Many Division Heads begin their careers as teachers, and would like to maintain a presence in the classroom even after moving into an administrative position. But does that make sense?
Division Heads, especially those who started as teachers, love their students and want to do everything they can to support them.
If this sounds like you, you might want to teach so you can stay connected to your student body, or perhaps you want to focus on a particular subject that is important to you. You may even have some type of contractual or Board obligation if you recently moved into the Division Head role.
At ISM, we tend to discourage this type of dual focus, as it doesn’t best serve either your teachers or your students. Your role is to support your division as a whole, and teaching, even just one class, takes away from that primary responsibility.
Consider the following:
- Your first focus is to increase the capacity of the adults in your division. You should be motivating and supporting your faculty members in a leadership capacity. Your main job is to ensure that your teachers are best equipped to support your students with excellence every day.
- You are a Leadership Team member with unique responsibilities. You need to attend to the strategic nature of your role and how to help your school move forward.
- Teaching a class or two won’t keep you connected to the entire student body. If you teach part-time, you won’t get to know the student body in the ways that traditional classroom teachers do. And remember that classroom teachers also must communicate with parents, provide support in the lunchroom, carry out playground duty, help lead clubs and activities, etc. You may not be able to handle those responsibilities, therefore leaving them for another classroom teacher to cover in addition to his or her own tasks.
But the impulse to stay in touch with and support students is a great one. You will benefit from knowing your school’s students and your faculty will feel confident that you understand how their classrooms work. Here are some ideas for how you can get to know students—without taking on a class of your own.
- Give each teacher a voucher for a class period that you’ll cover. Teachers can use this time to catch up on lesson plans or take care of personal business. You can chat with students or teach the lesson, enabling you to work with them in a personal way.
- Be present in the cafeteria during lunch. You can use this time to check in with students, or even move among the students' tables to eat your lunch.
- Meet and greet students on their way in. Pick the same morning and location each week and greet students as they come into the building. They’ll look forward to seeing you, and you’ll build relationships.
- Go on field trips. Help support your teachers by chaperoning field trips. You’ll get to know students outside of the classroom and your teachers will appreciate the extra help.
- Be a substitute teacher. When a teacher calls in sick, fill in for that teacher. This will give you time in the classroom without an ongoing obligation.
It's wonderful—and important—that you want to know your students and not forget the daily joys and challenges of the classroom. But, as a Division Head, you best serve your school in a leadership capacity.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Academic Leadership Vol. 16 No. 4 The Factors Division Heads Need to Prosper
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 37 No. 7 The Division Head’s Role as Liaison Between the School Head and the Faculty
I&P Vol. 43 No. 8 How to Provide Predictability and Support to the Division Head
