The first priority of administrators, whether as an assistant principal or a superintendent, is to implement learning in a way that engages students academically, then socially, and emotionally. Students need to enjoy learning, but they also need to be in comfortable atmospheres to do that. Teachers need to connect and build relationships so that students can share their thoughts and opinions, while having the emotional maturity to handle criticism in order to grow. Having leadership changes will never enable the sustainability of these types of requirements.

What is Sustainable Leadership?

Sustainable leadership focuses on consistent learning through achievement and growth, creating permanent atmospheres of positive culture, with a strong desire to learn for learning’s sake, and implementing changes that benefit all members of the school community.

So, what does sustainable leadership look like in schools? The vision will appear differently for teachers versus administrators, for administrators versus students, and for teachers versus students. (This is not to say that “versus” means in conflict or competitively but instead as a perception between groups.)

For the educators, sustainable leadership is not a carousel of administrators moving in and out of positions. Educators need to be able to lean on their administration in the fact that their principals are present, easy to approach, willing to listen, and capable of supporting their teachers with whatever they may need. Administrators must understand the requirements of their teachers and what will best support their classrooms, their pedagogical styles, and ultimately what will make both the teachers and students grow.

Teachers also require clear expectations and communication from their administrators. They need constant determination to achieve those expectations, especially when goals are introduced. Sustainable leadership relies on consistently building onto previous goals while trying to achieve new ones. This can only be done when administrators are in place for lengthy periods of time. Constant change, while a steady variable in education, cannot occur in these integral positions.

For administrators, sustainable leadership can happen when the ability to make decisions is supported by upper administration. There has to exist a relationship of trust and communication in order for initial steps to take place. Whether with changes in curriculum or restructuring departments or enhancing a positive behavior support system, administrators need to have vision, perseverance, the ability to improvise, and especially the support of their superiors.

And these are multi-year plans, which means administrators must know they are safe in their positions, so that they can implement the changes with buy-ins by the teachers. They must be able to present some urgency and calculable reasoning that justifies the changes. This is a strong way to create leadership that continue to transition through each year and build upon the successes of the vision and mission statements for each school.

Sustainable leadership about administrators is not just about having a terrific and motivated principal. In order for a system to continue its success, it must transition with continuity. Principals must take that leadership role and then train or support those assistants who are part of the team to maintain continuity. It is as much their role to ensure a positive transition as it is the next person who steps into that position. Comprehending this will ensure that leadership spreads as a lasting legacy.

Implementing sustainable leadership practices can vary from school to school due to the uniqueness of each district.

Some schools may focus on curriculum development. Leadership must have an organized and clear vision of the elements of each course, as well as the instruction and assessment components to create a balanced system. The leaders must help support the teachers with a sense of urgency, professional development appropriate to the tasks, and optimistic oversight with open communication and collaboration. Continuous review and discussion are essential to the process. Administrators making themselves experts in this area builds credibility among the teachers and sustains a much stronger momentum for growth toward the school’s goals.

Always at the top of the priority list is the desire to improve achievement and growth on the high stakes standardized tests, while mitigating the amount of time “teaching to the test.” This can be evaluated not only from a curriculum redevelopment but also from numerous data points. Surveys pertaining to the self-efficacy of students’ feelings toward school, work, ethics, pride, etc., can help but also through truancy, academic failures, and those students who are considered on the bubble of proficient or basic performances.

And depending on the leadership, schools can thrive from strengthening their reading programs from elementary to middle school; it may stem from an incentive-based program for students who are habitually truant to attend school, or maybe it even it is exploring the ways to improve language skills in school districts with a majority of diversity regarding ESL or ELL students who need support.

The key to all of these examples is to have a strong leadership that understands it will take immense work to establish the type of culture and desire for a district to overcome the developing challenges. And with a powerfully established leadership in control that provides long-term support and positive transitions, sustaining leadership will force a district to celebrate its successes.

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Back-to-school time is busy for administrators as well. All of the previously mentioned educational stakeholders and many more take their lead from the school administrator. Administrators must be proactive and well-organized for the benefit of everyone involved. With this said, let’s highlight a few areas administrators need to focus on to ensure a smooth school opening.

