The role of a school principal goes far beyond managing the day-to-day operations of a school. One of the most critical responsibilities of a principal is to support teachers in their professional growth and overall well-being. A school principal's leadership and guidance can significantly impact the overall effectiveness of a school, including student achievement and school culture. This blog post will delve into how school principals can support teachers to foster a positive school environment, ultimately benefiting students, educators, and the community.
Principals play a crucial role in supporting the professional development of classroom teachers. By providing access to resources and opportunities for growth, principals can help teachers improve their instructional practices, leading to better student learning outcomes. To do this, principals can create opportunities for teachers to attend workshops, conferences, or pursue additional certifications, ensuring that they are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills in their field.
Teacher evaluations are an essential aspect of educational administration. Principals and administrators should aim to provide meaningful evaluations that focus on teacher growth and improvement rather than merely assessing performance. Offering constructive criticism through active listening and dialogue is vital to helping teachers feel supported in their journey towards self-improvement.
Principals can support teachers by promoting a culture of peer collaboration. By encouraging teachers to work on class, together, share ideas, and learn from each other, principals can foster a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among staff members. This collaborative environment allows for the exchange of brilliant ideas and creative solutions that can contribute to improving instruction and student learning.
The emotional well-being of teachers is a significant concern in today's fast-paced and demanding educational landscape. Principals need to prioritize self-care for their staff and implement policies that help prevent teacher burnout. These may include promoting work-life balance for parents, offering mental health resources, and providing an open-door policy for teachers to express their concerns and seek guidance.
School culture is the foundation upon which student achievement, teacher retention, and overall school success are built. Principals can support teachers by cultivating a positive school culture, where educators feel valued and students thrive. This can be achieved through clear communication with school leadership, establishing a shared vision, and fostering a sense of belonging and purpose among staff members.
Principals should strive to include teachers in the decision-making process to improve instruction, ensuring that their voices are heard and valued. By involving teachers in shaping school policies and improvement goals, principals empower them and help create a sense of ownership and investment in the school's success.
A strong leadership team is crucial to a school's overall success. Principals can support teachers by assembling a diverse and capable leadership team that shares the same vision and goals. This team can work collaboratively to address school challenges, streamline processes, and provide guidance to teachers, fostering a supportive and well-organized teaching environment.
New teachers often face unique challenges as they navigate their first years in the profession. Principals play a crucial role in supporting new teachers and fostering an environment that encourages teacher retention. This can be achieved by providing mentorship, resources, and ongoing support tailored to the needs of new educators, helping them transition smoothly into their roles and become valuable contributors to student discipline and the school community.
Q1: How would the principal help this teacher? A1: A principal can help a teacher by providing guidance, resources right direction, and support tailored to their individual needs. This may include offering professional development opportunities, facilitating peer collaboration, addressing emotional well-being, and providing constructive feedback to promote growth and improvement.
Q2: How can a leader provide support to teachers? A2: A leader can support teachers by fostering a positive school culture, involving them in decision-making processes, providing professional development opportunities, and prioritizing emotional well-being. Leaders can also encourage peer collaboration and open communication with other teachers, creating an environment where teachers feel valued and empowered.
Q3: How can principals support struggling teachers? A3: Principals can support struggling teachers by providing targeted resources, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to address their specific challenges. Offering meaningful evaluations with constructive criticism, paired with a supportive environment, can help struggling teachers improve their skills and regain their confidence.
Q4: What is the principal's role in supporting new teachers? A4: The principal's role in supporting new teachers includes providing guidance, mentorship, and resources to help them transition smoothly into their new roles and classrooms. Principals should ensure that new teachers have access to professional development opportunities, emotional support, and a collaborative environment to foster their growth and success.
A school principal's unwavering support for teachers can have a tremendous impact on the overall success of a school. By prioritizing professional growth, emotional well-being, and the importance of a positive school culture, principals help create an environment where teachers feel valued, empowered, and motivated to excel in their roles. As a result, teachers can provide the highest quality education to their students, leading to improved student achievement and well-being.
