Administrators Supporting Teachers
We asked our Young Educator Advisory Council what support they needed from administrators when they first started, or things that were particularly helpful. Here were their responses:
Help teachers become accustomed to their community (even before school begins).
How can they be involved in the community outside of teaching?
Rural teachers are often the only ones in the school teaching a particular grade or subject area.
Can you connect them with someone, even externally or from another district, that could help share ideas or curriculum for their subject areas/grade level?
Prioritize relationship building.
How can new teachers get to know other teachers, admin, staff?
“Does our school have a process for this?”
Help us understand where to go and how to navigate our new school.
Share with teachers how decisions are made at the school and district levels.
Familiarize with school policies, specifically for behaviors and special ed.
Make yourselves available for support.
Create space for feedback, and check in often, but don’t micromanage.
“My principal stops in my room on Friday afternoon/evening just to check in and say hello. We tend to chat for a while and then she tells me to go home. It means a lot to me.”
Celeste Haverkamp, CO
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“As a new teacher, it seems like there isn’t a good way to share up the chain of command to administrators without feeling like you are being a squeaky wheel or don’t know what you are doing.”
Joseff Smith, NY
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