Communicating With Parents, Teachers, and Community

The key to quality administration is excellent communication. This fact is abundantly true as we head back into school. Parents and the community need to know a plethora of information before that first day of school. The administrator needs to inform all stakeholders what the first school day will be. Additionally, the administrator is the leader in getting out things like bus schedules, what time school starts and ends, what car rider procedures are, how the school will receive/update student demographics, school calendar, and athletic schedules, just to name a few.

This information should be imparted to parents and other stakeholders in as many ways possible in your community. Local newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and all social media outlets the school participates in. By using these outlets, you should saturate your entire community with pertinent information and begin this information flow well before school begins.

Teachers must also be given as much information before their arrival for the first day of professional development as possible. The more information you can provide teachers prior to their first day, the more prepared they will be. Teachers need to be made aware of schedule changes that will have them teaching new to them courses. Teachers should receive their information through the above resources, email attachments, and text messages. Additionally, teachers should be made aware of the upcoming professional days and what that schedule will look like.

Always tell your teachers that you want them to have as much “work in your room time” as you can give them. You must have those meetings but try to limit them pursuant to time. Have teacher’s schedules, student rosters, crisis manuals, classroom materials, teacher handbooks, and any important information ready for them on day one. Be prepared to be excited and upbeat as you welcome your teachers back on that first day.

Creating a Positive School Climate

Creating a positive school climate should begin with and continue through every piece of information you send out into the community and to your teachers. Make sure that all information is positive and shows an evident desire on your part to make this upcoming school year better than any before it. If some of your information is not necessarily positive, try to briefly explain in a positive way why you are doing what you are doing. Always be positive and show a genuine desire in all communication to show progress in all educational needs as they arise.

Managing School Resources

During the summer months is when you should try to do renovations, capital improvements and facelift improvements. Nothing shows progress more than new and fresh around the school. A fresh coat of paint, replacing old worn-out blinds and waxing those floors always puts a positive face on the new school year. Celebrating a new gymnasium or a new educational wing with a dedication ceremony always sets a positive tone.

In managing these resources, ensure you have time to finish a project or plan to work around that area until it is complete before you start a project. Above all, make sure your financial resources are available before starting a project and strive to stay within budget. Nothing shows better fiscal management than coming in “under budget” and celebrating that fact.

Promoting Student Achievement

As those ever-present student achievement scores begin to come in over the summer, have a plan for imparting this information to the stakeholders. Be prepared to celebrate a great achievement. Take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate student achievement. Again, use your community and social media resources to get the word out when success has been achieved.

Also when achievement is not where you hoped it to be, find a positive way to impart this knowledge as well. Make sure all stakeholders are aware that you are open an honest regardless of student achievement outcomes. When the outcomes fall short, be prepared to impart the information and have a plan going forward to reach the intended goals. By being open, honest, and ready to take steps toward improvement, you have a much better chance of gaining community trust and support.

Back-to-school time is busy for everyone. As the administrator, everyone is counting on you to be the “go-to” person for everything school-related. Start early in the summer and stay on top of things. Make sure everything is done as early and as well as possible. Remember, everyone is looking to you as the leader. Be that leader that they can count on. Also, remember the staff you have hired around you are there to help you accomplish these tasks. Entrust your co-workers to do the job you have entrusted them to do. Remember, all of these people are looking to you to lead them. So, finally, put a smile on your face and lead them by being the best you can be every day.

A graduate degree in administration prepares you to lead as a principal, superintendent or other school administrator and help shape the future for generations of students. Check out our available leadership and administration graduate degrees and get started today!

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This eleven-year administrator sat on the culture side of the table and still does today. There was one day, however, during my time in a principal academy that solidified this stance. Some schools were being analyzed for their organizational health (Organizational Health Index) and the correlation between their culture and their standardized test scores. The correlation was stark and clear. Schools with a higher rated culture by the people in the building scored on average about ten percentage points higher than the schools with a lower perceived morale.

