A Teacher Perspective: Where the Connection with Administrators Suffers

A spirit of collaboration is essential to address  flashpoints between teachers and administrators

Everyone strives for positive relationships in their workplace. Teachers generally start their professional relationships with administrators respectfully, even cordially, but those relationships can quickly sour.

In my 15 years representing teachers, first as a union leader in a suburban Connecticut school district and currently as a professional union staff member working with an array of districts, I’ve seen professional relationships tragically deteriorate into animosity, antagonism and distrust. The working relationships between the adult employees in any school or school district impact the environment for student learning so it’s important to understand why such relationships may go bad and how they might be put back on track.

In my experience, two of the most common catalysts for sour relationships have been disputes over teacher evaluations and the handling of student disciplinary issues. Transparency, mutual trust and clear, ongoing communication are the basis for resolving these matters and building mutually respectful relationships.

Battered by Paperwork

Recent trends in teacher evaluation have overwhelmed teachers with paperwork, and many today think the criteria for success — and, by extension, for continued employment — are arbitrary and unfair. To reduce stress and conflict over performance evaluations, administrators should make very clear, as early in the process as possible, exactly what is required from each teacher to complete their evaluation and develop realistic, measurable goals and expectations in collaboration with the teacher.

Above all, those goals and expectations should be relevant and aligned with the teachers’ practice. Teachers resent having to create lessons, activities and classroom assessments simply to provide “data” for their evaluations, whether those tasks are a regular part of their curriculum or instruction. Evaluation should avoid duplication (or greater replication) of tasks simply for evaluative purposes.

Evaluators can reduce teachers’ anxiety and distrust by stressing at the outset and throughout the evaluative process that they and the teacher share a common interest in ensuring the students are receiving the best possible instruction and support. But these assurances can’t be mere platitudes. Observations and reviews of teacher practices should always acknowledge a teachers’ strengths and achievements, while providing concrete examples and support, if needed, when areas of improvement are noted in teaching performance. Evaluation should be approached as an opportunity to work collaboratively toward student success.

Credible Discipline

The same spirit of collaboration, along with clear and frequent communication, is essential to address another frequent flashpoint between teachers and administrators: the handling of student disciplinary matters.

I’ve heard classroom teachers relate similar experiences time and time again: A student whose behavior is making it impossible for others to learn is sent out of the classroom after in-classroom interventions have failed. The student returns to the classroom shortly thereafter, sometimes teachers report, bearing candy. To teachers’ frustration, there is sometimes no communication from administrators about what action, if any, was taken.

Despite the best efforts of teachers, sometimes it’s necessary to temporarily remove a disruptive and misbehaving individual from a classroom. Teachers don’t see this as a punitive measure, but as a necessary step to keep the rest of their class on track and to get the student the support he or she needs to succeed in a classroom environment.

Unfortunately, stresses on school district operating budgets have resulted in fewer staff and resources available outside the classroom, so teachers feel as if they are on their own. Returning a student to class without communicating with the teacher undermines the teacher’s credibility with students and usually does not result in any change in the underlying behavior. Moreover, it sends a message that the teacher’s ability to manage behavior in his or her classroom is wanting.

Administrators can back up teachers in these circumstances by following established protocols and providing necessary interventions so affected students recognize their teacher and the administrator agree on the problem and the solutions. Any schoolwide or districtwide initiatives dealing with student behavior, such as PBIS or restorative practices, must be implemented with fidelity, with all teachers and administrators sharing an understanding of how situations will be handled.