Imagine and Teach

The days are busy for high school administrators. We have our daily management duties, teacher evaluations, classroom walk throughs, parent meetings, and much more.  Sure the days are busy.  But should we be so busy that we can’t teach a class?

Disclaimer:

Admittedly, I come to this discussion as an Assistant Principal who has taught a class for each of the 15 years that I have been in this job.  I also concede that there indeed may be circumstances where it is just not possible.  So what I want to talk about is what I perceive to be the benefits of an administrator teaching.  I welcome your opinion.

Each day, a teaching administrator who teaches one class has the opportunity to be what they are at heart, a teacher.  Having the class to look forward to every day keeps an administrator in a room with students.  In a room where learning needs to occur. In a room where reality meets theory.

I teach one class of vocal music.  I need to be there at the same time each day. I have students who count on me to be their teacher. I am out of the office.  I am not on the phone.  I am not checking email. I am teaching. I love it.

As administrators, we want our teachers to embrace best practices.  We want them to bravely embrace the web 2.0 world.  We want them to run their classes as learning places, not teaching places.  We want them to teach and model ethical, moral, appropriate and productive use of social networks.  The best way to do that is to lead with example and teach.

So why should administrators teach?  Because we can. Because we will want to continue to learn, which is good for our students and our teachers. Because it will make us better admins. It keeps our membership in the community of classroom teachers current.  Students will see us in a different light.  They see us as administrators, but if we teach, they will also consider us their teacher. Because the truth is, we are in our hearts, teachers.