In an 2021 article by Adem Bayar titled, “The Effects of School Culture on Students Academic Achievements” one his conclusions state that: “Culture at school has importance on the academic achievement of students in terms of motivation, sense of competition and development in all respects, both social and physical. Students expressed that the above-mentioned factors affect their academic achievements in a positive way.”

He also mentions in his article that three other studies have shown similar results.

I believe I was sitting on the correct side of the table; thus, we must motivate our staff as school administrators and leaders.

It is no secret that education has taken some hits and gone through some changes since the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students and teachers have changed, and our communities are still figuring out all of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is just one factor as to why education has gotten harder and harder through my twenty-one years as teacher and school administrator.

With pandemic challenges, library books being challenged, changing demographics, retiring teachers, harder-to-find teacher recruits, and more administrators retiring, it is important to remember why we started in education. We need constant reminders of our “why.”

How to Motivate Staff as a School Admin 

Based on education salaries versus the private business world, it is clear that most educators did not get into this career for the money. We have a love for students and people, or just the desire to coach and teach, or instill a passion for something (English, sports, etc.) into students.

With burnout and fatigue, as administrators, we have to remind our staff often of their “why.”

The second point lies in the school culture piece. If teachers and students don’t have a reason to come to the school every day, why would they want to come? If teachers don’t come to the school feeling appreciated and supported, what is the point in coming? Why would students want to come if they don’t have a reason beyond writing essays and completing math problems? This is why motivation across all levels is essential.

I have not recently had a student come to me and tell me how excited they were to write another essay in English class or read another article on the Great Depression. However, their “why” has to do with the welding career they may have, or sport they get to play that day, or the music they get to play in band, or the Future Farmers of America event they have that night, or finally the work they need to complete for their college application.

For teachers, it is more about who they work with and what they get to impact. For students it is about something bigger than just the classroom. Culture in the workplace and the connection for students helps to bring them back every day. We all need a reason come to work every day, whether that work is learning in the classroom or that work is delivering the lesson.

Many studies show that people come to work happily under two main conditions: 1.) They have consistency and know what to expect from their boss and 2.) They like who they work with.

Thus, team building, building connections, potlucks, and making time for teachers to work together is important to build a strong culture in the schoolhouse and are good methods to help motivate staff.

Why It Is Essential to Motivate Your Staff as School Admin

This author hopes that the connection between culture and results is just about as clear as 1 + 1 = 2.

Sense of Safety and Belonging

When teachers and staff are pulling for each other and working well together, this positively affects students. Deep learning cannot take place where there are safety concerns, distrust, discord, and no passion. Students and teachers have to have a sense of safety and belonging.

Positive Student Outcomes

Secondly, we need to motivate our staff because we all want positive student outcomes.

Admittedly on standardized tests (in Texas you have to pass this for graduation), but much more importantly for our students. We didn’t get into education for the paycheck, but we want the results of seeing our students move onto colleges, take jobs in our communities, and contribute positively to our community and society; that is the primary result we want to see.

Finally, in this new educational world that we live in, our motivation can help our staff to remember their “why” and reinforce the positive results we are producing.

A graduate degree in administration prepares you to lead as a principal, superintendent or other school administrator and help shape the future for generations of students. Check out our available leadership and administration graduate degrees and get started today!

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Within the school system, teachers, administrators, support staff, clerical staff, cafeteria staff, custodial staff, and many other certified and non-certified positions make up a school building.

All of these groups systematically must work together to ensure student success. There is no more relationship more important than that between school administrators and teachers.

This relationship is absolutely vital to a school’s overall success, teaching for success, and in successful schools, administrators lead the way through a variety of methods. These methods absolutely can help to ensure that teachers are successful, supported, and enjoy their school climate and culture.

Ways Administrators Help Ensure Teacher Success 

If you ask any student today in 2023 to describe a successful school, student answers will vary greatly. Some may focus on the academics, arts, or athletic programs of their school. Some will mention a favorite teacher or a part of the school they enjoy.

Regardless of their individual answers, school leaders know that teachers have a statistically significant impact on students, more so than any other factor. In knowing that, the relationship between school administrators and teachers is crucial.

If you ask any teacher today in 2023 the same question, to describe a successful school, teacher responses will vary, but in general, when teachers feel genuinely supported, a positive school culture and high student achievement is a reality.

