The Office Teacher

On  Halloween, a number of the students from my campus came trick-or-treating at my house.  They would get excited when they saw me and tell their friends I was their assistant principal.  One student, however, introduced me in a way I had never heard before. To him, I was the "Office Teacher." Over the last few days, I have been reflecting on this newly imposed title.

While classified as an administrator, I still spend a good portion of my time "teaching." As chief discipline officer, I use the time students are in my office to teach them alternative means for dealing with frustration, anger, and conflict.  When I visit classrooms, I often find myself sitting next to a struggling student and assisting them while the teacher works with others.  With adults, I try to model the behaviors I expect from them as they work with students. As an instructional leader, I work directly with teachers to discover more effective ways to engage students.

When I was still in the classroom, one of my goals was to continually learn from others.  I find that trait has followed me into the office.  While doing teacher observations, one of my goals is to learn what people are doing well and then share that with others who may be struggling in that area.  This has the double effect of allowing me to be both learner and teacher.

While I don't think the title "Office Teacher" will ever really catch on, I do believe it is appropriate for effective school administrators.  Teaching is ingrained in us and while you can take us out of the classroom, we are still teachers at heart. Office teachers. I like that!