So you want to be an administrator?

One year ago I was blessed with the opportunity to put my administrative degree to the test.  I was blessed to move into a Dean of Students position within my current school district in which I had previously taught for nine years.  My question was am I really ready to leave the classroom?  This was a difficult decision but what I came to terms with is that I am still teaching, just in a different capacity.  I was ready for the challenge and excited to learn more. 

After taking this move the most famous response from family, friends and colleague’s was oh so you decided to turn to the dark side.  The Dark Side?  Having been raised by educators I had heard this comment before and had probably used it at one time or another.  I would laugh because I remember hearing the chatter about the “us versus them” philosophy.  I am sure the philosophy comes from many different experiences and different capacities, but I was raised by educators so I understood the basis of these comments.  These individuals meant no harm and we had some good laughs but after a year of experience I aim to change this philosophy as much as I can.  So here is what I have learned:
As educators we have one of the biggest challenges that many may or may not understand.  We make a difference in the lives of our children.  Taylor Mali says it best in the video on Ted.com.  Whether you’re an administrator, classroom teacher, and counselor or work in some other educational capacity with youth today our goal is to educate students in order for them to be successful in the economy of tomorrow.  Students have different stories, paths, skillsets and expectations.  We cannot all have a toolkit comprised of what it takes for them to all be successful but as a team we can make this happen.  Somewhere along the way we have created an “us vs. them” philosophy but who is it really about?  It is about the students and what each individual student needs to be successful.  What do students need to be successful?  Well it all starts with relationships which I will address in another post. Today I would like to communicate my thoughts on this separation between staff and administration.

As the Dean of Students this year I remember worrying about whether or not I would know what to do in certain situations.  There is not a book that tells you directly how to handle every situation that comes your way in administration.  Lucky for me I had great mentors and support systems that helped me find my way.  I know that relationships are so important in dealing with students and staff.  Being the right person at the right time may be enough to change a person's life forever. Asking the right questions and listening may be enough to get them to be the first graduate in their family.  In this job I have seen how situations can bring up this separation between staff and administration.  So how do we do this and starting changing this philosophy?  Well you can’t change anything without identifying the root of the problem.  I believe the root of the problem is past experiences, accountability, communication and purpose.  Prior to my first year in administration I was given a book by my principal, Jimmy Casas called Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People from Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers by Todd Whitaker.  This is a very quick read and I recommend it.  Negative attitudes are draining.  This is a must-read for every leader, in every profession! Leaders sometimes place more work on their best people, while letting the slackers avoid challenging tasks. Dr. Todd Whitaker offers simple, logical ways to lessen the burden of the best employees, while raising expectations for others.  The reason I recommend this is that we have to communicate with one another to diminish the us vs. them philosophy.  Without great communication, people read between the lines, draw from past experiences and this is where negativity begins to grow. 

So why am I passionate about this change?  In my first year as an administrator I was blessed to work with a strong team comprised of Jimmy Casas, Joy Kelly, Matt Degner and Kevin Skillet. We had some great laughs, challenging moments, and many great conversations on how to help our students as well as our staff.  We make it a priority to listen to our students, parents and our staff in order to do what we can as leaders to help them be successful.   I found myself amazed by the different issues we dealt with on a day to day basis.  I remember thinking to myself, so this is what goes on in the main office.  I can see why we don’t see them in the classroom as much as we would have liked, or why they seem to be out of the building a lot.  Teachers should really shadow an administrator and I think it is important for administrators to stay connected to the classroom as well.  I found myself in several situations asking myself, well was that the right consequence for that student?  Should I have been more aggressive?  Was I too easy?  Oh I should have asked that?  Well my team was very comforting as they still have some of the same thoughts.  Each student is different and they all have different needs.  I can relate to this from my coaching years.  Some players respond to aggressive coaching others need a little more positive interaction.  There may not always be an obvious answer but taking the time to listen, teach and hold them accountable is what I found to be most important.  It is important to involve staff in this process as at times they may know the students better.  We just need trust and relationships as well as the knowledge that we are working together to help these students be successful.   It is a priority to communicate to staff that we are here to support them in their efforts. 

So my goal is to continue to communicate that I have an open door.  I want to support my teachers as well as hold them accountable.  I have an amazing person in my life that has the ability to just listen and then ask the right questions.  I aim to model what I have learned from him.  What I want my teachers to understand is that as administrator I am here to support them. As adults we are not always going to get it right.  It is the purpose behind what we are doing that is important and how we reflect on those practices so that we can continue to grow.  Our goal within a rigorous and relevant curriculum is to help our students achieve at their highest standards.  I understand that at times we will have the difficult students but as a team we can connect with these students in some capacity we just have to be willing to listen and ask the right questions.  We need to be willing to seek out resources and not feel as if we have to attack the issue on our own.  We need to build the relationships with each other as well as our students.  It is no darker on one side then the other.  The sides are just different parts of a toolkit that we must have in order to help students achieve at their highest level.  We are a team with different tasks, different strengths and different weaknesses.  However our purpose is still the same.