This connection trickles down to the students, in turn leading to students having positive experiences because their teachers are happy about their working environment. In saying that, there are several strategies and initiatives administrators can utilize to promote a positive school environment where teachers are successful.

Promote a Family Atmosphere

Most educators will joke that they have a home family and a “work family.” As educators, we make connections with our colleagues and students that often mimic a family relationship.

We celebrate our students’ success and commiserate with them when they face challenges. We do the same with each other as professional educators. As administrators, promoting a family atmosphere is vital to teacher success. As a high school principal, I make it a point to learn all I can about my employees’ families.

I want to know their spouse, their children, and offer opportunities for family engagements, like cookouts, invitations to athletic contests, beginning and end of year socials, and other opportunities for faculty and staff to bring their families.

These events further strengthen the bond we have by showing that you genuinely care about teachers as people. When people know you care, they will work ten times harder. Just as we show compassion and empathy to our students, administrators must do the same for teachers when they face adversity or hardships.

Make Intentional Time to Celebrate Your Staff

Administrators lead busy schedules. Many times, administrators are not good managers of their time, often leading in a more task-oriented or managerial style, than a creative, visionary leader. In our school, we spend intentional time celebrating our faculty and staff through a variety of ways.

First, every two months or quarterly, our school administration team will provide some type of faculty and staff “pick me up.” This is often a snack cart, boxed lunch, duty-free lunch, breakfast, or other small things that we do to encourage our staff.

One of our alumnae is the office manager for a Spine and Rehabilitation Facility, which comes in and provides free massages to our faculty and staff.

This is an event that not only rejuvenates our staff, but also provides valuable community stakeholder connections to our alumni base. These events are always the highlight of our day as administrators!

Additionally, last August, we revived a monthly award called The Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (ABCD) Award, in which community members and faculty and staff can nominate one of their peers for going above and beyond.

This monthly recognition has shed light on great things our teachers are doing daily and connected our community to recognize great teachers. These events only increase our culture, climate, and morale!

Inspect What You Expect

I’ve had the great pleasure to work for and learn from amazing leaders throughout my time as an educator. One mentor of mine always told me to “inspect what I expect,” meaning to go out and observe and provide feedback and follow through with the goals, initiatives, and standards I set forth as principal. Teachers want clear and transparent expectations and firm leadership.

They want to know they are supported when dealing with difficult students and parents. To be successful teacher, they must know, without a shadow of doubt, that they will be supported.

Establishing boundaries and providing clarity help set the tone for a school building. In turn, teachers take that and establish the same expectations and policies for their own classrooms. This creates a symbiotic culture and climate where all parties have clear goals, standards, and expectations.

Over the past four years, we have established a one-word goal, where we have chosen one word to guide us. This “one-word” focus has allowed us to narrow down our goals and establish a great guiding focus for us each school year. I challenge other administrators to utilize this strategy, and make it a common language in your school.

The education profession as a whole is at a crossroads. We are facing unprecedented shortages and challenges in retaining surpluses of teachers and staff.

Education is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling professions there is. However, it is also one of the most difficult. Administrators play a pivotal role in reversing this trend by establishing positive school cultures and climates that support teachers.

When teachers feel supported and respected, we can see a positive shift in our educational landscape for the best. Our students deserve it!

Educators can have a positive impact well beyond the classroom. Check out our available graduate degrees in administration and leadership to sharpen your skills as a principal, superintendent or other school administrator.

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These observations can be as simple as a five-minute administrator walkthrough or more formal as an observation for teacher evaluation or renewal for a professional license. Regardless of the type of observation, it is important to note that positive growth is the goal for the teacher, students, and building administrator.

According to the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), to make classroom observations count as much as possible there are four focus areas to review continuously. These areas are instruction, planning, environment, and professionalism.

When considering classroom observations, these four areas will foster growth in the teacher and focus on the needs of students. To further understand these four areas, it is essential to understand the return on investment in teacher knowledge, confidence in delivering instruction, and student academic growth.

