Question: Our full-time high school principal seems to spend a large part of their day offering individual and small group tutoring in their office to students during regular class time. Is this an appropriate use of their time? Shouldn’t a principal be spending time focused on schoolwide duties and responsibilities?
Answer: Thank you for this question, which provides a useful opportunity to review the unique status of school leaders in Alberta and the relationship between the role of the principal and the classroom teacher.
In this province, school leaders in public, Catholic and francophone schools are teachers and active members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association. This is not necessarily the case in other provinces, and it contributes to the unique culture and, I’d suggest, the effectiveness of Alberta’s schools.
This shared membership and identification with the profession helps to support and reinforce a collegial and collaborative relationship between teachers and their leaders. It’s fair to say, though, that it does make the school leader’s role more nuanced and complex.
In the same way that the professional expectations of teachers are set out in the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS), the expectations of school leaders are to be found in the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS). A quick review of both documents demonstrates that they are complementary and the roles they define are not mutually exclusive.
And that’s a good thing, because it is commonplace for designated school leaders to also take on classroom teaching duties. For some school leaders, teaching responsibilities are built into their assignment and contract of employment. For others, it is a practical response to the reality of working with limited staff resources. And for some principals with whom I taught, it is motivated by the school leader’s simple love of teaching and a desire to enhance their awareness and effectiveness by keeping their boots on the ground.
... the professional expectations of teachers are set out in the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS), the expectations of school leaders are to be found in the Leadership Quality Standard (LQS).
Getting back to the question, a principal can certainly offer instruction to small groups of students to supplement and support the work of teachers. Most teachers would welcome the help, and the principal is afforded an opportunity to demonstrate instructional leadership by modeling good practice, engaging with teachers in problem solving and building trust and rapport with colleagues and students.
Yet, there are some considerations that a school leader must weigh as they contemplate how much teaching they can take on. The principal’s leadership role is time consuming and demanding in itself, and no one benefits if excessive time and energy are diverted from strategic leadership responsibilities like staff support and resource management. In smaller schools or where staffing is limited, teaching may be a pragmatic and necessary option. In larger schools, prioritizing administrative, management and instructional leadership may leave little time for direct teaching.
If you have concerns about how your school is being administered or if your own needs as a teacher are not being met by your school leader, you should start by sharing your concerns in a respectful and honest manner with them — they are your colleague and a fellow professional, and they deserve the courtesy of a conversation.
If you would like some help in framing that talk, the Association can help. A phone call to Teacher Employment Services will put you in touch with a staff officer who has considerable experience in teaching and, in many cases, leadership roles. In addition, the Association offers professional development intended to improve communications and foster positive staff relationships. Information on these can be obtained through the Professional Development program area.
Please feel free to call the Association with any questions or concerns at 1-800-232-7208 (Edmonton office) or 1-800-332-1280 (Calgary office).
Questions for consideration in this column are welcome. Please address them to Dennis Theobald at dennis.theobald@ata.ab.ca.
