Leading by Listening: Fostering Trust to Unite and Uplift a School

How principals can actively build relational trust with all stakeholders, emphasize open communication, lead by integrity, and create inclusive environments where a shared school vision can thrive.

When I first started teaching, the principal I worked for had a solution for handling almost all behavior problems - keeping students focused and participating in their SFA (Success for All) reading program. The school I was hired at was a large K-5 building with up to 700 students, over 90% on free/reduced lunch and mostly Hispanic and a high percent of non-English speaking. The big focus “THE WHY” was making sure every student learned to read.

As a brand new teacher fresh out of college, I was assigned to teach two 90-minute blocks of the SFA phonics and phonemic awareness curriculum. The principal would stop by my room at least twice a week and ask me point blank - is everyone doing their SFA work and working to their greatest potential? He expected complete honesty. His policy was that any student goofing off or not participating in SFA, even in kindergarten, would have to sit out recess. He would take down names of kids I reported and pull them aside for a talk, reminding them they needed to do their work. If they still didn't get with the program after that, the assistant principal would call home. And if that didn't work, there would be a big meeting with the parents.

The principal focused on enforcing even minor infractions when it came to SFA participation. He told me my job was to teach, his was discipline. Even sitting out recess was directed by him or the AP. His philosophy was that when teachers have to play disciplinarian, it can undermine the student-teacher relationship. He and the AP handled all consequences so we could build trust.

Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

It's clear my first principal was a fan of Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His entire leadership approach embodied so many of Covey's principles. He was proactive in tackling and tracking issues like class participation and discipline before they became major problems. He began with the end goal of student reading proficiency for every child in mind, providing supports like two SFA blocks to reach it. SFA structures became first priorities that all other tasks oriented around. 

He sought win-win solutions benefiting both teachers and students. The principal always listened first to understand teacher experiences non-judgmentally. His collaborative discipline system united administrators and teachers in synergy. And he gave us tools to sharpen our skills and prevent burnout.

By living those 7 habits, my first principal created optimal conditions for teachers to be effective. His leadership philosophy showed the wisdom of grounding schools in research-backed frameworks like SFA and timeless principles like Covey's. The immense impact on me as a new teacher reveals the incredible influence an administrator guided by trust, vision and empowerment can have. I strive to model that same supportive, empowering approach with my own students.

The principal and the AP are the disciplinarians period. 

The principal went into great detail about the importance of separating teaching and disciplining. His goal was student success, and his belief was that if teachers have to do extensive disciplining beyond normal classroom management, it kills trust and relationships. I've found his wisdom to be so true given limited time and large class sizes. 

Setting that separation, with the principal and assistant principal as the enforcers and teachers freed to just teach, is incredibly powerful. Having administrators handle all consequences let us build strong bonds with students. With discipline off our plates, we could focus energy on encouraging students' growth and unlocking their potential. 

I now see how disciplining as a teacher can undermine the student-teacher dynamic critical for learning. The principal created an environment optimized for academic achievement by handling discipline himself. That model allowed us to be advocates for our students, not adversaries. I strive to build the same trust and community in my classroom. But without administrative support handling discipline, it's an uphill battle.

I was amazed to see even my self-contained special ed students learning to decode using SFA. The program's classroom management and cooperative learning structures prevented most behavior issues from arising. The whole school followed consistent routines thanks to SFA. As a first year teacher with no special ed training, having this framework in place was invaluable. Between the structured SFA transitions, Kagan cooperative learning strategies, and administration fully supporting student participation, we had almost no serious discipline problems. Just by focusing on enforcing those small SFA expectations, the principal headed off bigger issues before they surfaced. Twice a week when the principal came around with his check-ins, it drove home the importance of every student actively participating in their SFA lessons and homework. I'm grateful I had that experience starting out.

Today I have endless frustration compared to my early experiences using SFA, where I was 100% supported by my principal. The SFA management practices made a hugely positive impact on my students and shaped me as a teacher. But without that framework now, it’s so much harder to implement what I know works.

Having to be the disciplinarian when my first principal warned against it damages relationships and trust, like he said. Trying to teach large classes without the extra support staff and small group models SFA mandated/provided undermines the outcomes I strive for, especially with high-needs special ed students.

It’s a testament to what works that I’ve continued using Kagan strategies and SFA transitions to make the biggest impact I can. And it’s fantastic my students have consistently outperformed on state benchmarks in reading and math. But having administrators unwilling to re-implement proven programs like SFA widely is frustrating. I understand why those factors make me reconsider teaching, despite my dedication and success.

You make an excellent point - when teachers are forced into the primary disciplinarian role, it can sabotage the tranquility, trust and harmony in the classroom. It builds animosity and division between teachers and students. A wise principal aims to ensure the primary job of teachers is to teach, not constantly discipline. Some thoughts on this:

- Disciplining students requires administrators' active partnership and support, so teachers can focus on instruction and relationship-building.

