Insights from school leaders

The following column ran in Northwest Arkansas newspapers on April 25, 2018

My time as an educator was extremely rewarding, enriching, and eye-opening.

At every stop along the way, I had the privilege of working under a supervisor or supervisors who taught me a lot about life in general and about education in particular.

The following paragraphs have some good nuggets of wisdom that I learned from each. It is good stuff to consider, whether you are an educator or whether you just want to be a big help wherever you work.

During my first position as an administrator, my immediate supervisor was a lady just a couple of years older than me, and she made a great impact upon my life and on my career because of her encouragement.

“I rely on you more than you know,” she told me more than once. And she would often add, “I don’t know what we would do without you.”

It wasn’t hard at all for me to be loyal to a boss like that.

Another supervisor once said, “Some students learn in spite of their teacher; some students learn because of their teacher.”

Let that one soak in.

Another administrator I worked for said something that I remember was very favorable about some of the new teachers on the staff.

“Students like the new teachers,” he said, “because the new teachers are trying something different, and sometimes they are doing something that is new and fun. The kids like that.”

Still another boss I had used to direct some penetrating questions to the staff.

“Are we making decisions,” he asked, “based upon what is best for students or what’s most convenient for adults?”

I hate to admit it, but in many schools there are often some major decisions made that are based upon what is most convenient for the adults in the building.

The same supervisor also was known to say, “We can’t just teach, test, and hope for the best.” He was a big believer in providing support and guidance for students all along the way.

Still another asked more than once about how a grade is determined.

“Are we giving a grade based upon behavior,” he would ask, “or are we giving a grade based upon what a student has learned?”

Again, I hate to say it, but in some situations in schools, students lose points or grades based upon what they may have done or what they may have failed to do.

Incidentally, I’m not an attorney, but if a child’s grade is lowered based upon factors having nothing to do with academic performance, that could be fertile soil in which the seeds of a lawsuit may be planted.

I don’t like the idea of anyone suing a school, but it is what it is.

Another supervisor who taught me a great deal was a person who had a tremendous understanding of how instruction should take place in classrooms today.

He taught us that we should not simply give tests as a way to collect numbers for the gradebook.

Instead, he said, assessment of tests and assignments should help the teacher make adjustments in his or her instruction.

“Assessment must drive instruction,” he used to say.

And finally, I got to learn a lot from a boss that I only worked with for one year.

But I paid attention and I remember what he would say.

As a principal, he made it clear that he believed strongly in providing what teachers needed, and he also believed strongly in making sure that nothing would interfere with them doing their job.

In addition, he stated on more than one occasion that the principals had to set the tone in school.

“We’ve got to be the voice of calm and reason,” he would say.

You may not have been counting, but altogether, I’ve just quoted seven different school administrators.

And you know what?  If any faculty took their advice to heart, it would improve their school tremendously.

Guaranteed.

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David Wilson, EdD, is a former high school principal and is the communications director for the Transit and Parking Department at the University of Arkansas. His book, Learning Every Day, is available on Amazon. You may e-mail him at ledauthor@gmail.com.