As an aspiring administrator, I constantly hear that I’m going over to the “Dark Side” soon. Most of the time, I just chuckle and shrug it off. Lately though, I thought about what that could mean. Will I be viewed as a shrewd dictator that only cares about power? Will I be seen as a person who is feared or someone who makes decisions based only on what the Superintendent wants, and that I’m just a pawn carrying out orders? If the answer to these and other questions as such are yes, then not only am I going to be in trouble, but so are the teachers, and ultimately so will the students!
Before I entered my administrative program, I too made comments about school administrator’s abilities or lack thereof, usually without any premise to back it up with, except that I had heard a veteran teacher say the same, so it must be true. By continuing my education and heading towards the “Dark Side”, I now know that in some instances they were right, but in others they were wrong, but at least now I can make up my own mind based on sound decision making from what I’ve learned.
Having a new perspective in my arsenal has helped me become a more effective teacher, because I now know what I was doing in the past was correct, but I didn’t know why. Now I do. Learning about what administrators are trained to look for during the evaluation process, from preparing a lesson plan to carrying out the lesson, has allowed me to spread my wings and take chances I wasn’t sure I should take as an inexperienced teacher. Granted, having tenure granted to me hasn’t hurt either, but wouldn’t it be nice to not have that cloud looming over my head raining on a good idea because you’re not sure it will work?
Not only has the program enlightened me as a teacher in the classroom, it has also helped me see things with a broader view. In the past, decisions that were made about budgets, scheduling, staff, etc. were good complaint topics, but now I see myself asking, “What would I do if I had to make the same decisions?” When this happens and tough decisions are made, I have a better appreciation for what goes into the final decision and realize just how difficult it may be for someone.
By gaining this knowledge through my coursework, I’ve received priceless professional development to use a teacher and as an administrator. I often tell people now; if you want to get a better understanding of why things are the way they are and become a better teacher, take administrative courses. Even if you don’t want to cross over to the “Dark Side” completely, seeing what it’s all about can sure help enlighten the side you are on now.
