunate that it is not practiced more. I come from a high school background, but have worked at all 3 levels (elem, midd, high). High school teachers are by far the most difficult audience to win over. So, I think, playing to the level (elem, midd, high) of your teachers is key number 1. I've seen leaders get transferred from elementary into high school and they treat the staff like elementary school kids/teachers. It's awful, and kills morale immediately. What I think is key number 2 is constantly promoting to the staff they you believe they are professionals and intend on treating them as such. People will react to what you project on them; therefore, constantly saying things like, "I trust you as a professional," goes a long way to building trust and relationship.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Everyone, Thank you for the honest feedback! You guys rock.
ReplyDeleteI still think about this daily, as I work to build my capacity and future leadership endeavors.