Working with Administrators
Understanding how to work effectively with administrators is crucial for your professional success and your ability to advocate for your students. You need to understand different roles in a school, build positive relationships with school leaders, and communicate effectively with administration. Learning to work collaboratively while maintaining your professional autonomy will serve you throughout your career.
Understanding Administrative Roles
Principal/Head of School
- Primary concerns: School vision, community relations, budget, personnel
- When to involve: Major parent issues, policy questions, serious student problems
- Communication style: Usually prefer brief, solution-focused updates
- Best times to approach: Scheduled appointments, serious issues only
Assistant Principal/Vice Principal
- Primary concerns: Daily operations, discipline, scheduling, supervision
- When to involve: Discipline issues, schedule conflicts, operational problems
- Communication style: Often more accessible for day-to-day issues
- Best times to approach: Often more flexible, but respect their busy schedule
Department Heads/Instructional Coaches
- Primary concerns: Curriculum, instruction, teacher support, professional development
- When to involve: Teaching questions, curriculum concerns, professional growth
- Communication style: Usually collaborative and supportive
- Best times to approach: Regular check-ins, professional development needs
Building Positive Administrator Relationships
What Administrators Want from Teachers
Proactive Communication:
- Update them on potential issues before they become problems
- Share positive classroom happenings and student successes
- Ask questions about expectations rather than assuming
- Provide solutions along with problems when possible
Professional Reliability:
- Meet deadlines for required paperwork and reports
- Follow school policies and procedures consistently
- Maintain appropriate boundaries with students and parents
- Handle minor issues independently when appropriate
Student Focus:
- Demonstrate clear commitment to student learning and wellbeing
- Show evidence of effective teaching practices
- Maintain appropriate classroom management
- Advocate for students while working within school systems
Communication with Administration
Email Communication Best Practices
- Subject lines: Clear and specific – “Parent concern – Sarah Smith, Period 3”
- Length: Brief but complete – include necessary context
- Tone: Professional and respectful
- Timing: During business hours unless emergency
- Follow-up: Reasonable timeframe expectations
Meeting Preparation
- Bring documentation – Student work, communication records, behavior logs
- Prepare talking points – Know what you want to discuss
- Suggest solutions – Don’t just present problems
- Be ready to listen – They may have information you don’t
- Follow up in writing – Summarize decisions and next steps
Difficult Conversation Scripts
Requesting Support:
- “I’m working with [student/situation] and could use guidance on next steps.”
- “I want to make sure I’m handling this appropriately and within policy.”
- “I’d like your perspective on how to approach this situation.”
Reporting Problems:
- “I wanted to make you aware of [situation] and how I’ve addressed it so far.”
- “There’s been a development with [issue] that may need your involvement.”
- “I’ve tried [actions taken] but think we need to consider other options.”
Requesting Resources:
- “To better support my students in [area], I would benefit from [specific resource].”
- “I’ve identified a need for [resource] and researched some options.”
- “Would it be possible to explore [solution] for [specific problem]?”
