Tips for Dealing with Difficult Teachers as a Principal

Are you a school administrator wondering how to deal with difficult teachers as a principal?

This article will address ways to solve issues of miscommunication between you and your teaching staff.

The nature of your role as a principal of a school may differ depending on whether you’re in a private or public school. This article is slightly more geared to principles working at publicly funded schools, in a unionized environment.

The tips I provide below should be helpful regardless, and are designed to:

• give you some ideas on how to solve some common misunderstandings that come up between teachers and principals
• help you foster good relationships with your staff
• tips on what to do if you’re seriously concerned about a teacher’s performance or attitude at work

As a teacher, I did not get along with the majority of my administrators. For this reason, I can see the situation from both perspectives and hope to offer some helpful (unbiased) guidance on how to repair these working relationships.

Ultimately, a solid working relationship between teachers and principals benefits everybody in the school; from the staff to the students and community that they serve.

So, let’s jump in – how to deal with difficult teachers as a principal!

Dealing with Difficult Teachers as a Principal

Where do miscommunications arise, and what can we do about them? The first step in solving difficult relationships with teachers is to get onto the ‘same page.‘ Here’s how to do that

The best rule of thumb for handling difficult teachers as a principal is to show them that you both want the same thing.

Teachers may sometimes forget that you have a challenging role as well, and need to remember that you want the same thing they do: for them to succeed, run a classroom that they’re proud of, and for them to have a well-funcioning work environment.

A teacher’s biggest fears or concerns with their principals are often:

• that you don’t have a realistic idea of some of the struggles they’re facing in the classroom
• that you are micromanaging
• that you don’t value their hard work
• that you are making their job harder
• that you side with the parents or the students

I have had each of the above concerns with different administrators over the years, and it affected my relationship with them, and ultimately contributed to my eventual burnout from teaching.

I believe that a lot can be accomplished in a school with better communication and problem-solving between administration and teachers.

I suggest inviting your difficult teacher in for an in-person chat. (Ideally, with only the two of you – more on that below.) In the talk, I suggest doing the following:

• Encourage them to share their concerns or questions
• Find the common goal that you both have. You both want their classroom to be a good learning environment; for the students and for the teacher too.
• Define a goal together (this should be one you both agree on)
• Ask them what kind of clarity, resources or support from you would make that goal realistic and attainable

When you show the staff member that you both want the same things, you’re finding a common goal which can bridge some good communication.

The teacher needs to see that you’re on same page, and value their contributions. This helps by:

• foster a more passive work environment going forward
• eases stress and anxiety on the teacher’s part
• gives them realistic goals to strive towards

#1 Tip to Improving Difficult Relationships with Teachers

In the book Dare to Lead, Brené Brown writes that workplaces need to be safe environments where everyone can safely contribute without fear of judgment or repercussions.

This can be difficult to navigate in a teacher-principal relationship, as you are their ‘boss’.

However, being a boss means being a leader. And part of being a good leader is facilitating a safe environment for open communication to happen.

Sometimes, it’s those tough conversations that lead to any real progress or improvement on both the leader’s and the employee’s part.

As the principal, you need to foster an environment where teachers do feel like they can (respectfully) share:

• their thoughts, ideas and opinions
• any mistakes they have made

without the fear of you writing them off as not being good at their job, or any other negative repercussions.

Part of being an effective principal is listening to your staff, creating an environment where they can be heard to, and working together to problem-solve.

How to Communicate with Your Teachers

Similar to how teachers are advised to call parents or meet with them in person to have tough conversations, principals and teachers should do the same.

Much of our communication is tone and body language, and these things are not as easily deciphered through email.

Now, here’s the thing – your main goal may be to cover your butt, since you can’t be sure you can trust this teacher. What if the teacher later complains, or twists around something you said? What if they go to the union after your talk?

(Us teachers have this fear too of course, with our students and parents.)

For this reason, most principals end up deciding that the best course of action is to:

• have all communication through email, so that there’s a ‘paper trail’
• invite a note-taker to the meeting
• advising the teacher to have a union representative present for the meeting

I want to stress that I’m not saying to never have a note-taker or the union – maybe sometimes, the situation warrants it. There may be some (rare) serious situations where you need to investigate a situation, or you have a staff member behaving irresponsibly and unprofessionally where you absolutely need a third party involved with your meetings, or to be CCed on emails. (If this is the case, then scroll to the section below about how to handle concerns about a teacher’s work performance.)

What I want you to keep in mind about communication with your teachers is that generally:

• In-person communication is more effective.
• Honest, in-person conversations are where real change can happen.
• Having a 3rd party to protect you legally in any meetings with the teacher may cover your butt, but they won’t in the long run make the teacher any easier to deal with.

With everyone covering their butt, not showing any courage to admit mistakes, and failing to have any real conversations that could really evoke change – it’s no wonder why there is such a disconnect between teachers and principals these days.

In order to really promote better teaching and teamwork within your school, you need to be willing to have some meaningful conversations with your staff.

What to Do if You’re Concerned About a Teacher’s Work Performance

If you have concerns about a teacher’s job performance, then before speaking with them, ask yourself:

• What do you see lacking in their performance?
• Have you been concerned like this about a teacher before?
• Is there something that the teacher could do differently to put you more at ease about their performance as a teacher?

I recommend taking notes of the things you see, privately – but I would not show these notes to the teacher. This for your own documentation only, just in case of the rare scenario where the situation needs to escalate.

