BY: RU S S E L L T H O M A S G I L M E R H I G H S C H O O L A G R I C U LT U R E S C I E N C E T E A C H E R
BUILDING A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION
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griculture science teachers wear many hats. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed with all the different assignments and duties you must complete as a teacher and FFA advisor. Regardless of the duty you are performing, or the hat you are wearing, building and maintaining relationships is crucial for success.
Magazine. “If the relationship between administrators and teachers are trusting, generous, helpful and cooperative, then the relationship between teachers and students, between students and students and between teachers and parents are likely to be trusting, generous, helpful, and cooperative.” I totally agree and if you have been in education very long you know this to be true.
Over the past 30 years of my career in education, I have had the opportunity to build relationships with countless students, parents, teachers and school administrators. These relationships have not only helped build a successful FFA program, but also afforded me friendships that will last a lifetime.
Let’s focus on building relationships with administrators, since the relationship between teacher and administrator is so important to a long, healthy, educational career. I believe there are three key qualities an administrator requires from their teachers, communication, trust and attitude. Now within each of these are many factors for you to be successful.
“The content of relationships among the adults in the school has a greater influence on the character and quality of the school and on student accomplishment than anything else,” said Roland S. Barth in the March 2006 issue of Educational Leadership
Communication Communication is the key to building a relationship. Communicating with your administrators is just as important as communicating with your students. How do you communicate with your administrators?
“LET’S FOCUS ON BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADMINISTRATORS, SINCE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR IS SO IMPORTANT TO A LONG, HEALTHY, EDUCATIONAL CAREER.”
First, I recommend talking with your administrators frequently; face to face is best. Texts, emails, and phone calls are impersonal and easy to misinterpret. Stop by their offices throughout the school year and summer to chat. Remember, be as good a listener as you are a speaker.
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