Teachers does your admin lack an understanding of...

[Anonymous]

I have a principal, who, in some ways is really good. But the thing she doesn't understand is that good theory has to translate into actual action. She'll say "X isn't good for kids" but still makes us do it. I'm sure she has stupid people above her demanding stupid things too though. I don't know. I still love the kids and continue to do a good job, but I am counting down the years til I can retire. I regret becoming a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me plant the possibility that there is something central office sees in / wants from these principals that is at odds with what the teaching staff might want (like cleaning house).

I'd like to think that there was a "greater purpose" and, indeed, that was my perspective for many years. Now I think it is incompetence and also some malice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me plant the possibility that there is something central office sees in / wants from these principals that is at odds with what the teaching staff might want (like cleaning house).

I'd like to think that there was a "greater purpose" and, indeed, that was my perspective for many years. Now I think it is incompetence and also some malice.

I don’t understand either of these posts. Can someone translate??

[Anonymous]

The problem is school administrators never wanted to spend one day of their lives as teachers. They got out of the classroom as soon as was possible according to state law. Many were PE teachers and guidance counselors who literally never spent a day in a traditional classroom

They were jocks, cheerleaders, and mean girls who never wanted to leave school and they never wanted to work for a living.

On the other hand plenty of teachers suck pretty badly in their own right.

There's really no solution to the problem besides teaching your children everything you know and hope that their years from 5 to 18 pass as quickly and painlessly as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The gender of the principal makes no difference. But too many principals really don't understand the effects of their decisions. I have to be ready for a combined Open House/Back to School Night on Wednesday, August 22, after having spent an estimated total of nine hours in the days before that in staff training. If I do go into school on the first day, Friday the 17th, which of course I will do, even though it is a work from home day (which makes no sense), I will have that day with no IA help and then 6 hours altogether to be ready for that event, while needing to collaborate with my team for the presentation and set up my room, and do a million other things. Why can't we have the traditional back to school thing later in the month and have the families visit the school for Open House on Friday???? That's just the tip of the iceberg of the decisions that don't make sense for the classroom teachers. Too many principals are just too far removed from the actual classroom job, or were PE teachers and never ran an elementary classroom. I have to read all the IEPs and be ready for every parent of a special ed kid by Wed....but I love the kids and my colleagues.

DO NOT get me started on principals who only ever taught PE. Holy crap I don't even know how that is allowed. Same with APs and Principals who taught for 5 years only. You barely got your footing under you in a classroom before moving into leadership. Hard to imagine you have the standing you need to tell a 20 year vet how to do their job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me plant the possibility that there is something central office sees in / wants from these principals that is at odds with what the teaching staff might want (like cleaning house).

I'd like to think that there was a "greater purpose" and, indeed, that was my perspective for many years. Now I think it is incompetence and also some malice.

I don’t understand either of these posts. Can someone translate??

The FP is saying that Central Office staff purposefully hires jerk principals in order to force out teachers and clean house. The SP is saying that s/he used to agree with this philosophy but now has a different perception. I'm with the SP although I do also think that bad teachers are drawn to the role of principal because it is an easier job and then we end up with a bad principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The gender of the principal makes no difference. But too many principals really don't understand the effects of their decisions. I have to be ready for a combined Open House/Back to School Night on Wednesday, August 22, after having spent an estimated total of nine hours in the days before that in staff training. If I do go into school on the first day, Friday the 17th, which of course I will do, even though it is a work from home day (which makes no sense), I will have that day with no IA help and then 6 hours altogether to be ready for that event, while needing to collaborate with my team for the presentation and set up my room, and do a million other things. Why can't we have the traditional back to school thing later in the month and have the families visit the school for Open House on Friday???? That's just the tip of the iceberg of the decisions that don't make sense for the classroom teachers. Too many principals are just too far removed from the actual classroom job, or were PE teachers and never ran an elementary classroom. I have to read all the IEPs and be ready for every parent of a special ed kid by Wed....but I love the kids and my colleagues.

DO NOT get me started on principals who only ever taught PE. Holy crap I don't even know how that is allowed. Same with APs and Principals who taught for 5 years only. You barely got your footing under you in a classroom before moving into leadership. Hard to imagine you have the standing you need to tell a 20 year vet how to do their job.

Haha, my principal who I’ve written about on this thread was a PE teacher. It’s ridiculous that she’s evaluating anyone other than PE teachers, of which there is a total of one in the entire school. It should not be allowed. There’s a teacher on my team who is objectively terrible at their job (their data sucks year after year) and actually creates more work for their teammates because their teammates have to fix their mistakes, but the principal doesn’t know what to look for and that would be exposed if she gives the teacher a bad eval so she keeps it easy for herself and the teacher gets to keep doing what they’re doing, which is pretty much nothing since their teammates have to carry them. Such a great system.

