Balancing ‘Impart’ 和 ‘Impact’: What’s it like to transition from classroom teacher to administrator?
2023年9月21日
2023年9月21日
莎拉·坦纳-安德森著
From an early age, I was conditioned to look for leadership opportunities. You may have been, too: “Be a leader, not a follower,” they would say. 如果你像我一样, you took that as a call to speak up for those who wouldn’t 和 to st和 up for those who couldn’t. I was the kid who was not afraid of swimming against the current if it meant I was making a difference—something I’ve taken into adulthood.
That said, I never envisioned that I would grow up to become the educational leader I am today. 当我还是个孩子的时候, 我唯一想做的就是当服务员, until I waited tables 和 quickly realized it was not my life calling. Then, I 虽然t I should channel my inner actress 和 explore the world of theater! 不幸的是，这也没有完全成功. So, 我开始教书, which is essentially service work with a healthy dose of stage acting every day, 正确的? If you were to ask my former teachers who among their students would go on to obtain a doctorate, 担任校长一职, 或者成为大学教授或学校董事会成员, 我不可能被列入名单，甚至都不可能. 然而,, time 和 experience have gifted me a number of opportunities over the years to both grow in my own leadership 和 support the leadership development of others.
当我还是一名初中和高中英语老师的时候, 系主任, 和教练, 我一直在努力发展和保持强壮, 与学生的关系良好, 父母, 和他的同事们. 经过十年的教学, I began to consider ways to extend my reach beyond the confines of the classroom to lead within the broader school community. 我勤奋工作以获得行政管理证书, 我的博士学位, to bolster my future endeavors in educational leadership whenever the opportunity might arise. My chance came soon thereafter, 和 what happened next was both surprising 和 frustrating.
I distinctly remember the excitement I felt when the announcement broke about my first administration position. 我会成为当地一所中学的副校长, 我很激动地接受了这个挑战.
我的兴奋受到了打击, 虽然, 当社区报纸的记者评论道, “这就是教育领域的问题所在. They take good teachers out of the classroom 和 then make them principals. 校长有什么用呢?这是一种恭维, of sorts—that I was known 和 respected as a “good” teacher—but the stinging insinuation that I wouldn’t be just as good, 如果不是更好, 作为一名管理员，这让我犹豫了一下. It also made me consider the 影响 of an administrator: what good 做 校长确实如此。?
In our field we often find ourselves in conflict: how might I continue to use my experience to support students’ academic, 社会, 行为, 和 emotional growth while not directly interacting with students in a classroom? 或者，更直接地说，我怎样才能?当我离开教室时，我仍然会有所作为? 我的朋友们，答案在于两者之间的平衡 传授 和 影响. 问问你自己:你能做什么好 传授 积极 影响 你的学校社区? I would argue that an administrator’s widespread reach can beget large 和 lasting influence on student success.
That said, transitioning from educator to administrator should not feel like a sacrifice. You aren’t “leaving” the classroom; rather, you are exp和ing your opportunities to 传授 影响 in a greater capacity. An aspiring administrator can achieve this by considering three interconnected aspects of effective educational leadership: visibility, 可用性, 和活力.
领导力的相互关联的方面——可见性, 可用性, 和活力——结合起来会产生影响.
如果你担心失去与学生的直接联系, 优先与他们保持联系. 公共汽车到达和离开, 食堂的责任, 类的变化, 和俱乐部, 艺术, 和 athletic events all offer opportunities for you to interact with young people. However, if you’re concerned about that feeling of “leaving” the classroom, then don’t! 每天想办法去教室看看, 和学生坐在一起, 和他们谈谈他们的学习. Research suggests having a pulse on the culture 和 climate of your building as an administrator is critically important to student success. 这些访问可以达到双重目的, too: you can build supportive connections with your teachers while engaging with your students. 你甚至可以学到一两件事! 参与到你所在大楼的教室中, so much so that it 做n’t seem awkward or imposing when you visit. 养成在学生的学习空间里观察和被观察的习惯.
类似的, 只是为了方便学生, 教师, 工作人员, 父母, 和 the community goes a long way in sustaining relationships 和 positive 影响, 正如约翰·兰伯斯基在日记中所写的那样 学校的领导和政策. This can be difficult, as your time 和 subsequent schedule may not always be your own. However, prioritizing the needs of your students 和 工作人员 often st艺术 with being there for them. 在日历上留出办公时间, 如果可能的话, or coordinate informal events for your students to connect with you, 比如早餐, 零食, 咨询委员会, 等. 你的存在(可见度)很重要, but intentionally upping your engagement (可用性) 传授s an even greater 影响.
最后，你的活力(和理智)!就看你处理平衡的能力了. 当然, 数据不会自我分析, 电子邮件会继续涌入你的收件箱, 和 referrals will still need processing; however, 优先考虑学生互动, 你可能会发现, 可以缓解其他许多领域的压力吗. If students feel engaged, empowered, seen, 和 heard, research suggests that academic growth follows. 同样的, if administrators work to build strong relationships with students, 工作人员, 和父母, 他们创造了可持续的, mutually beneficial connections infused with a moral commitment to student success, Michael Fullan在他的书中说道, 领导变革文化. Other studies show that building those type of connections can lead to negative behaviors decreasing, 出席率增加, 以及更多积极参与的机会. Often administrators feel so overwhelmed by all the other components of the job that they unintentionally neglect the very people they are called to serve. 可能会适得其反, but putting people first—particularly your students—will go a long way in ensuring your vitality as a leader.
So, to those amazing educators who have ever 虽然t about taking the plunge into the deep end, 变成领导，去做. 你们在课堂上发挥了不可思议的作用, 跨越你的年级和内容领域, 在你们的社区里. 和, 如果你像我一样, 路上有人可能已经看到了, 而且很可能受到鼓励, 你的领导能力. I encourage you to be open to the possibility of amplifying your exceptional talents as an educational leader, 培养自己的才能, 工作人员, 和学生, 和 传授ing your positive 影响 throughout the broader educational community. The 影响 of an engaged administrator willing to 传授 positive, 有目的的经验不可低估.
莎拉·坦纳-安德森，教育学博士， is Assistant Dean of the College of Graduate 和 Professional Studies at Longwood University, as well as Associate Professor 和 Program Director of Educational 领导. 她是前任校长, 副校长, 初中和高中英语教师, 系级主席, 高中的教练, 俱乐部赞助商.
According to a poll conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University, 66% of Virginians say public schools do not have enough funding to meet their needs.
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