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I learned early on, to teach with great principal, regardless of location. It makes all the difference. I only have several years to go, and a great fear is that principal will be reassigned before I am ready for her to be.
I worked in the corporate world before I went into teaching and I can tell you right now, it's the same way at every workplace. At my last corporate gig, the big wigs were supposed to come in for a visit one day. We were directed to dress a lot nicer that day and we spent that whole morning cleaning the office. The next day, it was back to normal. One thing you'll eventually realize is that it's all one big game and it's how you play the game that determines if you win or not.
Why do teachers act so fake when the principal strolls in?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LPDAL
Why do the teachers portray their classrooms to be in order and to be teaching in a certain style whenever the principal comes in? Then they go right back to what they normally do when the principal walks out.
Are the principals in most schools here in America even aware of what happens when they aren't there?
Ever notice how the behavior of the kids in your class changes when the principal walks in?
Do you ever feel like your parents don't really get you, expect you to be perfect and can't really accept you for who you truly are? You ever feel like you can't be yourself around them because they have way too high of expectations ?
Well that's the principal to the teacher. Most principals suck and care more about how they look and their own job security than the tecahers. They think if a teacher isn't perfect it makes them look bad so they are not forgiving of a teacher who isn't fitting the "protocol" . Be happy your still in school and don't have to go to work yet because having a boss is like having a parent who doesn't care about you except there's no hope that you can turn 18 and move out. You just cry yourself to sleep every night and dream of the day the bills stop, which will never come.
Though the names have changed the antics are standard.
Most bosses are so out of touch with staff , and carry the " they should" ... Insert irrational mindset .
Only two bosses thru out my career ever walked in my shoes and carried the realistic expectations on a circumstance or process. I've had 36 years of working for a various boss's. Some really did "get" the daily workings .. The rest just thought it ran on auto pilot and spewed out their pay bonus.
My family has various folks who are professors, teachers and technical educators. None expect the Dean or principal to be all knowing.. But they do let it be known when certain support is needed to align the class to the syllabus being administered.
In any given setting, observation by superiors generally alters behavior of those being observed, even if in subtle ways. It's not just a school/teacher thing.
Why do the teachers portray their classrooms to be in order and to be teaching in a certain style whenever the principal comes in? Then they go right back to what they normally do when the principal walks out.
Are the principals in most schools here in America even aware of what happens when they aren't there?
As a retired principal, and as a retired teacher, I've been on both sides of the desk. People in virtually any profession will behave differently when the boss is evaluating them. It's natural. That is why we always mixed announced and unannounced obseravations.
Because all teachers have to fit into the pedagogical mold that the higher ups have created.
That is what they are evaluated on.
Actually, most of the principals I've worked under and with have given reasonably wide latitude on how teachers teach, providing there are satisfactory results. Occasionally teachers are required to do certain things, but in general, teachers are given quite a bit of freedom.
Just as with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, the act of observing affects that which is being observed.
I believe that most students don't want their teacher to get into trouble. I find that to be sweet. I really appreciate it when my more (ahem) active students settle down when an administrator comes in the room. On the other hand, teachers whose students feel differently toward them may find that their students misbehave on purpose in front of the principal in order to get revenge on their teacher. I've never had that happen, thank goodness.
I remember teaching back at Edison High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, and being observed by the vice principal one day. It was a science lab. So for a few minutes the VP chatted with me about various aspects of the lesson. One of the students, an Asian kid who was quite funny, came up and said, "Mr. L----, tomorrow when Mrs. M----- isn't here, can we go back to normal." The VP laughed and said to the kid, "The rest of the class can, A-----, but you'll need to continue to behave for a change Nice try."
The vast majority of principals know what is and what is not going on in their building without having or needing to be in the classroom to observe.
Very true.
In my first year of teaching at Kettering Junior High in Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland, we had to have an end-of-year exit conference. I sat down and the principal spent about 5 minutes desribing exactly how I performed in the classroom. When he was finished I asked, "But I've never been observed this year. How do you know all that?" He said, "V----, as I recall from your interview, you're planning to eventually move into administration. As you will find out then, you will just pretty much know what happens in each classroom in your school."
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Why do teachers act so fake when the principal strolls in?
