Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Leadership lessons I learned from my seat on the bench #4

Many times, students and teachers disengage for the same reasons.

There are thousands of articles and books written yearly about student behavior and student engagement. Everyone seems to profess to hold the answer to that troublesome question.

When I was a principal of a school and later a superintendent of a district, this same question perplexed me and many of my teachers. I also endlessly questioned why many of my teachers disengaged. After reading many of the aforementioned articles and books, I came to realize that teachers may disengage for the same reason as students disengage. The teacher guides what happens in the classroom. The principal guides what happens in the school. Let’s look at some of these reasons:

• Students claim that his or her teacher bores them. Likewise, teachers equally claim that the principal and the mundane tasks that they are asked to do bores him or her. Teachers easily bore students and principals easily bore teachers.
• Students and teachers may lack the prior knowledge to fully grasp what you are talking about.
• Students sense you do not care about them. Teachers feel the same way. Principals simply do not care about them as people.
• Students feel unheard and unseen. Teachers feel the same way. Principals do not hear or see them.
• Students feel they are out of touch with the curriculum because of the manner in which the teacher presents it. Are lessons relevant? Teachers seek relevancy in what we ask them to do. They need to make sense of the principal’s request.
• Students believe that the teacher is just unlikeable. Teachers can feel the same way about his or her principal. I am not suggesting that the goal of each principal is to be liked, but the adage about honey and vinegar applies here.

So, is there a moral to this story? Of course, there is. And remember that I direct my speech toward the principal. Better still, you do not have to wait to implement my simple ideas. You can start tomorrow. How?

• Quit boring your staff to death. Are your countless meetings worth it? Do you micromanage simple tasks? Do you lack enthusiasm for your job?
• Make sure your staff knows exactly what you expect from them. Show them what you want. Coach them up. Take nothing for granted and then get out of the way. Finally, hold them accountable. I am convinced that teachers never mind being held accountable if they know the rules of the game.
• Show the teachers that you care about them as both professionals and individuals. Show a little gratitude and mean it.
• Listen to your teachers. They well may know more than you.
• Make everything relevant. Quit wasting everyone’s time with irrelevant talk and tasks.
• Change your attitude to become more likeable. For many, this might be the hardest task. I am convinced that people will run through walls for someone that they like and respect.

I challenge you to implement these six steps at once. Ok. I dare you. Always remember, to gain some power, give some of it away. Try it, you may like it.