Building Trust Between Division Heads and Teachers

Volume 47 No. 6 ● June 1, 2022 ● Member Sneak Peek

 

As a Division Head, you understand trust is a critical component of effective working relationships. In fact, trusting relationships in schools have been shown to increase faculty cooperation, enhance school climate, and improve student outcomes. Although this concept appears self-evident, it is critical to explore which behaviors promote the creation of trust. Every Division Head should know how to better build trusting relationships and identify which actions (inadvertent or deliberate) impede the development of trust.

Components of Trust

Trust is an outcome—an emotional and logical act between two people. It requires that individuals in a working relationship can predict what each will do and how each will respond to different scenarios. To ensure such trust, Division Heads need to understand which critical behaviors must be nurtured to earn and keep the trust of faculty members. The graphic illustrates three of those critical elements—think of them as variables in a “trust equation.” Each must be present between faculty and administration to create a high-trust culture.

Reliability

Teachers want Division Heads who are authentic, keep promises, make commitments carefully, and follow through reliably. Even with that knowledge, it is common for busy administrators to sabotage their working relationships inadvertently by being unreliable. You might have broken trust with your teachers without even realizing it. So what does unreliable look like and what should you avoid? Here are two inconsistent leadership profiles to consider.

The Firefighter: The “firefighting” Division Head is only present when a crisis occurs—they wondrously extinguish the flames before retreating to their inaccessible office. Though effective leadership requires the ability to solve problems and occasionally extinguish flames, those are not the only obligations. Division Heads need to be genuinely involved in school life, not simply serving as crisis managers or first responders. Spending time with students and teachers, sharing a laugh, and participating in the daily learning experiences is required to build trusting relationships—firefighting alone is not enough.

The Dabbler: The “dabbling” Division Head’s focus is always changing. They pursue one pedagogical shiny object after another, leaving a wake of confusion as they bounce from one initiative to the next. Dabblers can’t commit to priorities and lack the laser-like focus to see things through to completion. They enervate their faculty members who struggle to keep pace with a relentlessly changing focus. This type of unpredictable, unreliable leadership can contribute to teachers becoming exhausted. More demands on their time, constantly pivoting, and growing “to-do lists” often increase faculty stress, which often leads to more stressed students.

Care

In schools, we expect teachers to demonstrate predictability and support for their students. We expect teachers to demonstrate professionalism and compassion for one another. It is incumbent on Division Heads to display that same compassion and interest in each faculty member. The demonstration of care and creation of trust need not be arduous. Division Heads can build trust with teachers in quiet moments and through small gestures.

Consider for a moment all the teachers in your division. How well do you know them? When did you last ask about a sick family member? When did you last send an encouraging or congratulatory note on the heels of a life event? How you respond to and engage with faculty members in your division speaks volumes about you as a leader and directly impacts the level of trust teachers feel. Remember, foremost, leadership is about relationships. Get to know your teachers as people. Listen more than you talk; be interested and stay curious.

Rapport

Think of someone you really trust—a mentor or a colleague. What attributes does that individual have that establish trust? They are likely dependable and sincere. Perhaps they possess a core competence you respect, so their opinion matters. Regardless of the specific qualities, for you to trust the individual, you must have established a rapport. You must have experienced a connection, some form of safe communication, and the establishment of an authentic relationship. Teachers want this type of trusting relationship, too. They may not ask for it directly, but most seek rapport with those in leadership roles.

To be an effective Division Head, you must understand the individuals you lead. Do you know what is important to each teacher and what their values are? Understand what motivates and demotivates them. You need to know what they are proud of and what informs their views on teaching and learning. Knowing that a teacher has taught fourth grade for seven years is a start, but it is not enough.

Rapport can be built consciously by prioritizing the following three activities.

• Discover and share personal and professional connections with the teachers you lead.
• Be fully present in the conversations you have with every teacher.
• Listen impeccably and actively, using nonverbal communication. Restate, paraphrase, and summarize conversations.

Self-Assessment

As a leader, take time to reflect on the culture of trust you have created or the culture of trust you have inherited. You should be able to respond to the following statements in the affirmative. If that is not the case, reconsider the trust equation and find new ways to engage with teachers to enhance levels of trust in your school. Remember, without trust, you cannot lead, and an untrusting culture is an unhealthy one.

• It’s okay for teachers to discuss their feelings, worries, and frustrations with me.
• I look out for the personal welfare of the faculty members in my school.
• Teachers can take me at my word.
• Teachers can rely on me to act predictably.
• I place the needs of students and teachers ahead of my interests.
• I take a personal interest in the professional growth of teachers.
• I respect the teachers in my school as educators.
• I feel respected by the teachers in my school.¹

Coming Together

Building a trusting school culture is a process, the result of numerous small, positive interactions. Trusting relationships do not develop by accident; rather, they result from the implementation of a thoughtful plan. A culture of trust forms the foundation from which relationships grow; it is the “magic sauce” that brings a school community together.

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^{1. Adapted from Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.}