“When principals are present in the classroom, teachers and principals can work together to promptly address a troubled student’s emotional and social well-being. More time in the classroom gives principals the opportunity to cultivate a climate of trust among students and teachers, even while deepening their own authority and strengthening their positions of leadership.”
A principals’ leadership can support safe school environments.
Discussions about school safety continue to dominate the news, and for good reason. Parents, teachers, students, school administrators, and the public are increasingly concerned about how safe students and staff are in their schools. As the conversation focuses on a wide range of potential solutions to the problem, one aspect deserves much more attention: the impact principals can have on school safety.
We know from years of experience that helping school leaders move away from the daily grind of front-office operations and into classrooms has a profound impact on students’ test scores and so much more. In fact, the mere presence of principals can change students’ behavior. Much like the effect a law enforcement officer can have when entering or standing in a room, students usually become more compliant when a principal is in their midst. Research has made clear that those in authority have a powerful ability to influence others’ behavior.
Presence in classrooms provides time to address current and potential issues.
By increasing the time when a principal is directly involved with teachers and students in classrooms, the easier it becomes to identify struggling students and provide them the resources they may urgently need to overcome those issues. The Breakthrough Coach method demonstrates ways to give principals two full days per week in the classroom, time that can be used to:
- Gain insights into troubled students’ behavior
- Become aware of, and address rumors or speculation that may be spreading about various issues or persons
- Address issues before they become more difficult to resolve or even dangerous
Being fully present in the classroom also allows principals to observe teachers, become aware of what resources or additional development they may need, and support them with one-on-one coaching. All of this can be a factor in improving school safety. When principals are present in the classroom, teachers and principals can work together to promptly address a troubled student’s emotional and social well-being. More time in the classroom gives principals the opportunity to cultivate a climate of trust among students and teachers, even while deepening their own authority and strengthening their positions of leadership.
Principals can make this leadership shift, and spend more time in classrooms.
As noted in this blog post about how the Lindsay Unified School District in California created system-wide transformation by implementing The Breakthrough Coach methodology, our philosophy is simple:
- Schools produce breakthrough results in student achievement when administrators spend two full days each week in classrooms training, developing and coaching teachers.
- For administrators to spend two full days each week in classrooms, they must train and empower their secretaries to run the front office.
The district’s superintendent, Tom Rooney, brought in The Breakthrough Coach to teach administrators how to get out of their offices and into classrooms for two days each week. Deputy Superintendent Lana Brown said that without time in classrooms, “The kids wouldn’t know us; the teachers wouldn’t know us. The time in classrooms gives us the opportunity to be visible and consciously engaged in what is going on throughout the district.”
Physical security measures such as metal detectors, guards, and locks inarguably make school buildings safer, but the leadership of principals is critical to creating a safe, healthy environment that plays a role in lessening the likelihood of violence. In a time of heightened awareness of the threat of violent behavior among students, the strong leadership of principals—and their increased presence in the classroom—must be part of the solution.
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