Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Losing touch with the kids?
We joked around in class about principals never smiling and being lonely. Does this worry anyone else? I know obviously your relationship with the kids and the teachers will change dramatically, but is it hard to stay in touch with the students? I think most of us teach because we love the kids, will the next step in our careers change our outlook?
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6 comments:
Sometimes I wonder the same thing. Will my approach to dealing with students and/or peers change? Although we are currently blessed with a principal and asst. principal that still maintain a great sense of humor, I have had two that seemed very unapproachable.
This is my third year as Dean of Students. When I took this position I wondered what would happen with my relationship with the kids and staff that I had workrd with for 15 years. At first it was very tough. I was looked at as the guy who punished kids and lost that fun relationship with the kids. I could still relate and talk with them but the teacher relationship was just not there. My relationship with most of the teachers also changed. Some of the older teachers resented that I was doing things and in charge of things that were considered administrative. I still get along great with everyone, but I no longer feel accepted in the lounge or in conversations. I feel like they don't want to talk about any school situations around me because I am considered administration. It is different, but I have also enjoyed doing what I do.
i think if you are in it for the interaction with the kids then you probably have to stay a teacher. it seems to me that the principal is more of a "manager" implementing "policies" whereas the teachers are the ones that have the daily interaction with the students.
I would have to agree with all of the comments made about the student/ principal relationship. I think that every principal has the opportunity to still be involved and build a relationship with the students. I had a conversation the other day with my building principal and he said that it was his duty as principal to make himself seen in the hallways, in the lunchroom, and in the classrooms. I feel like he has built a relationship with many students by doing this, he also said that it makes it easier for the students to approach him with questions or even concerns.
I think the relationship with teachers and students would differ depending on the specific position. I think it would be more difficult to maintain the "closeness" if it was situation where you were first a teacher and then moved into an administrative role in the same building. You would already be very familiar with the students and teachers, so I think there would have to be some kind of demeanor change to implicate the new role. I don't think it has to be extreme to the point that it isolates you, but I see if being a very difficult transition. Whether we like it or not, we get along with some teachers better than others, and I wonder what the challenges of moving into an administrative role in an environment where I may have made unprofessional comments about policies, teachers, or administrators would play out. I am careful these days as I play pretend administrator in my current position as Program Coordinator of the PreK school of the comments and decisions I make. I hope to be able to maintain the same connections I have with staff, students, and parents, but I also see that I will have to change some of my actions and behaviors to be considered a true leader.
No doubt our position will change with accepting the role of administrator and leaving the classroom teaching environment. I hope I do not lose my ability to smile, laugh, and joke. That is a part of who I am and I do not want to lose that. I think the stressors of administrators are great but I keep thinking that I would only hope to have a positive impact on students and staff in a different way. Becoming part of the administrative staff in the district in which you previously taught could be kind of tricky I think. As with any change, there will be advantages and disadvantages to the new position.
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