7 Top Things Teachers Want from Their Principal

At the first staff meeting in August, I asked the staff at my new school to write a notecard answer to the following question:

"What do you need from your principal?"

The answers ranged from very practical to very theoretical. When put all together, these needs represent a healthy school culture eager to get to know the new guy.

As my own nearly-mid-year review of these ideas, I decided to categorize the answers and self-assess as I go (more about that in a future post). Just like all categorization efforts, this one is highly subjective and open to much interpretation. In any case, I came up with seven main categories:

• Practical support
• Technology
• Special Edcuation
• Teacher Support
• Feedback/Availability
• Communication
• Miscellaneous Leadership Qualities

I've included, under each category, the specific needs from the notecards. Some caveats: I split some cards as they included several different needs, I've left out several with identifying information, there were some notecards that had a variation of "I don't know."

So, here it is, the evidence that led me to create this top seven list.

Reeding Lessons CC

Practical Support

• Help to find a pullout space for individual/small group instruction.
• I need help ordering equipment. I need help getting permission for special events. 
• Please help to get custodian to build the shelves that were promised & order teaching carts if not done already.
• Larger budget.
• Recess duties are shared equally among all paras.
• Prep time with team teacher.

Technology

• I need professional development opportunities to grow my understanding/use of technology. 
• I have no computer. How would I integrate technology without technology? Only one day a week, I don't want to run around the building to find what I need: A computer & projector would save paper (photocopies).
• I would like to have admin access to download some programs that I want to implement this year. Ex. Voicetalk, iTunes, animoto etc. I can get you a list of these sites if you wish. 
• I'd love the use of 4 laptops each morning.
• laptop, probably a bunch of techy stuff
• I want patience with technology, I'm working on it all the time. 

Special Education

• Strong LEA rep
• I need support in getting teachers more invested in the special Ed process. Follow through on IEP timeliness on progress reports, setting parent meetings

Teacher Support

• Support for my masters work and a consistent sub on the days I miss. 
• I need continued support in my room for academic and behavioral (both at the same time :). 
• Larry needs to be the point man on the administrative team and advocate for us.
• Support for behavioral needs in my classroom.

Feedback/Availability

• I would like visits (could be informal) and feedback - constructive criticism.
• I love to see walkthroughs during class time to just connect as to what I'm teaching the children! (certainly not weekly, when you can)
• Need feedback on my teaching.
• I need your availability to answer my questions
• I need you to be available for small questions that can be seemingly unimportant on the larger scale, but can cause me from being able to move forward in my job.

Communication

• In the past I have worked closely with the principal as social, emotional ok behavioral issues arise with our kids. It would be great to have a discussion on how you would like our collaboration to work.
• Bridging a gap in regards to part-time communication. 
• Open, clear communication - like the "Monday Memo."
• Straight talk
• You may hear me, but are you listening (not you personally, just anyone I talk to!)
• I will do my best to check my email and I need face to face communication.

Miscellaneous Leadership Qualities

• Flexibility, but stability
• Leadership that is fair for all, keep your sense of humor and always remember the reason we are here - kids!
• Humor, flexibility, patience
• Open to suggestions
• Ideas, time, direction
• Respect, support
• Be a leader.

 Sums it all up

• I need from my principal: support, teaching job next year :) strong communication, respect and honesty

Teachers and staff: What would you add to this list? What do you want from your principal.

Principals: What's missing here? What have staff and teachers asked from you that I have not listed?

Please add your ideas to the comments.



cross posted to Connected Principals

Carefully Used Data Can Lead to Positive Change (#14inFeb)

It all started in a year when we really began to gather and analyze reading data about students. We weren't test-crazy, but we asked for a lot of data from teachers. Some at the school were none too keen on using data to make decisions. Some thought it was too impersonal and took the teacher out of the picture.

Anyway, part of the work was to create a data wall initially showing reading level (Fountas and Pinnell) for any student receiving regular education or special education reading support. For the most part, our models included in class support from tutors or special ed assistants and pull out services from the reading specialist or special education teacher. The data went up on the wall in two phases. First the students receiving regular ed support, later the special ed support.

Well, when I looked at the reading levels for the special education students, I was shocked. There were four of five students in the same special education pull-out group reading solidly on grade level. That's right, they were being pulled out and were reading on grade level!

When I sat with the special ed coordinator, and I asked why keep them in pull-out reading if they are reading on grade level? Were we educating these kids in the least restrictive environment?

We talked for a long time about what this means. We talked about each student and studied their IEPs. We talked about the individual stories that led to pull-out reading services. We strategized about how to work with parents who might be reluctant to sign an IEP that did not have pull-out reading.

Most excitingly, we talked about how we could have fewer pull-out sections and move more special ed teachers back into regular ed classrooms to co-teach or work with students during reader's workshop. This model was working well for several students, it was time to expand it. While planning for the next school year, we worked on including more students for both reading and math. We found ways to use our special ed teachers in the regular ed classrooms. We began to change services at IEP meetings. We made it work.

While we did not convince everyone in the building that careful use of data could be a good thing, we made progress. We made a positive change for several students.

Related articles

• The Power of a Data Room (principalj.blogspot.com)

Student-Collected Staff Data

The 4th/5th Learning Center gathered data from staff, collated the data, and created graphs to display the data.

Some highlights: Honda seems to be the most popular staff car, red and blue are the favorite colors, and Bruce Springsteen is the favorite singer.

Thanks.




- Larry Fliegelman

Read Naturally

Back in January 2009, we published in The Spofford Times a mention of Read Naturally. Here is that text:

The Special Education teachers are excited about the computer program that is now available called Read Naturally. This research-based program is designed to help students improve their reading fluency (reading rate and accuracy). In the very near future, we will be able to access the program from any computer in the school, which will give us more opportunities to utilize this outstanding program.

Today, I was in a special education classroom and watched some students using Read Naturally. They were excited to work with the teacher to test their reading fluency of a passage that the teacher and the software had chosen for their reading level. What I thought was so fantastic about watching Read Naturally used was that the students were absolutely eager.

The photo I included here shows some of the posters explaining the steps to using Read Naturally. These are on the wall just above the classroom computers.

If you have any questions about Read Naturally or other programs that we use, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Thanks.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone