How to Be the SAME TEACHER When Your Principal Walks In

Hey, Teachers!

Do you change what you're doing, get nervous, or "up your game" all of a sudden when your principal walks in? 😟

You don't have to.

This is that awful dynamic we joke about and see on entertaining social media reels.

But it's not always funny. Because the dog-and-pony show (or something similar) causes stress we really don't need. We're doing a good job in the classroom! That should be evident every single time ANYONE walks in.

Your "prescribed" teacher demeanor and disposition centers on traditional roles you are used to playing in the traditional manager-subordinate relationship of admin to teacher. The topdown authoritative mindset we adhere to says: the principal holds the keys to what's best; determines your fate within your school culture; approves or disapproves of your performance; and is someone whose expectations you should meet because they are the correct ones.

It doesn't have to be this way internally.

You can manipulate all those factors in the predictable and often limited school environment without losing your grounding, goals, integrity, or footing during on-the-fly, unexpected, or scheduled performance evaluations. You can stay centered when the superintendent arrives, if a parent comes in to observe, or your department or grade level chair is asked to take notes about your work.

How?

By addressing your mindset and internal thoughts and dialogue, increasing your self-confidence, and having a plan-of-action (what I call POA). Your plan-of-action is everything when you're trying to avoid being startled by having to show your supervisor "all the good and productive things" you're doing (that you ARE doing daily) in that brief space of time a supervisor visits your room, the football field, or online course.

FIGURE OUT BETTER COPING STRATEGIES. BOOK YOUR FREE DISCOVERY CALL WITH DR. SHEA

To stay centered during principal visits, consider switching up your internal voice and behaviors:

1. Rehearse your personal desired behaviors (instructionally, verbally, emotionally) BEFOREHAND. This means practicing who you are WITH YOUR STUDENTS. The same person you are when it's just you and students in the room should be the same person you are when someone else walks in the room. No need to get flustered or change your tone, movements, pace, or directions if you have a good teaching practice in place. Adopt the mindset that you ARE the teacher and authority of this space.

2. Develop a working relationship with your supervisor that reflects YOUR authority as practitioner, as someone not to be pushed around, as reliable, and strong. This means (even if you're a new teacher and still learning how to do all this) the way you communicate shows self-assuredness, you don't volunteer sharing your mistakes publicly, you ask trusted colleagues for help instead of running to the office, you cry outside of the work environment, you have planned answers for inquiries about your behaviors or decisions, and you study the psychology of your supervisors so you know what to do and say that aligns with those philosophies and ideologies.

3. Prepare your students for supervisor visits (especially with older students). Tell your students how you want them to behave when someone is visiting the classroom. Practice "classroom visit" behaviors, and use this to reinforce the good behaviors you want to see on a daily basis. Designate students to be circle or group leaders.

Students need structural and procedural knowledge and practice. They should be able to articulate simply (regardless of age) what the essential rules and expectations are in your classroom. Call on students periodically to revisit those classroom norms so this becomes familiar territory.

4. Don't do something off-course or radically different in lesson planning or regular routine on a principal visit day. Obviously, surprise visits are unknown, however, even during surprise visits, your students should know how the hour or time-block runs. You want to showcase your best instructional talents and successes in this space of time with a supervisor.

Adding unfamiliar procedural knowledge, taking a risk with a lesson that may throw students off, or including a lesson that doesn't hit all the evaluation framework components is not ideal. If you have notice of the visit, schedule a guest speaker or independent activity for another time. If the "easier day" activity is already going on and there's a surprise visit, get out of your chair, put down the "reading for pleasure" activity, and pull something out that you have planned ahead of time, to showcase more of the essentials your principal wants to see. IT'S ALL ABOUT HAVING A PLAN.

5. Choose material where you are comfortable and expert. If you're a new teacher, you're reading most of the material or curriculum a week ahead of time, if you're lucky, and possibly, the day before. If you're new OR veteran, you still want to showcase your expertise with your students--with curriculum, knowing where you're taking students related to objectives, and in your interactions with students. All of these skills improve over time. But absolutely do NOT choose material that is risky when you are planning for a supervisor visit.

And if it's spur-of-the-moment and students are learning brand new material that may not be best for that surprise visit, you can always redirect students within 5 minutes, and do a re-cap of yesterday's lesson or activity. Cleverly tell students that because Mr. or Mrs. X has just come to visit us today, let's show what we are learning, and have students teach, recall, share projects, or recount lessons from the previous day to augment the current activity that is brand new or shakier ground for a classroom visit.

For younger students, redirecting mid-lesson or midstream is more difficult. But you can always have student work displayed, and make sure it is current. You can direct your supervisor/principal to those awesome work walls, tables, or bookshelves housing "what students just completed". 

Also, BONUS TIP: If you experience a surprise visit, and you're having an issue with a student, avoid making this a huge acknowledgement or you may get dinged in classroom management or worse, in the area of compliance. Don't assume your principal's on your side. Sad, but true.

Always lead with what you are doing to help the student, not how the student's behavior is causing problems in your class--or for you.

Again, SHOWCASE THE STRONG TEACHER YOU ARE. Always.

Your classroom is a positive and thriving learning environment when no one is looking and when someone comes in.

FIGURE OUT BETTER COPING STRATEGIES. BOOK YOUR FREE DISCOVERY CALL WITH DR. SHEA