Going around someone in order to ensure that something gets done is not uncommon in most workplaces, including schools. Yet it can create significant issues for school culture and challenges for school leaders wherever they may be in the hierarchy of operations. People circumvent when they feel the person in front of them is blocking […]
Tag Archives: #schoolculture
What is reasonable? When great teachers make other teachers look bad
In every school there are teachers who may be fabulous and make teachers who are good look quite ordinary in comparison. In so many ways it is wonderful to have committed great teachers who may go beyond the norm in delivering their classes, communicating with parents and contributing to the school as a whole. There […]
3 ways for keeping parents informed and involved in our schools
Ask teachers about how they feel about the parents in their school community and responses will probably be wide-ranging. We have heard of the ‘helicopter’ parents, the ‘tiger moms’ and those parents who make life for teachers, well, inconvenient. On the other hand, some teachers feel that a number of parents are not interested, have […]
Changing school culture – Push too far, then face the kick back
When new leaders are appointed to their various roles in schools, they are often eager to make change, to help the school improve and move forward. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make change but how one goes about it is crucial to its success and the impact change will have on the school […]
4 ways to lead school improvement with and through others
Understanding our role and responsibilities as leaders in schools is better understood by examining the way relationships change in the building as one moves up the leadership ladder. When we begin teaching, our main interactions, on a day-to-day basis, are with students. As we take on leadership roles within the school, direct contact time with […]
Should school leaders teach more?
The degree to which school leaders are involved in actual teaching practice varies considerably between schools, which brings us to the question: Should school leaders teach more? To clarify for the purpose of this post, school leader refers to senior leaders in schools, assistant principals, principals and directors / superintendents. The demands of these senior […]