1. I am bringing back doing what the kids like to do. 

I’m not talking about letting them call the shots. I’m still firmly in charge. I am talking about the things that used to be a normal part of the school day, a normal part of childhood, but that are often overlooked now in our rush to move on to the next standard or prepare for the next test. This school year, I will spend more time reading aloud to my students–not just the books and chapters we have to cover as a part of our curriculum, but reading together purely for the joy of a good story–no quizzes, no discussion questions, no final projects. I want to read books that will make us laugh or cry, books that inspire, fascinate, or spook us, and books that are masterfully illustrated. I want to read books that will help my kids love books–no strings attached. (Just so you know, we may get a small share of the sales made through the Amazon affiliate links on this page.)

Not only that, but in 2023, my middle schoolers will be using more crayons, glue and scissors. We are going to make Valentine’s and Mother’s Day cards. We will set aside time to decorate their notebooks with stickers or create their own bookmarks. And we will have more outdoor silent reading days, game days, and write-letter-to-a-friend days. Do all these things fit easily with my standards? Not really. But I do not care. Allowing kids to do fun (if not technically justifiable) activities once in a while will not likely affect our all-important test scores or prevent anyone from learning what they need to know for next year, but resentful, stressed-out students and a burned-out teacher might.

2. We will have more catch-up days–for them and me. 

Too many teachers are afraid of “getting caught” sitting at their desks grading papers or working on lesson plans during class time. And too many kids are overwhelmed and stressed out. The simple solution to these problems is bringing back the routine of simply taking a minute (or a class period) now and then to get caught up. Whether it’s working on missing assignments, studying for an upcoming exam, cleaning out their notebooks, or simply reading quietly, most kids need and appreciate time to just deal with stuff. Teachers certainly do.

From now on, I see no reason not to give them (and myself) that time. I am convinced we will all be better for it. So, if an administrator walks in to find kids reading, going over flashcards, standing at the trashcan emptying their binder, and me putting grades in my grade book, I’m just going to say, “Welcome! Come on in. We are all being productive in different ways.”

3. I am taking my time with our standards. 

Speaking of time, I am finished rushing from standard to standard in the hopes that my students can glom onto concepts as we whizz past them. Fortunately, like many other schools, mine is pushing for a focus on essential standards rather than the “inch deep, mile-wide” approach of recent years. And I am taking that to heart. I don’t care if we only cover four standards all year. My students will have them down! Honestly, my conscience will no longer let me do it any other way.

4. I’m making relationships a priority. 

I’ve always believed that a good rapport and strong relationships are the linchpins of effective teaching. But we all know that the pressures of teaching can make it easy to lose focus on that, and I’m bringing it back. Everything I’ve already mentioned will help me build stronger relationships with my kids because it will show them that their interests and needs are a priority for me. Doing these things will also create a more enjoyable, relaxed classroom atmosphere for all of us.

I’m also going to be making time for relationships with my co-workers. It’s so tempting to work through lunch alone in my room, just to try to get caught up. I don’t have it figured out yet. Clearly, something will have to give, but I’m going to enjoy more lunches chatting with friends. I’m going to linger at the copy machine and ask people about their families or what they did over the weekend. I’m going to invest more time hanging out with my teacher besties and more time getting to know other teachers. Of course, I can’t develop deep relationships with everyone in my building, but I’m finished just rushing past people in the hall and never having time for more than a nod and a smile. I’m through with always being in a hurry.

5. I’ll be speaking my mind. 

Whether it’s in defense of my new, more laidback teaching style or to advocate for more recess or fewer meetings, I will be speaking up for things that I think matter for my students and fellow teachers. I am convinced that education in this country is at a crossroads. If we don’t make meaningful changes, both major and minor, I truly fear for the future of American education.

6. My family comes first. 

Always! Working on weekends or long hours after school will not benefit my family financially or further my career. And having teachers who are angry and tired because they have to prioritize their jobs over their families does not benefit our students, society, or anyone else. So from here on out, if it interferes with my time with my family, I won’t be doing it.

Because I am doing more things that I think will result in bringing joy back into my classroom, I feel, for the first time in a long time, empowered as we begin the new school year. I’m excited! I love being a teacher, and I want to continue to teach until the day I retire. That’s why I am making these changes—for my sake and for my students.

