Are you losing sleep over the declining performance of your school? In Spite of taking all measures you see teachers of your school aloof and not interested to go that extra mile and achieve results.
If this resonates with you, then it’s time to work on your relationship with teachers, because a school needs a good administrator as much as it needs teachers to achieve laurels of success. As a principal, you need to maintain a delicate balance of authority and compassion with your teachers.
Here are some Dos and Don’ts for Principals to build healthy relationships with teachers:
DOs
Before you step in and take remedial measures, it is necessary to find out the root cause of the problems.
- Rebuild Trust of Teachers :
Principals can adopt a few measures like :
- Make your presence felt by touring the school during class hours. It develops a feeling of approachability among teachers.
- Recognise and praise a well-performing teacher in a meeting or a written note of appreciation.
- Consider teachers as humans and take into consideration their problems outside the school walls. It could be a sick child or ailing parents. Make arrangements for the teachers to call their homes during school hours.
- Show interest in a sick teacher who has returned to join and genuinely be interested in their recovery process.
These steps create a feeling of confidence among the teachers that the Principal understands their struggle and has their back in their time of need. This brings a sense of belonging towards the school and teachers are more focused on their work.
- Be Approachable
Principals often think they are approachable to the teachers while most of the teachers report the opposite. To change this perception you can take the following steps:
- Chalk out and keep separate times to meet teachers.
- Don’t avoid meeting your teachers by citing work pressure and fatigue.
- Be always attentive and give an impression of being involved in meetings and try to find a solution to problems
- Boost Leadership Qualities:
Some teachers are keen to progress and work on methods which benefit students and the schools. They might feel low if some position of power or rights is not given to them. Principals should identify such deserving candidates at their discretion and give them positions of power and the right to take decisions.
- Practice what you Preach :
Principals want their teachers to continuously upgrade themselves and inculcate new teaching methods in the classes. But if the Principal is not updated about the latest educational tools, teachers lose interest in updating themselves. Principals should lead by example and learn new techniques every month and demonstrate them in meetings. This inspires teachers and also improves teacher relationships with the Principal.
- Value Teacher’s Time:
Principals should learn to value their teacher’s time while calling them for meetings. Keeping them waiting and arriving late for meetings makes teachers irritable and the relationship with the Principal takes a beating. Principals can keep the agenda of the meeting ready and keep it short by directly stating problems and the remedial measures.
- Keep Students Foremost :
In all situations, whether in disagreement or in circumstances out of control and in external pressure, always keep the student’s interest on a pedestal. Principals and teachers both are in the profession due to a love for teaching and students, when you keep this at the forefront, teachers respect you for your dedication to the profession.
While these are some points which should be practiced and kept in mind by Principals for better management of teachers, there are some Don’ts which should be avoided to bring any disharmony and disgruntled environment in the school premises.
Don’ts
- Avoid making any groups that create an atmosphere of disharmony among teachers.
- Avoid giving undue advantage to a group of teachers who are more inclined to take your orders.
- Avoid being approachable only to a section of teachers. If only a section of teachers can reach you and not others it creates feelings of resentment and discontent and the relationship with teachers takes a beating.
- Avoid taking out any grudges against particular teachers in a full meeting. Calling the teacher separately to the chamber and explaining problem points and ways to rectify them is a much more positive approach.
- Always take the side of your teachers when parents complain against them. Make a thorough investigation before jumping the wagon and allow them to explain the situation. Yelling or scolding teachers in front of parents is an absolute no-no.
- Avoid making any requests or asking for errands from teachers for your work. Treat them like equals and not inferior ones who should be taking your orders.
- Avoid taking compelling requests from external pressure and giving unnecessary pressure on teachers. In unavoidable circumstances take teachers into confidence before taking any decision
By taking these steps, Principals can improve relationships with the teachers. By striking a delicate balance between the do’s and don’ts,Principals can nurture teachers who prove to be an asset for the school as well as its students.
The more teachers are happy with the working environment,they are more likely to be stress-free. As a result, they engage themselves in fruitful activities and achieve their targets with full force and energy.When teachers are working with full concentration towards the goal of holistic development of the children, results are bound to improve and the school can top the charts in academics and co curricular activities.
