But No One Trained Me
Sadly, in all too many schools, there is little or no training provided for new administrators—either internally or externally. It is assumed that they're bright … they'll catch on. Certainly they're bright, enthusiastic, and eager to learn—or they wouldn’t have been promoted. But without proper training—or any training at all, for that matter—they'll only become strong administrators haphazardly, and it will take much more time than would be needed if they were guided through an effective training program.
In answer, the Head might say, “No one trained me, and I ended up doing OK” – which although is most likely true, is as far as it goes. But with a little thought and planning, the new administrator’s path to success can be so much smoother and well-considered—for their own benefit and that of the school.
Where to Begin
There are innumerable ways that an effective training plan can be put into place for a new administrator. Several options (considered from a “mix and match” perspective) include:
- 1-day workshops—These are conducted in locations across the country by professional training organizations. Ordinarily $99 or $199 in price, these sessions aren’t school-specific, but they will give the new administrator a broad exposure to a wide range of management tasks and techniques.
- 3-5 day workshops—Similar to the above, but provides more intensive training. (Correspondingly more expensive, of course).
- On-line learning—There are a wide variety of both free and fee-based webinars, audio workshops, podcasts, training videos, and the like on-line. Mixing on-line learning with in-person workshops provides the new administrator with a variety of experiences and perspectives to benefit from, depending on their learning style.
- Mentoring—The Head or other senior administrators can provide direct guidance, coaching, and mentoring based on their own experiences. This one-to-one can be formal or informal; in either case, the face-to-face approach ordinarily proves invaluable to new administrators, giving them a first-hand sense of how experienced leaders have addressed school issues in the past. To be most effective, though, this needs to be done within the context of a planned, purposeful program—i.e., not on a “whenever I have time” basis.
Looking Forward
Simply put, it’s never too late. Even if your school hasn’t provided training for new administrators in the past, “catch up” training can always be valuable to those new to administration (or can serve as an excellent “refresher” to those who have been in their roles for a few years). Taking the time to plan an effective training program will never be time wasted, and can provide significant benefit to the individual as well as the school as a whole.
