I think I might have mentioned this a couple of hundred times already, but, I’ll say it again. I have a new principal. I loved, (Is that too strong a word for a totally, platonic, relationship?), my old principal. I think it was because he left me alone to do my job. Not always. Sometimes he said or did things that upset or frustrated me. Many times, he played favorites, but most of the time he let me do my job. And, the icing on the cake was that he was a tech nut and enjoyed sharing in my techy accomplishments!:)
But, now I have a new principal. Let’s just say, she is different. First, she wanted to move the laptops out of my room. Yes, yes, I know they’re not mine, but in my defense, I did share. (Unlike that other teacher with the cart, I did not lambast others when they signed it out), but we worked that out. She has all these new rules, rules which quite frankly, have me in a tither. (Anyone still use that word?) But, and this is the kicker of this post, I still respect her, and I will do what is requested of me, if I must, just like I did with my former principal.
And that’s why after a very stressful staff meeting, where another “new” thing was introduced, I was extremely disappointed in some of my colleagues (Who will remain nameless), who chose not to do the same. They spoke to my principal with such disrespect, I was embarrassed for her.
The day after the meeting she met with each team to try to remedy the situation. And again, she was disrespected. One of the teachers passed me in the hall after meeting with her, and said gleefully, “We got her. My team got her. They made me proud.” Wow! Really? Is this the type of relationship you want with your principal? My team met with her. She apologized for the stress these new “initiatives” were causing, and we proceeded to work as a team and found a way to compromise.
It’s ironic, because if the same initiative were introduced by my former principal, they would not have said a word. Actually, these same women would tilt their heads and giggle like schoolgirls. (“Oh, Mr.L, you want us to try this out, sure we will! Hee, hee”)
My husband says she needs to step up, and end this. I don’t know what advice to give her. What I do know is that we are better than that. I do know that sometimes principals just pass on what has been passed on to them, and we are at the bottom of the heap. I do know we should spend our days trying to do what’s best for our students, and not trying to “get” our principal. I think she deserves better than that.
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER 
Comments on: "Having Principal Problems? Give Peace a Chance!" (7)
What are they thinking? What would they do if their students behaved in such a way?
You never know the why of something that a principal does.
Who knows? Were they thinking?
Seriously? Year after year we’ve watched people who have hardly any teaching experience become Principals. They don’t know what teaching entails from the inside out… Only from the outside in…
So many Principals perceive that because they are Principals that makes them a teacher’s superior. Sadly, that administrative credential does not make you more of an expert on education… It makes you the boss in the beauracracy that is a school district but your actions and your communications skills are what will earn you respect.
Not sure about the job availability in your district, but ‘those teachers’ would never have tried this with a principal in my district. We’ve all been told, if we don’t like the way things are, there are 100 other teachers chomping at the bits to fill our shoes. And I don’t know about any of you, but if I loose my job, I’m within three to four months of loosing my home and everything else that I value. Sometimes you have to bit your tongue and remember whose boss… the principal!
That’s really sad. 😦
I am a public school teacher and have a contract.
I am “tenured” and can, through a process called “assistance”, be fired for cause.
Disagreeing with my Principal is not cause.
How dare they threaten you with those insulting remarks!
Being an employee of a school district sometimes warrants putting your head down and not engaging.
Being a professional with multiple degrees and years of experience sometimes warrants holding your head high, looking’em straight in the eye and explaining clearly how they’re mistaken.
Good luck.
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I’m studying to be a teacher now, and I see similar things among the other students. We don’t have a principal, obviously, but they speak to the professors this way! They’ll speak rudely to professors, argue that an assignment is not “appropriate,” argue about everything, roll their eyes, etc. Sure, it is admirable to speak your mind, and if you see something you feel is wrong you should speak up… but everything doesn’t need to be argued about! If you have different ideas, there are more respectful ways to express them. I feel like, these days, everyone thinks they know better than everyone else!