Reference: https://boredteachers.com/post/bringing-joy-back

Relationships First

Do

Keep your door open and visit teachers’ classrooms. Pop in here and there. Studies show that relationships matter. This is true for students and staff members.

Don’t

A formal observation should not be the first time you are in a classroom with teachers and students. Are you a shadowy figure behind your door or are you out in hallways and classrooms consistently? Are you another person sending out emails and speaking to us at meetings or someone we feel connected to? Teachers find it hard to support students when they feel demoralized or undervalued. Everything that doesn’t work with students––like fear-based environments or coercion––will fail with teachers as well.

Leave Clothes Out of It

Do

Find out how many jeans days your new staff had before. At the very least, as the new principal, maintain this number. Want to make friends and win people over? Up that number for immediate “Big Cheese” status.

Don’t

Make staff dress code changes as a new principal. If the biggest problem at your new school is clothing you dislike, you’re in great shape. At best, sending out a memo that reads: “Plaid is no longer acceptable.” (true story) makes you look focused on insignificant details. At worst, your new changes will cause teachers to spend money they don’t have on new clothes they don’t really need.  Do not do this. In the South, we say that’s like putting lipstick on a pig.  If your school has big problems, banishing plaid is not going to hide any of them.

Slow Down

Do

Get a feel for the school before making sweeping changes.  Seek input from teachers about systems and policies in place that they like or don’t like and why.  A staff member who feels valued and heard will be much more supportive of the changes to come.

Don’t

I know you’re ready to make this school the very best it can be, but please don’t give us whiplash in the process.  We’re pouring every ounce of energy into the kiddos in our room. An avalanche of new committees, processes, rules, and meetings take away from that.  Have you seen the crazed look in a teacher’s eye at the beginning of the school year?  The intentions are good, but by creating resentment in the process, you won’t get as far.

We’re Watching You

Do

Know that the first time you handle a mistake, you’re setting the tone for your relationship with the entire staff. Teachers are human, and we will drop the ball at times. I got pulled into a meeting once after a staff member missed a pretty big detail. The principal had every right to be incredibly angry about what happened.  Instead she looked at us and said, “Okay.  Let’s make a plan for what we’re going to do right now.”  She has my undying loyalty, and I would go back to work for her again in a heartbeat.

Don’t

Throw your teachers under the bus.  You cannot support students without supporting teachers. Fix the problem at hand.  Then, take a step back to see how it happened and what steps can be taken to see that it doesn’t happen again.  When a principal bad mouths a teacher to me, or, even worse, to parents, I know he is completely untrustworthy.

As teachers, our number one priority is supporting our students.  What we want most from a new administrator is someone to work alongside us to do that.  Spend time getting to know us, our students, and the school.  Work to build a community, so we can work as one to make this the best school ever.

Reference: https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-want-new-principal-to-know/?fbclid=IwAR1xeAICnfyPF1pLfo8L_JYQFQ8onmYKJ6PPj3bhbEsG14kbF8-5r5dvSZA

1. Document everything

And when we say everything, we mean everything. Lesson plans, all communication with parents and administrators, and any kind of problematic behavior you have in the classroom. Whether your principal is a micromanager or seemingly absentee, written proof of what you do on the job will help your case. “Communicate in writing as much as possible,” stresses Brittany N. And if your principal insists on having a face-to-face conversation, “nothing saying you can’t send an email confirmation afterward,” says Susan H.

“Communicate in writing as much as possible,” stresses Brittany N. And if your principal insists on having a face-to-face conversation, “nothing saying you can’t send an email confirmation afterward,” says Susan H.

If things are really bad? Consider recording conversations or in-person encounters, but first, make sure it is legal in your state. “We had an awful principal and he would lie like crazy when we made complaints,” says Alice H. “Finally we caught him on tape. The tape directly contradicted what he and his coerced witness had given in testimony in a grievance hearing. He is now gone.”

2. Keep calm and do your job

If your principal is flagrantly breaking laws or ethical codes, it may be important to speak up. But many of our veteran teachers advised that for your more run-of-the-mill bad principal, the best course of action is to stay out of the way. “I know it sounds awful, but the less contact the easier it is for you,” says Phil F.

