Timeout for Leadership-your one-minute leadership idea

Tip Sheet #52

You are a leader.  And you are a teacher!

Now get out of your office and lead.  Now get out of your office and teach!

Sometimes when you rise to the leadership position in an organization, and on these pages, the principal of a school, you forget that at your core, you must remain a teacher first.  It is a simple as that.  You must always be the teacher.

Sadly, I can recall principals and prospective principals talking about their desire and motivation to be a principal.  I heard all too often, that they just needed to get out of the classroom.  If that is your motivation, I feel sorry for you.  When you get to be that principal, you must become a more powerful teacher.  You are a teacher 24/7.  It is that simple.

Your staff needs to see you.  Yes, visibility is important.  Visibility is critical and that probably remains the single biggest criticism of principals.  You can almost hear your teachers in the faculty room complaining behind your back that they  never see you.  One of the worst things a teacher could say to me was “where have you been, I haven’t seen you in a while.”  Although, I do not believe the teacher intended to be hurtful to me, these words nonetheless chipped away at me.  Did they think I was napping somewhere?

But, today I want you to think beyond the visibility aspect of getting out from behind your desk. I want you to think about what you actually do when you are out and about. I want you to be the teacher of teachers.  I want you to roll up your sleeves and teach.  I do not think it is that hard.  When you see an opportunity, teach.  I am not talking about standing before a large group and lecturing.  I am talking about you being in the trenches and demonstrating, modeling, listening and helping your teachers.  This teaching exercise can be as simple as a three-minute coaching conversation after a learning walk. Or it can be as simple as pointing out a little teaching nuance after an observation.  This teaching can look like co-teaching a lesson with a teacher where you both can learn strategies from one another. You can go on this trek together.  Remember, we all learn better when we are actively engaged.

Coach your teachers through repetitions on a specific task.  I can recall one time I was teaching (coaching) on the field and I thought I was doing a bang-up job teaching my players.  When I returned to the office for a debriefing on the practice, the head coach had to coach me.  He recognized my effort but pointed out I was talking too much.  The players needed repetitions with my guidance.  Your teachers need repetitions with your guidance.

But here is the rub on this teaching thing.  You have to know the material before you can teach it. And the only content / material that I am talking about here is how to teach.  Do you know your “stuff” well enough to teach it?  If you answer this question honestly, I am sure that is what is holding you back.  You lack the confidence in your knowledge of the skills needed to be taught.  I could not teach a lineman how to block if I did not know the mechanics needed to be effective.  Likewise, you cannot teach a teacher about pedagogy if you do not know it.

So just like me in my young coaching days, quit talking and start doing. Today after you read this blog, make it a point to leave your office and go teach something to someone.  You know what, I guarantee you that you will feel better about your day.  You will have accomplished something!