By understanding and implementing many principals the strategies discussed in this blog post, principals can foster a strong sense of community within their schools, ultimately leading to better outcomes for students, teachers, and the community as a whole. Embracing these principles is essential for school leaders who want to create lasting, meaningful change in their schools and promote the success and happiness of their staff and students.
As a chronically late student, Danny Bauer once told his Chemistry teacher a fib about saving an entire girl scout troop from a burning building to get out of a tardy.
Danny is not sure if it was the very made up story, the very real cookie he offered his teacher, or a combination of both that got him out of a detention that day …
That experience taught him it pays to develop your storytelling skills.
Danny has been telling stories since then, most recently on the Better Leaders Better Schools podcast, ranked in the TOP 0.5% of 3 million global podcasts, and via his two bestselling books, Mastermind: Unlocking Talent Within Every School Leader and Build Leadership Momentum: How to Create the Perfect Principal Entry Plan.
He also loves telling stories while facilitating in person leadership workshops at national conferences and for school districts.
Danny’s mission is to help Ruckus Makers Do School Different™.
Soniya, hailing from the culturally rich land of India, is a dynamic professional in the field of web services, crafting digital landscapes. Soniya’s journey into the world of technology is a testament to her unwavering passion and commitment to excellence, transforming ideas into impactful online realities.
Since 2022, Soniya has played an important role in supporting BLBS with her comprehensive website services.
She loves to travel and cook new recipes.
Music is an inspiring art form. Sound is conveyed via the air to the ears of living beings, and each being perceives it in its own unique way, eliciting a certain feeling. Dragan feels the same sensation every time he hears music, from infancy to now, as if it were a part of his existence that he couldn’t fathom living without. Dragan opted to deal with sound his entire life despite his formal degree, and today he is one of the most passionate audio producers you can meet and chat to about sound and music all day long. His enthusiasm for audio production, student-like thinking, and curiosity keep him continually mobile in generating new, quality, and enjoyable sound on a regular basis.
Dragan has been producing BLBS audio and video content since 2020.
My passion for both baseball and literature was the initial catalyst that led me into education. Growing up as a softball player and a die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs from the North Side of the city, I developed a profound appreciation for the South Side of Chicago, not enough to convert me into a White Sox fan. As a National Board certified teacher, with over 16 years of experience on Chicago’s South Side, my journey as an educator has taken me from my roots in the Windy City to Virginia, as an instructional coach.
From the very beginning, I have been an unwavering believer in the philosophy of BLBS. My journey alongside Danny has been one of daring innovation and audacity, right from the moment he challenged me to say, “boom” and drop the mic during our initial city-wide professional development event. He has cultivated a team capable of winning a World Series, and I am deeply honored to be a part of this community of individuals who consistently push the boundaries and endeavor to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Premaria Mutambudzi is the BLBS Office Administrator, This is her 2nd year, she has served in the administrative field for 5+ years, Prim is originally from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She has been married for 7 years to her husband Takunda, and is blessed with two children.
Prim loves meditation, creative writing, poetry, and reading. In her spare time, Prim is a talented and creative Makeup Artist.
– Head Coach
Sofía’s lifelong search for a profession that would “leave the world a little better than she found it” led her to study philosophy and comparative religions, become a teacher, lead schools and educational projects, work for the Argentine Ministry of Education, contribute as a volunteer in various NGOs and become personally committed to causes that raised awareness about the world’s challenges and the potential of education to overcome them.
She is a practically-minded idealist, a profound believer in people and their potential for good, committed to collaborative leadership environments, and instinctively and naturally drawn to create order and systems in seemingly chaotic contexts.
After more than 30 years in the classroom and almost 20 as a school leader, Sofía now divides her time as Schools Development Manager for Cambridge University Press and Assessment, Executive Secretary for the International Confederation of Principals, Facilitator for the ESSARP Teacher Training Centre in Argentina and BLBS Mastermind Coach.
