Why Administrators Should Teach
During ISW’s early years, I had the pleasure of teaching elementary history. Then there was a long hiatus from teaching during which growing the school (Buying and renovating our own campus! Getting accredited!) had to take precedence. There simply was not enough time for me to teach, but it pained me to be out of the classroom. I was delighted when I realized that teaching Economics and American Government to our graduating seniors was in the cards this year.
Across the country, most independent school administrators teach. Why? First and foremost, our passion for teaching is what led us to devote a lifetime to education. We do not have to be “required” to teach. We want to be in the classroom.
Moreover, teaching makes us better administrators. Much better administrators. It is easy to allow the steady stream (or, to be perfectly honest, the firehose) of email and the business concerns of the school and the admissions and marketing and fundraising activities, not to mention parents and teacher meetings, to take control of the day. Teaching even a few hours a week brings home the central mission: the education of young people. It gives us a chance to interact with students, to hear their concerns, to learn about their experiences and their needs in a way that is not possible from an office. It also reminds us day in and day out what it is like to teach and brings us closer to our colleagues. We discover little things (that classroom needs a door stop, that clock needs new batteries) and big things (that due date for progress reports is ridiculous) that we would not otherwise know. Our conversations with colleagues are based on lived experience rather than ideals (though ideals are important too!)
While it is not always possible to teach every year, I will always advocate for administrators in the classroom. Everyone wins.
Claire McDonald, PhD
Head of School