I recommend pulling the teacher aside and giving them the feedback. Be prepared to listen, as well as give feedback.

The negative performance you’re seeing is one side of the story – be open to hearing what input, thoughts or side of the story they have too.

This is one of those “tough conversations” (that I keep talking about) that could really make a difference going forward.

Open communication is a big part of being a good leader, empowers teachers and often brings out the best workplace results.

Here are some good phrases to use in a conversation with a teacher:

• “What kind of support from me would be helpful in accomplishing _____?”
• “What do you see standing in the way of _____?”
• “This is a hard job, I acknowledge that. If you could identify one or two things that would make a significant difference, what would they be?”

Tip for Giving Feedback to Teachers

While giving ongoing feedback and voicing any concerns as a boss is important, always be sensitive, careful and intentional about how you do it.

The goal of feedback is to hopefully bring out the best of the teacher.

In the book Hidden Potential (about uncovering potential in both students, and employees) psychologist Adam Grant writes that as a boss, your lack of belief in their abilities can:

• become their self-fulfilling prophecy
• stifle their confidence
• keeping them from doing their best

Now, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t share feedback at all. You may have to, especially if you:

• feel that they’re underperforming
• doing something that is detrimental to their class or the school
• doing a formal evaluation on them

Use the sandwich method when you provide the feedback; acknowledge their hard work and what they are doing for their class.

What to Do about a (Rude) Difficult Teachers

There are many different reasons why you may be finding your teaching staff difficult to work with. Here are some examples of issues you may be having with your teachers, and some guidance on how to solve the problem.

1. Constantly seeks support (that you don’t have the time or resources to give)

When I first started teaching, I sought more support from my administrators than I should have, and I had an unrealistic idea of what they would be willing to do to help.

I found some of my classrooms to be chaos and I didn’t know where else to turn.

In this situation, I recommend that you :

• Ask the teacher what would help. They may know right away, or it may be something they need to reflect on. This way, when they come to you for help; they are being trained to be more intentional about what they want you to do – instead of just dumping problems on your plate and expecting you to find a solution.
  
• Draw boundaries. If what the teacher is asking, or how often they’re asking isn’t ok, then it’s important to put a boundary in place. For example, you may need to tell them that you cannot respond right away, can’t help them every single day, or that there are (specific) limits to how you can help

Pro Tip: You should be making the effort to walk around to all the classrooms; not just the ones where you are concerned. Its part of being an effective principal. I recommend giving the teachers a smile when you walk in, so that they know you are there on friendly/supportive terms, or just doing your routine walk-throughs.

2. Refuses to fulfill requests that you’ve made

Have you asked them to sit down for a restorative session, or participate in a certain activity, and been told ‘no?’

That is a tricky one.

• If the teacher is within their right to say no, then there are a few possibilities as to why, but overall I would let it go. Teachers more than ever, need to manage their stress and work-life balance if they want to stay in this career for the long haul.

• If they’re not within their right to refuse, then I would let them know by email that what you’re asking falls in line with the requirements of their job and contract.

Overall, you should celebrate a climate where work-life balance is embraced and celebrated – not one where teachers go ‘above and beyond’ to be the most impressive or hardest working.

Perfectionism and competition in the school environment has very negative side effects; leads to burnout, and the increasing number of teachers leaving the profession.

3. Calls you out in meetings

I used to have a teaching colleague who despised our principal, and attacked her a few times in front of the rest of the staff at meetings.

It was unprofessional, and it undoubtedly made the principal very uncomfortable.

If the teacher calls you out in front of the staff, which I have seen some teachers do – then the best thing you can do is handle it with grace.

Brené Brown in her book Dare to Lead, recommends saying something like this:

• “Feeling frustrated about this situation is ok. _____________ is not ok.”

In the blank, you would put whatever the teacher did that attacked you, such as raise their voice, interrupt, or any other unprofessional behaviour. This statement shows that you acknowledge the toughness as the situation, but are also drawing a boundary in terms of how you will be treated.

Whatever you do, do not get sucked into an argument with the teacher at a meeting.

Just like you would never enter a power struggle with a student in front of the class, don’t do this with a teacher at a meeting in front of others either.

If there is more to say, then tell them that you would like to speak about this in depth at a meeting.

How to Foster a Positive Relationship with Your Teaching Staff

Being a strong principal is about being a good leader and a good manager. Managing a group of adults is different from leading a room full of kids. There are however, many similarities and overlap.

Teachers are professionals who want (and deserve) to be seen and treated as such, but at the same time – you set the tone, and they are looking to you to set the standards for the school.

While you should model a work environment where everyone leads their classes in a way that they’re proud of, you should also ensure that you’re encouraging rest, breaks and de-stressing from this demanding career too.

Teacher morale is important in a school community. A community of acceptance, belonging and safe honest communication is one where your staff will thrive and support each other in their teaching roles.

Final Thoughts on How to Deal with Difficult Teachers as a Principal

I hope that you have felt heard and that this has given you some good tips in moving forward with some tough conversations that need to happen between you and one of your teachers.

Working in a public school these days isn’t an easy job for anyone. I was once the difficult teacher that I’m sure many of my administrators dreaded. I cared deeply about my job (perhaps took it too seriously.) Looking back, I now wish that I had fostered a better relationship with my school administrators, as this would have made my job easier in the long run.

My hope is that this article helps principals help struggling teachers!