Focusing on these areas allows for an effective guide to continuous growth and development. This allows for a rubric to be used to guide teacher expectations and school administrator and state department accountability for staff. One such example of this is the South Carolina Teaching Standards 4.0 Rubric adopted from the NIET.

Instruction

Classroom instruction should be research-based, differentiated to student learning abilities and styles, and project-based. When optimizing the learning experience of students, the teacher needs to consider how the teaching standards and objectives can be translated to the level of the students.

Furthermore, how instructional content is presented and finding ways to motivate students in their learning process is vital to understanding how to grow students’ and teachers’ ability to impact academic and social success. When focusing on positive growth in the classroom, it is important to think about ways to gather academic feedback from students to check for understanding and facilitate lessons that focus on problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Today’s students need teachers and administrators who have access to professional development for 21st century teaching skills and applications to real-world practical experiences. For more information on engaging students through technology in the classroom, consider pursuing a grad degree in educational technology. This and degrees in curriculum and instruction and educational leadership provide ways for teachers and administrators in the K-12 and higher education spectrum to enhance their craft and impact student learning. Finding ways to use data to see student learning trends and ways to continue to find professional development for educators will provide a platform to bring growth to the teaching and learning process.

Planning

Planning lessons and learning objectives is crucial to facilitating effective classroom management. Additionally, both short-term and long-term planning helps define the scope and sequence of instruction as well as the implementation of content delivery for student learning.

When observing a teacher, school administrators must look for evidence of proper classroom planning and transitions. Things to look for that give evidence of effective planning includes having standards and objectives displayed on the board, interactive ways to incorporate technology in the classroom, and ways to summative assess student learning in a formative way.

Effective school administrators find ways to allow for teachers to learn more about curriculum writing and planning to facilitate instruction in the classroom. Whether it is K-12 education or teaching in higher education, school officials and teachers should focus on how the planning and development of lessons will impact students to maximize their learning experience.

Classroom Environment

A successful classroom environment intentionally emphasizes student engagement and differentiated instruction and creates a positive classroom culture. When thinking about a classroom observation, consider how the environment impacts the facilitation of learning. What routines and procedures are being implemented to increase instructional time and allow students to feel comfortable exploring their personalized learning?

High student engagement leads to minimized instances of classroom distractions, student outbursts, and builds a sense of a community of learners. Creating a positive learning environment should emphasize on building relationships, giving positive praise to students, and setting high and rigorous expectations for learning. The classroom environment should be led by a teacher who models professionalism for students and finds interactive ways for students to see themselves as professionals who can make an impact at school, at home, and in their broader community.

Professionalism

Teachers and school administrators are held to a high standard. This can be at a K-12 school or at a university or college. When thinking about observations in classrooms, it is important to remember the impact being made on students. Students in today’s classrooms, whether in-person, hybrid, or online, need to see examples of professionalism. This translates not only to professional dress, but also knowing how to teach students professional communication skills. In a traditional brick-and-mortar school, educators need to be consciously modeling the example of professional attire and professional conversations amongst colleagues and students. When presenting in-person or online, be sure to cite proper sources of information to increase the credibility of your lesson, presentation, or conversations with others.

Attending professional development conferences and joining educational organizations to increase your professional resources is important. Organizations such as the International Society For Technology in Education (ISTE)  provide ways to collaborate with others and find meaningful professional development content.

Understanding the four categories mentioned in this article will provide a guide to a successful observation experience for the teacher and the principal/administrator. Promoting positive growth for students is crucial to the growth and development of schools and the students and communities they serve. As education is ever evolving, there is still a vital component of effective teaching and learning and the maximizing of student potential for future impacts on a positive and progressive global society.

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School leaders also must invest time and resources to retain current faculty who make a positive difference in the lives of children. While resources are one piece to teacher retention, investing time may be even more critical. There are numerous ways in which school leaders can invest time into teacher retention without the investment of additional physical dollars.

One piece is certain, the issue of teacher retention rates cannot be ignored because our children deserve classrooms that are conducive to learning led by highly-qualified professionals. Teaching is one of the most important professions as it leads to all other types of employment. Teachers are professionals who make a profound difference, so investment in retention is essential to help alleviate the teacher shortage crisis.

