School Administrators + The Real World = Have They Ever Really Met?
This article got me thinking about the aspects of teaching that we as future teachers (me, at least) don't like to think about. Dealing with, nay, working with the administration of my school is something that I would like to be a pleasant and productive affair. I like to think that I would comply with all of the guidelines and policies that my administration has in place and be perfectly complacent. However, I know that may not always be the case.
Does anyone have any adverse scenarios (in terms of working with administrators) that they have experienced that they can share? What were the resolutions reached?
This is a rather depressing blog post from the author of "So You Want To Teach"; however, I believe it's a realistic example of how some teachers feel. Although I didn't see eye to eye with every administrator I have worked with, I don't have any true horror stories to share (although maybe I'm blocking them from memory as a coping mechanism!) Most of the misunderstandings that I experienced were due to a lack of knowledge on the administrators' part about the logistics of running a band program. Often times a one on one conversation would solve the problem. The most important thing is to try and maintain positive working relationships with your building and district administrators. Keeping them actively involved in your program by relaying what you're working on, inviting them to class and performances, and exposing them to helpful music advocacy sources goes a long way. Sometimes as a music educator you may need to be a bit more proactive to maintain this communication level, since many administrators will not see you as often as they'll see a "core" subject teacher.
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