3 Ways Teachers Piss Off Their Principal

by Guy E. White on 23 September, 2014

Being your principal may be one of the hardest jobs they have ever had.

In hundreds of conversations with principals over the last decade, I have heard time and time again the same stories of destructive work behavior that kills relationships, hampers progress, and, frankly, just makes the school a bad place to work.

In 2006, I took a marketing class that taught how to get into the head of your customer. For me, this was a way for me to learn how to work with my students better. Teaching is, after all, a lot of marketing and showmanship. Unexpectedly, however, it provided me a way of understanding my colleagues and supervisors better than ever before.

I found myself asking questions like, “What’s the best part about your job?” Conversely, I asked, “What’s the hardest part about your job?” Thinking of that second question, here is what principals say:

1. Bad Email Communication

Principals are far from strangers to receiving multi-page emails from ranting educators. Those writing them forget that the full story is not always required – what is wanted is action, after all. Lots of principals say that teachers should start their emails (after saying a courteous “Hi”) with a direct request: “I’m writing you to request you reconsider your decision about XYZ.”

Further, principals receive hundreds of emails a day. A simple subject line adjustment (like adding “Please Respond”) tells the principal what emails require response and, accordingly, they set aside a larger block of time to respond. If a deadline exists, say so.

2. Cornering in Public

Putting a principal on the spot in front of other educators can be an effective political move if you’re looking to cause disruption, make a point, or force decision-making. However, in terms of building a relationship with an administrator, this is a pretty dirty move.

Principals, on average, want smooth, well-working relationships with their fellow educators. Scheduling a meeting in advance and telling them what the meeting is regarding is nice.

3. Forced Mediation

Principals are, by definition, there to mediate conflicts that arise in the course of the school’s business. However, remember that unless they have a definitive desire for the outcome of the conflict, principals end up losing in mediation – they are always going to disappoint one or both sides of the conflict. This is part of their job, but go easy on pushing this button.

What do you think drives your principal crazy?

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