As I write this on June 29, the last day of work for teachers in Ontario, I am reminded of how, when I was still teaching, once that date arrived, I really didn’t want to think about pedagogical matters again for a long time. Despite that, due to the regimented nature of the teacher’s life, divesting myself of the educator’s persona usually took me about two weeks.. One of the best ways for me to begin to unwind was to embark on my summer reading, which usually consisted of a combination of familiar and new authors. So, in deference to those of you who will be returning to the classroom in the fall and savoring this season’s opportunity for rejuvenation, my upcoming posts will be lighter and devoted to some of the authors I have enjoyed over the years. As well, I may comment on movies I think are worthy of note. I hope that you will consider placing some of your recommendations in the comment section of this blog as well.
Now take a deep breath and begin to relax. I’ll be back shortly.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Some Heartfelt Advice for Administrators
Common sense: we hear the term all of the time, and usually it means the ability to see that which is obvious. However, in my experience, many administrators lack this capacity in their relationship with the teaching staff. I therefore offer the following advice gratis to those wayward principals who are seeking a new beginning in September.
Recognize that you are dealing with a well-qualified and well-educated group of people who both expect and deserve to be treated like mature adults.
Don’t be afraid to compliment people for their efforts. It will cost you nothing and you will be surprised at the dividends you receive in return.
Keep your ego in check. Although you hold the top post in the school, your elevated status means nothing to the staff unless they respect you.
Although there may be times you need to intervene in situations, trust the professional judgment of teachers, and don’t interfere in that judgment simply to curry favor with your superiors.
The term ‘principal’ used to mean ‘principal teacher.’ Try to remember what it was like to be a classroom teacher. It will keep you grounded.
Never use your authority to threaten, intimidate, or demean your staff. Once a trust is broken, it is very difficult to restore.
Recognize that one of your most important functions is to provide a positive climate for both staff and students. Lead the school with moral conviction, not craven career ambition.
Finally, be humble. Despite whatever prideful promptings you may have, recognize that you are not the most important element in your school's success. That distinction has to be reserved for the teachers.
Have a great summer.
Recognize that you are dealing with a well-qualified and well-educated group of people who both expect and deserve to be treated like mature adults.
Don’t be afraid to compliment people for their efforts. It will cost you nothing and you will be surprised at the dividends you receive in return.
Keep your ego in check. Although you hold the top post in the school, your elevated status means nothing to the staff unless they respect you.
Although there may be times you need to intervene in situations, trust the professional judgment of teachers, and don’t interfere in that judgment simply to curry favor with your superiors.
The term ‘principal’ used to mean ‘principal teacher.’ Try to remember what it was like to be a classroom teacher. It will keep you grounded.
Never use your authority to threaten, intimidate, or demean your staff. Once a trust is broken, it is very difficult to restore.
Recognize that one of your most important functions is to provide a positive climate for both staff and students. Lead the school with moral conviction, not craven career ambition.
Finally, be humble. Despite whatever prideful promptings you may have, recognize that you are not the most important element in your school's success. That distinction has to be reserved for the teachers.
Have a great summer.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Administrators I Have Respected – Part 2
Being a vice-principal has to be one of the least appealing jobs in education. Dealing with discipline problems on a daily basis is not what most people aspire to; indeed, the position is generally viewed as job training for the principalship, the ultimate goal of many. One of the most effective vice-principals I ever worked for was a man named Ray who, for whatever reason, seemed uninterested in moving to the next administrative level. I suspect that was why he was such a good v.p.
Unfortunately, in my experience many of the decisions made by school administrators often have more to do with political considerations than educational principle. Beset by concerns of whether any given action will help or hurt their career goals (either to maintain their position, secure a promotion or, at the very least, not be sent back to the classroom, a fate worse than death for some, I suspect), such school managers can be rendered professionally impotent, losing the support of both staff and students.
