I’ve worked in 4 different schools in my 9 years as a teacher, but under 18 different administrators. Yes, that’s two different administrators per year, on average.
Some of those administrators have been good, some of them have been bad. Some of them have inspired me, some of them have only inspired fear. Some of them have helped move the school forward, and some of them have been incompetent.
A general trend I’ve noticed is that the good leaders know how to help teachers implement good ideas, and how to politely point out the flaws in bad ideas. The good leaders have trusted teachers as professionals and have never acted from a position of authority, but instead from a position of moral leadership. The good leaders have focused on the question, what is best for the children, rather than what will make me look the best. Good leaders develop leadership and actively encourage it.
The bad leaders have squashed ideas, failed to follow through on their promises, and acted without reason. They have shown up 8 months late for meetings and tried to set the agenda for a group, and disciplined teachers for dropping pencils. Bad leaders treat attempts at leadership from their subordinates as challenges, rather than opportunities. The bad leaders have enacted policies that will not work, have been proven not to work, because they apparently lacked the imagination or the drive to do better.
Bad leadership can be disastrous for a school, whereas with good leaders, you are often unaware of their presence, everything just works.
I know this post isn’t so much about technology leadership so much as just leadership, however, good leaders encourage innovation, and bad leaders have no idea what innovation looks like.
Patrick Larkin says:
Short and to the point David! I have heard a number of times on the damage that a year with a bad teacher can do to a student. However, I have never considered what a year (or more) with poor leadership can do to a school. Talk about a catastrophe!
August 6, 2011 — 2:36 pm
Beth Still says:
Love it David. Short and sweet….something I definitely to learn how to do better.
Patrick—A year of bad (or even just mediocre) leadership can destroy the culture of a school and erase all of the gains that former administrators have worked so hard to accomplish. This can be demoralizing for teachers which, of course, trickles down to the students.
August 6, 2011 — 6:01 pm
David Wees says:
An aside which I think is important: I consider my current leader to be a very good leader indeed.
August 7, 2011 — 11:58 am
Debbie Ziegler says:
Great and direct post David. I might also add that good leaders, lead by example! They should exemplify, through their behavior, all that is good in teaching and learning. I know that the good administrators I have worked with certainly typify this approach.
August 7, 2011 — 8:09 pm