A principal can go from bad to worse if she feels aggrieved or attacked, so try to stay calm and professional in your interactions whenever possible.

“Keep opinions and gossip to yourself and focus on the kids,” says Barbara N.

3. Tap your union reps

TOPIC:  School Culture & Colleagues

Career Advice

How To Deal When Your Principal Is a Jerk

Is your boss a micromanager, passive-aggressive, or just a straight-up bad principal? You’re not alone. Here’s how to deal.

 Hannah Hudson on July 21, 2017

Let’s face it. Bad principals happen. 

And when you work for one, it can be hard to know how to deal. Do you stick it out, particularly if you enjoy other aspects of your school? Do you confront your principal about particularly aggressive behaviors? Do you go to district admin or your union reps?

We asked our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE members, many of whom have worked for bad principals in the past. Here’s the advice they had to share:

1. Document everything

And when we say everything, we mean everything. Lesson plans, all communication with parents and administrators, and any kind of problematic behavior you have in the classroom. Whether your principal is a micromanager or seemingly absentee, written proof of what you do on the job will help your case. “Communicate in writing as much as possible,” stresses Brittany N. And if your principal insists on having a face-to-face conversation, “nothing saying you can’t send an email confirmation afterward,” says Susan H.

“Communicate in writing as much as possible,” stresses Brittany N. And if your principal insists on having a face-to-face conversation, “nothing saying you can’t send an email confirmation afterward,” says Susan H.

If things are really bad? Consider recording conversations or in-person encounters, but first, make sure it is legal in your state. “We had an awful principal and he would lie like crazy when we made complaints,” says Alice H. “Finally we caught him on tape. The tape directly contradicted what he and his coerced witness had given in testimony in a grievance hearing. He is now gone.”

2. Keep calm and do your job

If your principal is flagrantly breaking laws or ethical codes, it may be important to speak up. But many of our veteran teachers advised that for your more run-of-the-mill bad principal, the best course of action is to stay out of the way. “I know it sounds awful, but the less contact the easier it is for you,” says Phil F.

A principal can go from bad to worse if she feels aggrieved or attacked, so try to stay calm and professional in your interactions whenever possible.

“Keep opinions and gossip to yourself and focus on the kids,” says Barbara N.

3. Tap your union reps

Better to go to your union before district admin, say veteran teachers. They can advise on next steps to take and stand by your side if any official complaints are brought against you. This is what your union is there for—take advantage of it.

4. Kill them with kindness

It might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes just being nice to your bad principal can go a long way and even help to flip his or her behavior. “I had a principal who would not even acknowledge me each morning,” says Lydia L. “So … in the most pleasant, non-sarcastic voice I could muster, I would happily say, ‘Good morning, __________!’ Eventually, she figured out that she wouldn’t get away with ignoring me and started greeting me like a normal, respectful person would.”

5. Get out of there, pronto

As with the corporate world, sometimes the only solution to dealing with a bad principal is to leave the school—quickly. This is especially true if you feel like your physical or mental health is suffering. “Eight months after leaving my toxic principal, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I know it sounds crazy, but I do wonder if the stress raging through my body had anything to do with the tumor,” says Lydia L.

“It can be a major drain on your health,” says Linda D. “Really, if you can, leave.”

Reference: https://www.weareteachers.com/bad-principals/?fbclid=IwAR1da8o-F7qFBsGdCMUwb317aJFqAdDLRyGZFEhSmYgRFDEUNErvkdAiWwM

“Everybody here shows up early and stays late. Every teacher at this school tutors after school for free because they care about the kids.”

And that part was a little soul crushing.

See, I love my students. I do all the things teachers all over America do: I make time to spend with them one on one; I buy school supplies and sometimes food for kids who need it; I show up to their extracurricular activities and cheer until I lose my voice. But I’ve also got two kids of my own and a husband who travels, and somebody has to pick the baby up from daycare.

As any working parent knows, it’s more like a seesaw than a balancing act. I just burned through two days of emergency lesson plans so I could have a Harry Potter movie marathon with my sick third grader. But I’ll be missing both elementary and preschool Christmas parties because I have to be at the holiday dance at my own school. Somebody is always getting the short end of the stick and, no matter where you are, you probably ought to be somewhere else.

