Veteran principals frequently have tense talks with teachers, especially regarding student behavior, according to an article in Education Week. The advice might be to contact parents quickly if a student continues to misbehave. But it can be challenging to advise teachers to go into action when it can seem time-consuming or confrontational.
This is where the go-between can come into play. The role can be assumed by an assistant principal, instructional coach, or a teacher-leader who knows what’s irritating teachers, what’s damaging morale, and what works to make teachers feel heard and appreciated.
Persistent teacher shortages, a tense political climate, and possible financial cuts make the go-between’s task more important than ever, school leaders say. New teachers holding preliminary or emergency certification may lack the skills or experience to deal with the challenges of the job.
Importantly, morale is at stake. Almost half of teachers indicated that their morale would be better if principals advocated their needs; 45 percent said better communication from their leaders would also improve morale, according to a nationwide survey as part of Education Week’s The State of Teaching report. But resources for a full-time go-between role do not always exist. Instructional coaches or assistant principals taking on the job may already have a full plate.
Still, it is essential for schools to have a go-between conduit. Someone with their pulse on the school’s climate, issues, challenges and relationships between teachers and administrations. Someone perceptive to offer practical information to different types of teachers. Newer teachers often need different types of support than veterans.
For the liaison to be effective, school leaders must be supportive and receptive — open to suggestions or to the possibility that some teachers find the system isn’t working for them regarding important issues such as curriculum or classroom management policies.
Todd Dain, the principal of Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kan., says when his district switched to a new math curriculum last year, his four associate principals and instructional coach—his go-between crew—told him that teachers were having a tough time following it.
Dain used his go-between team of leaders to assure teachers that they had his permission to do “what was right for the kids.”
“They could slow [the curriculum] down, reteach portions, and make adjustments,” he says. “Teachers are rule followers so they were feeling some pressure from the district.”
As the principal of a large high school, with more than 1,500 students and 140 teachers, Dain can’t handle every crisis on his own.
“A lot of principals get caught up in micromanaging. I tried to be everything to everyone,” he says. “I can’t do it all myself, so I teach my team to do their part.”
Education Week