[Anonymous]

OP - First and foremost, it is a job so it won’t ever be perfect. That’s why they pay you. You need to think of the greater good and why you are there. Why did you become a teacher? If you can’t answer that, then time to get a different career. Second, the eight or so hours you spend at your job - try to chunk it into the good and bad parts of your job. Surely there are some good parts, like lunch, snow days, PD, etc? Take sick days for mental health! Take them once a month if necessary! Third, avoid the lunchroom and toxic gossips. Nothing brought me down more than negative people. They can make your experience even worse. Just focus on the students and doing the best job possible. Fourth, make the most out of your off time. Don’t make your job the center of your world or you will be perpetually depressed. Don’t make it your god. You will never be satisfied. And finally, stay healthy. Work on eating right and exercise. Your physical health is very much related to your mental health.

[Anonymous]

^ “Think about the greater good”?!

This ain’t charity. I’m a professional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - First and foremost, it is a job so it won’t ever be perfect. That’s why they pay you. You need to think of the greater good and why you are there. Why did you become a teacher? If you can’t answer that, then time to get a different career. Second, the eight or so hours you spend at your job - try to chunk it into the good and bad parts of your job. Surely there are some good parts, like lunch, snow days, PD, etc? Take sick days for mental health! Take them once a month if necessary! Third, avoid the lunchroom and toxic gossips. Nothing brought me down more than negative people. They can make your experience even worse. Just focus on the students and doing the best job possible. Fourth, make the most out of your off time. Don’t make your job the center of your world or you will be perpetually depressed. Don’t make it your god. You will never be satisfied. And finally, stay healthy. Work on eating right and exercise. Your physical health is very much related to your mental health.

Omg spoken like someone who has no experience teaching. You don't need to contribute to every thread you know? You have absolutely zero relevant commentary to add here.

[Anonymous]

The fact that 11:05 think that PD is one of the positives for teachers makes it crystal clear that they’ve never taught a day in their lives.

Or maybe they’re an admin! That makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fact that 11:05 think that PD is one of the positives for teachers makes it crystal clear that they’ve never taught a day in their lives.

Or maybe they’re an admin! That makes sense.

She said lunch!! LOL. 30 minutes most of which is usually interrupted by staff, students, etc. OP, surely you can overlook the toxic atmosphere a bad admin can create when you get the luxury of going to the bathroom once a day at lunch and attending PD!!

[Anonymous]

I think part of the problem is so many new, young Principals who have drunk the MCPs KoolAide so to speak. Central Office tells them to do XXX and they do it. Central Office tells them to stop doing YYY and they stop. They don't think for themselves, don't have the backs of their teachers and staff, and are only looking out for themselves/their own careers.

Central Office is a huge part of the problem - so out of touch. Someone said central office staff should have to sub, and I agree: once a month, mandatory. Then they would see the results of many of their bad decisions/policies, and maybe realize that they should listen to the teachers and encourage teachers and principals to ues their knowledge and expertise and make good decisions, instead of only following orders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - First and foremost, it is a job so it won’t ever be perfect. That’s why they pay you. You need to think of the greater good and why you are there. Why did you become a teacher? If you can’t answer that, then time to get a different career. Second, the eight or so hours you spend at your job - try to chunk it into the good and bad parts of your job. Surely there are some good parts, like lunch, snow days, PD, etc? Take sick days for mental health! Take them once a month if necessary! Third, avoid the lunchroom and toxic gossips. Nothing brought me down more than negative people. They can make your experience even worse. Just focus on the students and doing the best job possible. Fourth, make the most out of your off time. Don’t make your job the center of your world or you will be perpetually depressed. Don’t make it your god. You will never be satisfied. And finally, stay healthy. Work on eating right and exercise. Your physical health is very much related to your mental health.

That's impossible because I work 10 months a year and am only allowed 3 sick occurrences. After 5 weeks of PARCC testing this year, I took 2 mental health days. Lots of other teachers did too and then we got yelled at when we returned because there were too many people out those days.

[Anonymous]

Not to mention creating sub plans the kids won't do and having to put back together the room the sub will have somehow completely turned upside down and inside out is so much hassle that there is no part of calling out that positively impacts my "mental health." I have to be dying to call out or unable to front any more BJs to my husband so he can stay home with a sick kid. So not worth it.