Why is Teacher Retention Essential?

Teacher retention is essential because districts are having to invest significant time and resources into staffing each year. Gone are the days when there was a bountiful supply of candidates who had to seek out employment. Now, schools have to search out candidates, and many teaching positions sadly are left unfilled, leading to increased class size and less desirable learning conditions.

Districts often look to online providers as outside contracts to teach students when positions go unfilled. The personal attention and relationship piece is missing with these providers.

Further, instruction is not always aligned, and evaluation of teaching quality by building-level leaders is somewhat limited. Most K-12 students need an in-person teacher and deserve that choice. The teacher is the essential component of instructional quality, so avoiding outside providers is an essential consideration whenever possible.

Not only do leaders need to focus on teacher morale and retention to keep positions filled, but leaders must consider the lost investment in teaching induction and training when teachers continue to leave after the first year of employment. Teachers need additional training and development when they enter the classroom. Institutional knowledge, curriculum understanding, community relationships, and essential understanding of effective teaching methodologies are lost when teachers exit the building.

Teaching quality typically improves as teachers gain experience, so the need to retain teachers is for the benefit of our students. High turnover levels typically result in temporary unrest as new staff adapt to their new roles, whereas, if a staff remains consistent and there are no teachers leaving, only slight refinement is needed to continue to a new school year.

Ways Educational Leaders Can Prevent Teacher Turnover

Focus on Relationships

Education is a relationship business. All stakeholders must work together. I have often noted that high expectations, data-driven decision-making, and a focus on relationships are the three essential components to sustained school improvement. I would argue that relationships is the most important piece and is a prerequisite for the other two components.

School culture and school climate are essential considerations for teacher retention and student learning. Teachers want to stay at schools and districts in which they are happy coming to work. Leaders must be approachable and supportive of teaching faculty to help prevent teacher burnout as much as possible. People want to be a part of a team that works together, treats one another with respect, and models empathy in approach and decision-making.

Mentorship

As noted, teachers rarely leave teacher education programs fully prepared to teach. Even with lengthy internships, intern teachers have the immediate support of a supervising teacher. Further compounding this problem is the fact that many educators are bypassing the formal internship as districts struggle to hire fully endorsed teachers.

Teaching is a demanding career that is highly stressful, and many job duties must be learned in the trenches. As such, quality teacher mentorship and induction programs are essential to teacher retention. The mentor should not just be a random name on a document.

Rather, careful consideration should be given to mentor selection. Leaders should select mentors who model quality instruction, deeply understand district practices, and foster positive relationships with students, parents, and coworkers. Further, mentors need to understand that time must be invested in the program.

Teachers need a support system that is positive and encouraging to navigate the initial years in their career. District-level induction programs should focus on practical knowledge and skills that can be implemented to improve student learning. These programs need to be relevant and purposeful.

If they are designed as a checklist that is simply a time drain, these programs are actually counterproductive to teacher retention. The inclusion of retreats in these programs is helpful with teacher retention as well. Retreats offer time for bonding and entertainment, helping a teacher acclimate to an area.

Professional Development

Allowing opportunities for growth and development is another area that is linked to increased teacher retention rates. Education is lifelong, and districts need to support that belief by investing in the continuing growth and refinement of their teachers’ working conditions.

Opportunities to engage in building-level and outside workshops needs support when the opportunity is relevant and purposeful. Further, districts can retain teachers by alleviating tuition costs for continued learning and obtaining additional endorsements.

Focus on the “Kitchen Table Issues”

Although salary and benefits are not the only issues that impact teacher retention, financial considerations are critical. Teachers are professionals and need to be able to make a comfortable living.

People are the biggest asset of a division. As such, districts must make pay and benefits the biggest priority in budget processes. 

Working Conditions

To retain teachers, teachers need to feel comfortable coming to work. The environment needs to be fun, upbeat, and encouraging. Retention is linked to having a solid support system without burdening micromanagement. Teachers need to feel that they are contributing to the better good and are viewed as professionals making a difference.

Interested in diving deeper into the impact of educational leadership? Check out our available administration and leadership graduate degrees and get started today!

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