One of the most difficult aspects of being a school leader is managing underperforming teachers.
This is one of the most important responsibilities of any principal, and its influence on the team and school is significant. Many school leaders avoid this responsibility, even though it is incredibly important. Unfortunately, many leadership development programs fail to provide the tools and training needed to effectively manage underperforming teachers.
There are things you can do (and should do). You can use these five steps as a set of tools to help you. These are not the only things you can do, but they can help you get started.
Step 1: Investigate
Underperformance can happen in different ways. When you see that a teacher is not performing as they should, the first thing you need to do is figure out why. Sometimes, the teacher doesn’t understand what you expect from them. There may be other unknown elements in their learning environment or in their personal lives that are preventing them from achieving optimal performance. The teacher can provide valuable information if you initiate a conversation with them. Communicate your concerns while being genuinely interested in hearing their side. In most cases, poor performance can be overcome when both sides contribute to the conversation.
Step 2: Communicate
It is not good leadership to only communicate formally with staff on rare occasions. Work expectations should be repeated on a regular basis to avoid any room for misinterpretation. Leaders and teachers should think of communication as an agreement when stating expectations.
Further, it is essential that your communication with your team is continuous. For example, if you tell a staff member about an issue and a possible resolution, be sure to follow up so they are aware the problem has been addressed. If not, they might think all is well and be caught off guard come their annual review time.
Step 3: Rethink
I often have principal colleagues coming to me seeking key skills and strategies necessary for effective staff management. In my experience, every teacher needs to be managed differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. This can create a problem when an underperforming teacher’s preferred method of management is different from their principal’s natural leadership style.
You simply need to rethink how you manage underperforming teachers. What does this teacher need to succeed? Which skills can be developed further to help them meet expectations? Are there any unique qualities that could be highlighted or nurtured more effectively to boost productivity? Considering your teacher in a new light may inspire both of you.
Step 4: Agree
If the teacher agrees to work on meeting the teaching expectations at your school, make a binding agreement for future improvement (this can come in the form of a professional learning plan). Be as specific as possible. This will help to hold both parties accountable and ensure that there is forward momentum.
The teacher will need to set time-bound goals for success. You and the teacher will identify what they must do to accomplish the expectations of being a teacher at your school. You will need to check if the teacher’s performance has improved at each goal touchstone. If it has not, you will have to decide if the strategy needs to be adjusted, or if it is necessary to progress to step 5.
Step 5: Let Go
A principal’s most important decision is whether or not to dismiss teachers who continuously do not meet expectations. Too many leaders, though, let these teachers stay in the same grade or stage instead of dismissing them. Sometimes, teachers do better with a different grade than they initially thought—and that’s okay. However, what we’re talking about here are the situations where, instead of being terminated, teachers are simply given a new class because it’s easier for the school leader.
A teacher who has not done well recently knows they are not performing well. They may be feeling stressed because they are not proud of their work. This can hurt the team and the school. It is better for everyone if the teacher is let go. (A useful analogy to reflect upon: “weeds must be removed from a garden to keep it healthy”.)
A Final Note
Every child deserves quality schooling; every lesson, every day, all year. Not addressing the poor performance of staff members can have a negative ripple effect throughout the school. It’s essential that leaders address staff performance issues as soon as they arise so that the teacher can get back on track and avoid any long-term damage to their career and to student learning. Additionally, it is unfair to other teachers if those who are not meeting expectations are not held accountable.
It can be difficult to let go of an underperforming staff member, but it is important for the sake of the students, other staff, and the school. Leaders need to be willing to terminate teachers who are not meeting expectations in order to maintain a healthy and productive learning environment (and they need to be supported to do so).
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