Ray was different. While certainly not a favorite of the wayward student, every colleague I knew had deep respect for him. He never forgot, as so many do, the sometimes harsh realities of the classroom, and did everything he could to make our jobs a little easier. For example, although I handled most problems on my own, as teachers are expected to do, occasionally I had to send students down to the office for defiant behavior. It was Ray’s practice, either by the day’s end or the next morning, to make sure there was a note in my mailbox explaining the action he had taken on my referral. While that may seem like a small matter, dealings with other vice-principals often meant no followup information unless vigorously pursued by me.
Which of these two management responses tells teachers that their concerns are important?
Unfortunately, in my experience many of the decisions made by school administrators often have more to do with political considerations than educational principle. Beset by concerns of whether any given action will help or hurt their career goals (either to maintain their position, secure a promotion or, at the very least, not be sent back to the classroom, a fate worse than death for some, I suspect), such school managers can be rendered professionally impotent, losing the support of both staff and students.
Ray was different. While certainly not a favorite of the wayward student, every colleague I knew had deep respect for him. He never forgot, as so many do, the sometimes harsh realities of the classroom, and did everything he could to make our jobs a little easier. For example, although I handled most problems on my own, as teachers are expected to do, occasionally I had to send students down to the office for defiant behavior. It was Ray’s practice, either by the day’s end or the next morning, to make sure there was a note in my mailbox explaining the action he had taken on my referral. While that may seem like a small matter, dealings with other vice-principals often meant no followup information unless vigorously pursued by me.
Which of these two management responses tells teachers that their concerns are important?
Monday, June 25, 2007
Administrators I Have Respected
Readers will undoubtedly have detected a bias against administrators so far in my writing. I make no apologies for that bias; it is one that will be evident in future posts as well. However, I would like to talk a little about two people, one a principal, and one a vice-principal, for whom I had a great deal of respect.
Earlier I discussed Bill from Manitoba, who I said set the gold standard for leadership. Another principal of real integrity was a man named Rick, who led an Ontario high school. Rick’s refreshing philosophy, increasingly rare today, was a simple one. He would say to kids, “Yeah, you’re right, life sucks and you got a raw deal. But what are you going to do about it?” In other words, while it may seem like an increasingly quaint concept today, he tried to teach young people that their fate was ultimately in their hands, even when outside forces seemed to conspire against them. It’s something that the education system should be teaching all students, but increasingly, with the plethora of labels given to kids, be it “anger management issues” or “attention-deficit disorder” or, my personal favorite, “oppositional defiant disorder” (the kid won’t do what he’s told), all kinds of exceptions are made for improper classroom behavior, the consequence being that there often are no consequences. Therefore, having a principal who embodied common sense instead of the latest trend was both refreshing and a definite tonic for staff morale. And for the most part, the kids rose to the challenge. If they didn’t, they eventually left the school with Rick’s ‘encouragement.’
In my next post I’ll talk about Ray, a vice-principal who never forgot what it is to be a classroom teacher.
Earlier I discussed Bill from Manitoba, who I said set the gold standard for leadership. Another principal of real integrity was a man named Rick, who led an Ontario high school. Rick’s refreshing philosophy, increasingly rare today, was a simple one. He would say to kids, “Yeah, you’re right, life sucks and you got a raw deal. But what are you going to do about it?” In other words, while it may seem like an increasingly quaint concept today, he tried to teach young people that their fate was ultimately in their hands, even when outside forces seemed to conspire against them. It’s something that the education system should be teaching all students, but increasingly, with the plethora of labels given to kids, be it “anger management issues” or “attention-deficit disorder” or, my personal favorite, “oppositional defiant disorder” (the kid won’t do what he’s told), all kinds of exceptions are made for improper classroom behavior, the consequence being that there often are no consequences. Therefore, having a principal who embodied common sense instead of the latest trend was both refreshing and a definite tonic for staff morale. And for the most part, the kids rose to the challenge. If they didn’t, they eventually left the school with Rick’s ‘encouragement.’
