Hey Friends. It's been a crazy last two weeks! We've had Valentine's Day AND Tomorrow is the 101st Day of school! I can't wait to share all I have planned for tomorrow! It's going to be so.much.fun!
Flashback to a few days ago..It was just one of those days. A day that I spent reflecting on all the different relationships I've had with administrators over the years. I've been extremely blessed to have worked with some really amazing leaders. Leaders that made me want to be the best teacher possible. These leaders held me to a high standard, a lot was expected of me, but I ALWAYS knew what that was. I knew what they wanted to see in their staff.
All of that reflecting made me think "Do administrators read teaching blogs?"
I thought *maybe* the answer was YES! I've known several admin. bloggers before..so why not take a chance.
#5 I Notice The Small Things
I think as a teacher, we naturally focus on all the little details. All of the details matter! We have to plan our every single minute of our day. We spend a lot of time to prepare for our dynamic lessons. It absolutely makes my day when I hear something like "I noticed you changed the bulletin board in the hall that's been empty." or "I like how you put time into your anchor charts today". I find it so interesting the amount of administrators that fail to find something positive about their employees. Just like with our students, we want to find that characteristic or method that IS great. Everyone has SOMETHING amazing about them.
Another teacher said it best "We work so hard for every little detail".
#4. Your Time Is Important To Me
This one is higher on my personal list than number four, but I figured I'd place it here anyways!! :)
For me, the expectation that teachers will stay late to get the job done is always the norm. That's just part of the job and I get that. I'm okay with that. This is not about teachers staying later than our contract hours, but more about how that is received. If you do not stay late, that does not mean you are not a good teacher. That does not mean you are not prepared. I once had a co-worker who worked all the way through lunch every single day. I do *most* days, but not *every* day! She had to be able to leave within a few minutes of school getting out and needed to get things done so she would feel okay about it. She was an amazing teacher! Seriously! But was she judged for leaving "early" everyday?!?! You bet! Teachers want to feel like their time is important to the administration.
#3. Go Eat LUNCH!
Remember how I told you about the co-worker who worked through lunch every single day?!?! I bet she would have loved to hear "GO EAT LUNCH" every now and again!
#2. I'm Still A Teacher
I'll never forget the administrators that have helped make me into the teacher I am now. One administrator I had was always in my classroom. At first, this alarmed me. I thought "What did I do wrong???". The very first time we spoke after she was in my room, I was SO nervous! She immediately told me that everything was fine. She only spoke of positive things that she saw. Everything that she had to say was all in a positive light. I began to grow fond of her classroom visits and the nerves melted away. After a few visits, she would still always start with positive things that she saw but incorporate a few things to try. Here's the BEST PART..She was teaching me in those moments (& I didn't even realize it). She saw herself as a teacher. This administrator used "teachable moments" to help me be the best I could be!
Another teacher shared with me the next idea. She shared with me that the administrator would leave a form called "3 Stars and 1 Wish". They would leave three positive comments and one thing they would like to see the next time! I love this idea! What a great way to use teachable moments with TEACHERS!!!
#1 Great Job! I Believe In YOU!
This one is the obvious phrase that all teachers need to hear, however, how many teachers hear this often? I know it sounds silly, but it feels GOOD to know that your leader feels that you are doing a great job. Doesn't it feel amazing when you hear your boss is IMPRESSED by you? Teachers are still human beings and a little praise goes a long way for morale! Knowing that your administration believes in you is the best feeling out there!
**BONUS PHRASE**
**FAMILY IS IMPORTANT TO ME**
I have a friend that periodically posts pictures of her children's school functions on her social media page. Every SINGLE time she does it, she thanks her administration for allowing her to go to those type of events (in the same building). It might only be a few minutes, but she's thankful she gets to experience things with her child. Family is the most important thing in our entire lives, so why do we put it on the back burner to get things done for school? I know it's hard, but remember, FAMILY IS IMPORTANT. I have several friends who are preparing to transition into a leadership position at their school, I hope and pray the remember these few phrases. I pray that they also not forget what it was like to be a classroom teacher. Don't ever forget! I'm so fortunate to work with amazing people every day! I know most administrators mean to tell us these things and it's important to remember just how much everyone needs a little love!
Happy Teaching!
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