If you’re a teacher and the principal does not trust you and other teachers, your job will likely be much harder than it would be otherwise.
Administration
What Happens When Teachers Don't Receive Trust from Their Principals
If you’re a teacher and the principal does not trust you and other teachers, your job will likely be much harder than it would be otherwise.
It’s estimated that 50% of teachers will quit their job after hiring a new principal! The workplace culture could take a nosedive if the principal doesn’t trust teachers Because of this, teachers at the school will have a much bigger and more stressful workload. These are a few ways that the workplace culture could suffer as a result of a principal who doesn’t have trust in their teachers:
- Many teachers may quit, which means you can no longer collaborate with educators you feel comfortable working with.
- You may find that a disconnect begins to form between the administration and teachers, which can prevent effective collaboration.
- Teachers may deal with their interactions with the new principal differently, which could lead to negative relationships between teachers.
Education resources
Some principals may require that you submit weekly lesson plans
If you have a principal who does this, you’ll be worried about whether they will approve the plans each week, which can be a major source of anxiety. This is especially true if the principal is the type to go over everything in your weekly lesson plans with a fine-tooth comb. Here are a few problems with this requirement:
- You may feel a lot of anxiety when creating a lesson plan, which could cause you to lose the authenticity of your teaching style.
- The stress may sap your enthusiasm for teaching and even lead to burnout.
What kind of principal do schools need?
Schools need a principal who trusts teachers and has confidence in their ability to provide quality education. While every school needs a strong leader to be successful, their leadership style must also include other important characteristics. These characteristics include:
- Schools need a principal who understands what it’s like to teach.
- The principal should not use a fear-based leadership style.
- The school principal should allow teachers to use the lesson plans they feel are best for students.
What’s the best way to deal with a difficult principal?
If you have a difficult principal, it’s important to ensure that you follow the guidelines they require, such as presenting a weekly copy of your lesson plans.
However, suppose you cannot reach your full potential with the new principal and look for a teaching position at a different school. In that case, it’s important to do your best to leave on good terms with the existing principal and behave professionally. Here are a few tips that can help you deal with a difficult principle:
- Always make sure that you show up to work slightly early to ensure that you’re never late.
- Ensure that you’re as well-prepared for your classes as possible.
- Try to avoid getting involved in office politics as much as possible.
It can be especially tough if you lose a good principal
If you go from having a principal who trusts you and other teachers to having one who doesn’t, the experience is even more difficult. Unfortunately, this scenario is not anywhere near as uncommon as you might hope it is. It’s not unheard of for a principal to quit unexpectedly, which could lead to a less effective leader coming to your workplace.
If this situation occurs, you may be caught off guard by the new policies, leading to tense interactions with the new administration and less engaging classes for students.