In my next post I’ll talk about Ray, a vice-principal who never forgot what it is to be a classroom teacher.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Student Cheating – Parental Reaction – Part 5
In Part 4 of Student Cheating, I discussed how upset I was over the principal's handling of the situation of the dishonest student. What follows is how I dealt with my distress.
After mulling over how to come to terms with having been treated so unprofessionally, I decided to write a letter to the principal, which essentially turned out to be a 1000 word memo assessing her handling of the unhappy parents. The reason I didn’t make an appointment to see her was my tendency to get emotional at times; I really didn’t want my anger to supplant my logic.
Although much of what I wrote is lost to memory now, I do recall acknowledging that while she had the authority to act as she had, I stated that I had never been treated so unprofessionally in my career; I pointed out that in taking the expedient route, she had undermined me professionally, since the students I taught would be well aware of what had transpired. Clearly student respect for my classroom authority would now be in jeopardy.
As well, I said that her actions sent an inappropriate message to the students. The education system is often criticized for not preparing students for ‘the real world.’ I had tried to hold the student accountable for his deception, teaching him that there are consequences for one’s actions; she, unfortunately, had conveyed that consequences can be avoided if enough pressure and influence are brought to bear.
The response to my letter was a lengthy voicemail message stating that she had tried to get the parents to see me, but they were adamant in their goal of having him drop my course. To her credit, she did invite me to make an appointment to see her in her office if I had any further questions, but it was an invitation I declined, my disillusionment with the entire episode profound.
How do I think she should have handled it? I think she should have insisted that the parents see me before going any further; if they refused, I guess it would have been their option to complain to a superintendent, who likely would have acquiesced in their demand. However, the difference would have been that the principal would have at least sent a morale-boosting message that she supported her teachers, although having the problem progress to the superintendent probably would have meant some unpleasantness for her.
But isn’t that why administrators are paid the big bucks?
After mulling over how to come to terms with having been treated so unprofessionally, I decided to write a letter to the principal, which essentially turned out to be a 1000 word memo assessing her handling of the unhappy parents. The reason I didn’t make an appointment to see her was my tendency to get emotional at times; I really didn’t want my anger to supplant my logic.
Although much of what I wrote is lost to memory now, I do recall acknowledging that while she had the authority to act as she had, I stated that I had never been treated so unprofessionally in my career; I pointed out that in taking the expedient route, she had undermined me professionally, since the students I taught would be well aware of what had transpired. Clearly student respect for my classroom authority would now be in jeopardy.
As well, I said that her actions sent an inappropriate message to the students. The education system is often criticized for not preparing students for ‘the real world.’ I had tried to hold the student accountable for his deception, teaching him that there are consequences for one’s actions; she, unfortunately, had conveyed that consequences can be avoided if enough pressure and influence are brought to bear.
The response to my letter was a lengthy voicemail message stating that she had tried to get the parents to see me, but they were adamant in their goal of having him drop my course. To her credit, she did invite me to make an appointment to see her in her office if I had any further questions, but it was an invitation I declined, my disillusionment with the entire episode profound.
How do I think she should have handled it? I think she should have insisted that the parents see me before going any further; if they refused, I guess it would have been their option to complain to a superintendent, who likely would have acquiesced in their demand. However, the difference would have been that the principal would have at least sent a morale-boosting message that she supported her teachers, although having the problem progress to the superintendent probably would have meant some unpleasantness for her.
But isn’t that why administrators are paid the big bucks?
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The Failure of Leadership
This post marks a digression from my previous topic thread, which will continue soon.
I read in The Globe and Mail today that the Ontario Provincial Police has been given the task of investigating former RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli over allegations that he tried to impede an investigation into wrongdoing in the administration of the Mounties’ pension fund. The man who will be leading the investigation, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, was quoted in the article as saying that he had always known Zaccardelli as an honorable man, continuing, “I can’t really look at a man’s career of 30-some odd years of dedicated, loyal, committed service and forget all of that and just focus on this one piece of his career.”
Reading those comments made me think of many parallels in education, one of them being how often administrators fail in what should be their most important responsibility, providing a positive and ethical environment within which the organization can thrive. In the case of the RCMP, it has been alleged that Mr. Zaccardelli, rather than establishing such a climate for all the men and women who strive to live up to the putative ideals of the RCMP, may very well have instilled fear and exercised retribution against those who tried to bring the wrongdoing to light. Apparently, his autocratic management style made it clear to all employees that to displease him was, as they say, ‘a career-limiting move.”
I have known principals who have run their schools in a similar way. Instead of cultivating independence and fostering an atmosphere of collaboration, they have surrounded themselves with a small coterie of sycophants who do their bidding, while the rest of the staff is left to wallow in a morass of demoralization. And the strange thing is, this management style, which demands unquestioning acceptance rather than informed and spirited discussion, is the one that tends to be rewarded at the board level.
Perhaps this is one of the central ironies of public education; as teachers we are supposed to help students to think freely and critically about issues, while we ourselves are often penalized for doing so.
If I sound bitter, please understand that the abuse of authority and the squandering of opportunities have always incensed me.
I read in The Globe and Mail today that the Ontario Provincial Police has been given the task of investigating former RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli over allegations that he tried to impede an investigation into wrongdoing in the administration of the Mounties’ pension fund. The man who will be leading the investigation, OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, was quoted in the article as saying that he had always known Zaccardelli as an honorable man, continuing, “I can’t really look at a man’s career of 30-some odd years of dedicated, loyal, committed service and forget all of that and just focus on this one piece of his career.”
Reading those comments made me think of many parallels in education, one of them being how often administrators fail in what should be their most important responsibility, providing a positive and ethical environment within which the organization can thrive. In the case of the RCMP, it has been alleged that Mr. Zaccardelli, rather than establishing such a climate for all the men and women who strive to live up to the putative ideals of the RCMP, may very well have instilled fear and exercised retribution against those who tried to bring the wrongdoing to light. Apparently, his autocratic management style made it clear to all employees that to displease him was, as they say, ‘a career-limiting move.”
I have known principals who have run their schools in a similar way. Instead of cultivating independence and fostering an atmosphere of collaboration, they have surrounded themselves with a small coterie of sycophants who do their bidding, while the rest of the staff is left to wallow in a morass of demoralization. And the strange thing is, this management style, which demands unquestioning acceptance rather than informed and spirited discussion, is the one that tends to be rewarded at the board level.
Perhaps this is one of the central ironies of public education; as teachers we are supposed to help students to think freely and critically about issues, while we ourselves are often penalized for doing so.
If I sound bitter, please understand that the abuse of authority and the squandering of opportunities have always incensed me.
Student Cheating- Parental Reactions – Part 4
You may wonder why I got so upset over the removal of the student that I wrote about in my last post. While I recognize that the administration always has the final say in the disposition of students, what bothered me so much in this case was not the fact that he was no longer in my class, but the manner of his removal. In failing to insist that the parents first speak to me, as per procedure, in failing to inform me once she took the expedient course, and in overriding the guidance department, she was sending a very powerful message to students: parents have a great deal of power, and if you complain hard enough and loudly enough, you will get your way instead of having to learn from your mistakes.
To the staff, she was essentially saying that our professional judgment and standards were secondary to parental pressure, that when parental push came to shove, parents would be accommodated no matter what. You can well imagine what such aberrant judgment calls can do to staff morale. It affected me a great deal, not because my ego had been bruised, but because the entire process was so lacking in integrity. I literally lost sleep over it, until I realized there was only one way I could achieve catharsis in the matter. That will be the subject of my next post.
To the staff, she was essentially saying that our professional judgment and standards were secondary to parental pressure, that when parental push came to shove, parents would be accommodated no matter what. You can well imagine what such aberrant judgment calls can do to staff morale. It affected me a great deal, not because my ego had been bruised, but because the entire process was so lacking in integrity. I literally lost sleep over it, until I realized there was only one way I could achieve catharsis in the matter. That will be the subject of my next post.
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