Transitioning from classroom teaching to management

A recent UNESCO report found that clear career pathways can make a big difference to teacher retention. So, at a time when there’s a global shortfall of educators, institutions should prioritize career progression in order to keep their most talented staff.?

Indeed, management is the logical next step for many teachers. Promising staff may be hungry for a career move. And by transitioning them to managerial roles, you can benefit from their knowledge of your institution, and instantly fill positions with experienced staff who fully understand the job of their direct reports. It’s time to start considering each teacher’s leadership potential as soon as they walk through the door and look at how you can prepare them for future career possibilities.

What hurdles do teachers face when transitioning to management?

Even the best teachers might not have all the necessary skills to thrive in management. Schools must help them transition into their new jobs. Looking at the types of challenges new managers experience can help you develop a career pathway for teachers. You can begin training them and removing obstacles from an early stage, setting everyone up for success.

Skills gaps: Many teachers lack the administrative and leadership skills required to perform managerial tasks like scheduling and financial reporting. They may struggle to learn these while managing their current workload.

Extra pressure: Leaders have to make high-stakes decisions around recruitment and budget allocation,? and have challenging conversations with parents, client schools and partners. Some staff may feel stressed by these new responsibilities.

Imposter syndrome: Great candidates might be unable to recognize their potential. They may be reluctant to apply for positions, and question their ability as they settle into the role.

Changing relationships: New managers may be unsure how to navigate interactions with peers after their promotion. Some may change their behaviour too much and others not enough.

“There are many aspects of management that will be alien,” says Jordan Putman, Center Director of ELI, a private language school based in Spain. “These issues are confounded by a lack of available resources. While there’s an increasing amount of training for teachers, there isn’t as much on offer to managers. You’re sort of ‘expected’ to just transition into a role which requires you to spin many different plates.”

What eases the transition from teaching to management?

Successful transitions start well before you’ve formally offered teachers a managerial position. They’re a part of your school’s overarching strategy. Here are some steps you can take to foster internal mobility, prepare more staff for leadership roles, and give your teachers confidence in their own potential.?

Start the transition early

Rather than waiting for vacancies to appear, identify potential leaders and begin preparing them. The question is, how do you know who to train? Sarah Kingston, a former Director of Studies, now based in France, says that the best candidates usually present themselves:?

“If you’re going to promote someone, it’s because they’ve taken an extra interest. They’re maybe a bit more invested and ask more questions.” The benefit is that they’ll already have more knowledge about your operations than the average teacher, giving themselves a head start.

You can offer them some administrative or management duties in place of teaching hours. This slow introduction to education management helps teachers build skills and knowledge over time. When a position becomes available, you’ll have plenty of candidates ready to apply.

Once a teacher accepts a managerial role, kick off their formal training as soon as possible. Ideally, it should be ahead of the new academic year. If your term starts in September, your team might start enrolling students and hiring new teachers as early as January. New managers need to have an understanding of how this all works before they step into the role.

“Prioritize giving new managers a look behind the scenes, for example, how groups are organized, how decisions are made,” says Sarah. “They need this information not just for their own sake but also to explain to your next intake of teachers.?

She also suggests considering which tasks can wait. “It’s important to know what they should be able to do immediately and what they can learn over time,” she adds.

Provide mentorship opportunities

Language schools and other educational institutes have a lot of moving parts. It’s easy to get lost in details like student placement, teacher timetables and curriculum design. Pairing new managers with experienced staff can help them see how everything works and learn new skills in real-time. It also builds their confidence in their ability to make a success of the new role.

Mentorship works best as an ongoing process. Sarah spent an entire year preparing her replacement when she left her school.?

“She was able to sit in on my talks with parents, business meetings, publicity drives, and all the rest of it. Then we’d have hourly check-ins once a week where I’d explain everything,” she says.

Sarah also points out that this gives new managers a chance to think about how to develop their own approach to management: “There’s always an expectation of what came before and you’ve got to put your mark on it.”?

Everyone has different personalities and what works for your current managers might not be suitable for new ones.?

Play to new managers’ strengths

Consider where new managers fit into your existing team. Everyone brings different things to the table, whether that’s specialist knowledge or a unique perspective. It’s best to give them responsibilities closely tied to their existing expertise.

Suppose you run a private language school that caters to a range of ages. You’re looking to promote a Young Learners teacher. Wouldn’t it make sense to give them duties related to your partner schools rather than your business and exam students? They should already be somewhat familiar with administrative processes like behaviour management, writing reports and parent-teacher conferences - and playing to their strengths will help them cope with the additional pressures of a leadership role.?

Also consider any possible gaps they have in their expertise. A 2019 research study shows that novice teachers are more likely to have tech expertise whereas veteran ones are more knowledgeable about pedagogy. Having a balance of youth and experience makes for a well-rounded leadership team with complementary skills. As Sarah says, “Managers aren’t just the go-between for leaders, students and teachers. They might be the bridge between languages and cultures as well.” You need people who can empathize and relate with all these different factions.

Encourage a mindset shift

Teachers are focused on the success of their students. When they step into a management role, they must think more strategically and take a broader view of your school’s operations.

One challenge might be dealing with the competing priorities that arise from staff wellbeing, budgetary constraints and organizational goals. Although certain decisions might be unpopular with teachers or students, they may be in everyone’s general interest. However, sometimes new managers may continue to fixate on small details rather than looking at the big picture.

Here are a few ways you can broaden their outlook:

• Involve them in meetings with leadership early on
• Have other managers explain the rationale behind decisions?
• Help them set overarching long-term goals
• Develop soft skills such as prioritization and delegation
• Give them access to resources on the role of management

Encouraging this mindset shift also helps managers navigate their changing relationship with their peers. When they understand your institution’s strategies, they can explain them to teachers with more clarity and confidence.?

How to build the ideal management team

Looking ahead helps you identify talent and fill open positions faster. By thoughtfully selecting and developing teachers, you can also set them up for success in their new roles. You can create a team that’s ready to step up when needed and prepared to handle future opportunities and challenges.

What does your ideal management team look like? How do you pave the way for your teachers to become managers?