So I can’t put in a 10.5-hour day every day (unless you count the time I spend grading and planning after my kids are in bed).

I left the training feeling guilty about this. if I just cared more about my students, if I were a more dedicated teacher, what would they be able to accomplish that they won’t do without my help?

On the way home, though, I had an epiphany: I shouldn’t feel bad because I can’t work for free. They should feel bad about not paying their teachers for their time. When it comes to teacher pay, the teacher-martyr stereotype is a whole lot more damaging than Casual Fridays. (This school felt that wearing jeans in the classroom undermines our professional image.)

It’s certainly not just this school, either. I’ve had administrators who expected teachers to spend hours of unpaid time at school every day. I’ve listened to administrators say things like, “Some people’s classroom libraries look a little shabby. I know it’s a lot to ask for you to go out of pocket for that, but it’s really important that our students see books in every classroom, and we expect everybody to chip in … .” I’ve asked about overtime for weeklong field trips, only to be told that if I cared about the kids I’d be happy to do it for free.

I care about my students and my own children. I care about my physical and mental health. But I also care about being able to keep the lights on and the mortgage paid.

These things shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. Schools have limited resources, and there are real kids with real needs at stake, who run the risk of falling through the gaps in funding and time. But could we, as a profession, agree that the job of teachers is not to stretch ourselves so thin we’re transparent as we try to fill every gap? If, instead, we could agree to speak up for our students, to make their needs apparent rather than use our already-slim resources to fill them, maybe we’ll see a change. But as long as we keep shaming teachers who can’t or won’t work for free, we’re feeding into the myth that our work isn’t valuable. And I’m not buying that lie anymore.

Reference: https://www.weareteachers.com/wont-work-for-free/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1c3ghlhOi-pmAX5l3-KnJ4NCiUwwh4mtdHtA0FBFtdBnTpvammVS_HP6g#Echobox=1652387703-1

Whether you have been teaching for three decades or three weeks, you are a rock star educator all the same. However, experienced teachers and new teachers have a lot of differences. Your first year of teaching is full of wanting to do everything perfectly, while teachers who have been in the game for years have learned certain tricks that make it look like they have it all figured out. Here are ten ways new and experienced teachers are like two different species. 

With 5.5 years and some teaching experience at different schools and institutes, I am kind of in the between. However, I still feel that going to bathroom for teachers during recess time is a challenge especially when my school is under construction.

1. Classroom Management

New teachers

Possess a whole arsenal of Teacher Pay Teacher attention getters printed on brightly colored cardstock, laminated, and hole-punched on a ring. When the class gets out of control, they frantically flip through, hoping that maybe, “Hocus Pocus, everybody focus” will work better than “Yakety Yak, don’t talk back.”

Experienced teachers

Do not prescribe to the cute attention grabber movement because their death glare has been working since 2007. They are frequently called down to an unruly lunchroom because their mere presence causes students to stop acting a fool immediately. Newbies, lunch workers, and the office staff stand agape, wondering how any single human can make a room full of 100 students behave with a simple look.

2. Lesson Planning

New teachers

Dedicate every waking hour to lesson planning in their Erin Condren planner because when you are a new teacher, lesson planning is life and the planner is just plain fun to write in. Every planning session at school is studiously used to the fullest potential with standards-based, backward planning informed by student assessments.

Experienced teachers

Lesson plan on the couch with a glass of wine and Mrs. Maisel because let’s be real… grade-level meetings are for swapping recipes and complaining about the latest busy work they won’t be doing. They know their lessons are standards-based and are informed by their students’ assessments because they know the standards and curriculum by heart, word-for-word.

3. Distance Teaching

New teachers

Create a full-on replica of a wall in their classroom, complete with cute motivational art, pom-poms for flair, and a magnetic whiteboard to teach on.

Experienced teachers 

Refuse to take on the expense or effort of building a makeshift classroom in their home. Students get a view of their dusty china cabinet or the winter coats in their closet. They do their best to be peppy and fun as they present Google Slides, but this is not their jam. 