Each of her current roles allows her to travel near and far while contributing to her own lifelong learning, and that of school leaders across the world, in the slow way she cherishes: one experience, one adventure, one conversation and one relationship at a time.
– Head Coach
Once a roller derby ref, now enjoying “retirement”, Dan’s got some wild tales from the track. Picture this: Dallas, a Division 1 tournament, and Dan’s zipping around as an “outside pack ref” when suddenly, BAM! He gets bulldozed by “Ruthless Red” charging out of the penalty box. But did he stay down? Not a chance! Dan bounced right back up, finished the game like a champ, and jetted off to Barcelona for the World Cup, broken tailbone and all.
Bruises and broken bones couldn’t keep Dan out of the action. Those derby days weren’t just about dodging collisions—they taught him about grit, resilience, and leadership skills that he’s been flexing for 15 years as a school leader. Whether he’s coaching leaders as part of The Ruckus Maker Mastermind™ team or dodging freight trains in the fast-paced world of roller derby, Dan is always willing to lean into the next challenge.
– Head Coach
Jason P. Dropik (Babaamii-Bines / Eagle Clan) is the School Administrator for the Indian Community School (ics-edu.org), in Franklin, WI, which serves Native students in the metro Milwaukee area. A member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (BadRiver-nsn.gov), Jason is committed to supporting students, families, staff, school/community leaders, and the community both near and far.
Having recently completed a two-year term as President of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA.org), he advocated for and spoke on the importance of tribal sovereignty, policy, appropriations, and student support across the country. As a Board Member of NIEA, Jason continues with that work, championing training and providing information for schools and community organizations, while creating visibility and understanding of Indigenous perspectives.
His greatest passion is creating welcoming spaces for students to develop their identity, take pride in their language and culture, and to celebrate the rich legacy and the promising future of Indigenous communities.
– Head Coach
First and foremost, I’m a husband, father and son. I’m someone who is driven by my faith. I’m the Principal of A. Russell Knight Elementary in Cherry Hill, NJ. The Parks are animal lovers. We have 3 dogs and 2 cats. Some things that I’m loving at the moment is playing Pickleball and cooking for my friends and family. I also have the privilege and joy of serving as a BLBS Mastermind coach.
– Head Coach
Back in high school, Jesse used to painstakingly unthread the logos from his clothing and hats so that he wouldn’t be seen as part of the status quo.
He didn’t know it then, but that was the start of his journey as someone who finds unique ways of communicating ideas.
Then when he discovered his connection to youth with disabilities, he realized that he was among experts who’ve been finding ways to do things differently all their lives.
Leaning into these connections has brought him to become the Innovation Lead for a statewide project called I’m Determined – developing and producing animated videos and feature-length movies, facilitating events and building tools and resources for youth, families, and educators – all as ways to help students ink their journeys for the world to see.
As a leadership coach, Jesse is someone whose consistent presence is there to listen and add value and belonging.
– Head Coach
Leadership skills were evident as early as first grade for Paige Kinnaird when the teacher pointed out that “Paige is an eager beaver who completes her own work and then monitors what everyone else is doing.”
This taught Paige the importance of servant leadership. To never expect work from others that she is not fully committed to also putting forth the effort to accomplish.
Paige has used this as the central driving force of her work ever since… a willingness to be part of the work, not just driving the work.
– Head Coach
Karine Veldhoen, M.Ed., is the founder of Learn Forward™ and a creative force in education. While her name may be difficult to pronounce, her mission is simple, to champion extraordinary potential. As an educational leader (15 years) she created the first model Learn Forward™ school while simultaneously founding and serving as Executive Director of Niteo Africa. She’s taught Teacher Candidates at both UBC-O and UNBC and serves as a coach for Better Leaders Better Schools.
In all of her roles, she considers herself a modern-day pilgrim who stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Now, she dedicates her professional practice to championing EdLeaders to design thriving schools. When Karine is not carving new paths for education, you’ll find her with her husband and three children, her heart-song.