6 Tips for Building Trust Between Teachers and Administrators as a School Leader
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Just like family-teacher partnerships , a strong relationship between teachers and administrators is important for ensuring that students have the academic support they need. At the heart of this partnership is trust—something that takes time and conscious effort to build.
Trust is not only important for a professional relationship between educators and leadership—it is the cornerstone of a healthy school environment. Read on to learn how to build and sustain trust between teachers and administrators in your work as an educational leader.
1. Build opportunities for open, two-way communication
Transparent communication builds trust by keeping teachers informed about decisions, policies, and changes affecting them and their students. When administrators openly share why decisions or changes were made, it fosters inclusion and reduces uncertainty. Teachers should always be given an opportunity to voice concerns related to these updates, even if it doesn’t result in a change of policies, so their input is valued and they know they are being heard.
Be visible and welcoming to teachers in your school, and find ways to interact with them on a regular basis. Get to know your faculty and take an interest in them not only as a teacher but as a human being. Being present in the school community builds a sense of accessibility and establishes you as someone teachers can come to when challenges arise.
Additionally, establish open communication with teachers. Newsletters and forms of one-way communication can be helpful for sharing updates, but they don’t give teachers an opportunity to respond. Use focused and time-efficient meetings, video calls, one-on-one emails, and other two-way communication methods to seek input from teachers while connecting in a more meaningful way.
2. Actively listen to teachers
Active listening allows you to better understand a teacher’s perspective and provide them with support. To truly listen to teachers, you must be both approachable and responsive. Some teachers may not feel comfortable coming to you with their concerns without a clear invitation.
To ensure that all teachers feel welcome to communicate, consider holding open office hours or “listening hours.” Practice empathy, be understanding of teachers’ concerns and challenges, and go beyond acknowledgment by valuing their perspective and helping to find solutions.
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According to Edutopia staff member and instructional coach Logan Beth Fisher , the following are great ways to determine which issues you can advocate for in your district to support your teachers:
3. Engage in collaborative decision-making
Collaboration fosters a culture of mutual respect and trust in leadership. Involve teachers in decision-making processes that directly impact their work. When educators actively contribute to curriculum development, school policies, and other pivotal decisions, they begin to develop a sense of ownership and a vested interest in the school’s success.
To foster a sense of community within your school, create opportunities for teachers to collaborate with each other and with you. For example, group planning sessions can give you and your teachers the chance to share strategies and work through challenges together.
These collaboration sessions should be implemented early in an initiative’s process. If they are not included early on teachers may feel that they are being asked to agree with a decision that they had little involvement in developing. After you’ve had a decision-making session, plan a follow-up with actionable steps or make changes to ensure that decisions made are truly collaborative.