In education, taking on a leadership role often means leaving daily student interactions behind to guide and direct adults. The decision to step out of the classroom or a direct service role to be an administrator is a big one. There are some leadership opportunities that allow you to lead and continue teaching, but most do not. Serving as an administrator is very different from working directly with students, but it can also be the most rewarding role of your life. How do you know if this career path is right for you?
The best thing you can do is be honest with yourself about what a leadership position entails and whether your strengths align with those responsibilities. To help with your considerations, here’s a transparent breakdown of what you’ll be doing as a school leader:
Leading While Still Teaching
There are often leadership opportunities such as grade-level leader, team leader and department chair roles that keep you teaching or providing direct services. In these cases, you’ll have the opportunity to also take on some leadership responsibilities. These roles are a great way to dip your toes in the leadership water to see how it suits you and how you enjoy it, while not taking you away from students.
There can be downsides to these types of positions, however, namely that it may sometimes feel like all you’ve done is taken more work onto your already heavy workload. You’ll still need to create lesson plans, grade papers and communicate with parents, but now you also have the added responsibility of supporting other teachers.
Leading Adults
Building administration, district curriculum roles and other leadership positions almost always require you to step out of the classroom entirely. They are truly not the same job and do not draw on the same skill sets. If you become an administrator, your role requires you to support, coach, mentor, motivate and inspire others. It draws on your natural teaching instincts for certain, but you will no longer be spending your days planning and executing instruction with students. Leading adults becomes your primary purpose.
For those who are more used to leading kids than adults (i.e. any educator), this transition can be challenging. Inspiring adults to follow your lead is different and more complicated than convincing kids to do the same. And when your expectations aren’t met – which inevitably will happen at some point – you may find yourself feeling more irritated than you would if it had been your students. You expect more from adult professionals, after all. These growing pains often resolve once you gain more time in a leadership role, but that makes them no less challenging to deal with in the beginning.
Leading With Higher Stakes
Taking a leadership role is an important decision – it means that you are no longer responsible for just your success but rather the success of your whole team. You will have the opportunity to set or promote your district’s vision and help others reach their best potential. If teachers are quarterbacks on the field with their students, you are choosing to become the coach on the sideline, still actively involved and responsible, but working through others and ensuring their success.
This can feel intimidating: You are responsible for more but have direct control over less. Instead of just leading a classroom, you are leading an entire school. When you think about it in the abstract, it’s daunting. In those moments, ground yourself in the experience that you bring with you to your leadership. That experience can be the foundation upon which you build your vision. If it’s the act of leading itself that you are insecure about, educate yourself on it. There are many leadership programs and courses you can take to learn, develop and hone those skills.
When you’re deciding what move to make, explore your options and determine which speak to your strengths and passions. If you believe that you can be an ethical, engaged and supportive leader who knows their role is to bring out the best in others, take the advice of American folk singer Guy Clark from his iconic song “The Cape” and know that “life is just a leap of faith, spread your arms and hold your breath, always trust your cape.” Commit to being great and take the leap!