4. Staff Meetings

New teachers 

Show up to the meeting with a personalized hybrid notebook-clipboard and matching Flair pens to write down every single word the principal utters using an elaborate color-coding system. They sit up, alert, and ready to absorb ALL THE THINGS.

Experienced teachers

Show up to the meeting empty-handed. If it’s necessary to write something down, they grab an Expo marker out of their pocket and write it down on a greasy donut napkin. They’ve somehow mastered the inexplicable art of sleeping with their eyes open with a facial expression that screams: “this could have been an email.”

5. Buying Classroom Supplies and Décor

New teachers

Buy out the entire Target Dollar Spot and school supply aisles on their way to Lakeshore, IKEA, and HomeGoods, where they drop more than their school loan on brightly-colored bins and a gorgeous white desk (because the brown, 70s-era school ones are “ew”). Let’s not forget the geometric print rugs that will be covered with Expo marker “oops,” not even a month into the school year.  

Experienced teachers

Buy a brand-new pack of the name-brand Sharpies. That’s it. That’s all they buy for the new school year because they won’t buy school supplies that students eat. Their “minimalist” classroom “theme” they created 15 years ago will just have to cut it.

6. Open House and Parent-Teacher Conferences 

New teachers

Spend hours after contract time the week leading up to open house making a Meet the Teacher newsletter, themed signs and posters. During conferences, they give out goodie bags for the students, complete with take-home math manipulatives.

Experienced teachers 

Don’t realize it is now a “thing” to create your own theme or buy one from Teachers Pay Teachers for the open house. They clearly don’t have time for this so they just put up the same old PowerPoint with talking points they have used for a decade. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

7. Professional Development

New teachers

Genuinely want to soak in all the learning. They arrive at the PD with their personalized teacher bag, their Hydro Flask adorned with cute teacher stickers, and a fantastic attitude that makes the veteran teachers feel a little guilty about their “meh” attitude, for just a few seconds. 

Experienced teachers

Could teach the entire PD. So instead of listening, they unabashedly get out their laptop and lesson plan or catch up on grading. The principal doesn’t say a thing because they’re secretly scared of some of the veteran teachers.

8. Taking Grading Home For the Weekend

New teachers

Have a peppy teacher bag with a motivational saying in a Beckham font, bursting at the seams with at least a month’s worth of work they genuinely think they will get done after Sunday Funday brunch.

Experienced teachers

Walk out of school on a Friday with their lunch bag, a swagger, and a smile because they left behind everything- the work, the stress, the expectations, everything. Bye, Felicia! They realized long ago that there are simply not enough hours in a day and their plates are piled too high to get it all done. 

9. Bladder Control

New teachers

Have actual nightmares about the principal walking in when they urgently need to run to the bathroom. . .

Experienced teachers

Not only do they have bladders made of actual steel after over a decade of holding it for hours every day, but they’ve also figured out the optimum times to hightail it to the bathroom that is magically never occupied. It’s like a science, and veterans have it down.

10. Contract Hours

New teachers

Basically, live at school. The idea of “contract hours” is laughable when you watch the sunrise and sunset from your classroom windows. When they are at home, they have stacks of grading and a to-do pile as big as the unfolded clean laundry thrown on their bed. They won’t see four o’clock from anywhere but their classroom for a good, long while. 

Experienced teachers

Abide by contract hours because they have their lesson planning, grading, and prep memorized. They refuse to spend any valuable time on lesson plans that admin won’t even read, so they send a picture of the chicken scratch on their lunch-stained desk calendar and call it a day. They make sure not to give out assignments that take too much time to grade. This ain’t their first rodeo, as can be told by their gray hairs, eyebrow wrinkles, and bold take-no-BS-attitude. 

No matter if you get up in the morning with precisely 15 minutes to get to school or you’re in your classroom before the sun rises, you are appreciated. Now more than ever, we need to stick together, but we also need to laugh and appreciate all the different ways teaching kids can be done effectively. Despite where we are on our teaching journey, we all scream obscenities in our heads at least once a day (sometimes out loud). And that is a fact. 

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/differences-new-experienced-teachers?fbclid=IwAR36aqfNakoWfsnnY6Mo6y_HSWmQxEClZ0obnvU3kktVy9TeYxP_CFp3z48