- Overburdened teachers trying to manage all discipline issues on their own often results in punitive dynamics that breed resentment.

- Consistent discipline from principals/admin allows teachers to be seen as advocates and partners helping students succeed.

- Teachers empowered to teach without an adversarial disciplinarian role can foster inclusive classrooms built on trust.

- Administrative discipline backing is key to preventing teacher burnout, exhaustion and students viewing teachers negatively.  

- Principals undertaking the "heavy lifting" of enforcement preserves teacher-student bonds critical for academic growth.

- Proactive principals establish school-wide discipline systems that prevent issues arising, rather than reactionary punishments after the fact.

In summary, dividing/separating discipline duties from teaching is crucial so teachers can preserve positivity, tranquility, and build relationships. It takes principals' pro-active partnership to create success.

Today's school administrators and principals have zero trust in teachers to make academic decisions, curriculum choices, and determine what is in students' best interests. Yet they take a hands-off approach to discipline, consequences, dealing with parents, and creating a positive environment. 

Current principals relinquish their leadership role in upholding student conduct and managing parent relationships. This leaves teachers overwhelmed trying to teach, discipline, contact parents, and mend conflicts alone. It breeds an adversarial dynamic that sabotages trust and community. 

Unlike my first principal who shielded teachers from disciplinary duties, many today provide little support facing unmotivated students and irate parents. They unempower teachers with no curriculum input, then abandon them as sole disciplinarians and community liaisons. This contradictory approach undermines teachers' primary role of effective instruction. 

Teachers need autonomy over academics paired with administrative discipline backing. Without both in balance, school culture and student success suffer. Principal support handling disciplinary tasks is essential so that teachers can focus on relationship-building and unlocking every child's potential.

My hope is by continuing to advocate and share my experience, I might slowly shift perspectives. But it’s exhausting when expertise goes unheeded. Whatever I decide, I know my commitment has made a lasting difference for many students over the years. When I leave teaching, I've earned the right to pass the baton proudly.

- The Foundation of Trust: How a Principal Cultivates a Thriving School Culture

- Building Bonds, Not Barriers: A Teacher's Guide to Trust and Community  

- Leading by Listening: Fostering Trust to Unite and Uplift a School

- From My Door to Yours: A Principal's Journey to Trust and Collaboration

- Investing in Relationships: How Trust and Communication Create Vibrant Schools

- The Heart of the School: Principles for Principals on Trust, Teamwork and Culture

- From Top-Down to Inside-Out: Leading Through Trust not Fear 

- The Unifying Power of Trust: Bringing Together Students, Teachers and Community

- Earning Trust to Inspire Growth: A Principal's Role in Nurturing Untapped Potential

- Leading by Example: Modeling Openness and Integrity to Build School Trust

- The Ripple Effect: How a Principal's Trust Impacts the Wider School Community

Food for Thought:

- SFA provided crucial classroom management structures and rules, small group instruction, and administrative discipline support the author still draws from over 20 years later.

- Being forced into an adversarial disciplinarian role can damage teacher-student relationships and undermine learning environments. 

- Research-backed programs like SFA need whole-school implementation and ongoing administrative support to achieve transformative results.

- Even dedicated, high-achieving teachers can be driven to leave the profession without adequate support and input into teaching conditions.

- The author's narrative presents a powerful case study in how proven teaching frameworks shape educator identity and effectiveness over entire careers.

- Structured collaboration between administrators and teachers is key to unlocking the potential of programs like SFA to close achievement gaps.

Here are some of the key ways Success for All (SFA) uses classroom management strategies like Kagan cooperative learning and structured transitions:

- Transitions - When transitioning between classes or activities in SFA, students move silently in single file lines. They carry materials needed for the next task, like SFA folders or books. With hundreds of students changing classes, halls remain quiet and distraction-free.

- Cooperative Learning - SFA incorporates Kagan structured cooperation models like Think-Pair-Share and Timed Pair Share into lessons. Students work in partner pairs or teams, allowing more individual practice and accountability. Roles are assigned like Reader, Coach, Recorder to keep all students engaged. 

- Consistent Routines - SFA establishes consistent rules and procedures for common tasks. For example, students know how to get the class’ attention by raising their hands and waiting for the teacher’s signal. There are set routines for cleaning up, lining up, passing out papers, etc. This schoolwide consistency creates an orderly tranquil environment.

- Positive Narration - Teachers give frequent positive feedback describing desired behaviors. “I like how Jenny is sitting quietly.” This reinforces expectations without constantly correcting students.  

- Signals and Visual Cues - Non-verbal signals help maintain student focus. Teachers play specific sounds like chimes to signal transition times. Visual cues like hand gestures and posters provide reminders of rules and procedures.

- Immediate Engagement - SFA lessons start by engaging students right away. Teachers begin by posing a question, previewing objectives, or reviewing key concepts. This grabs student attention and sets the tone for learning.

By teaching in an organized, consistent way, SFA provides the classroom management backbone. This allows teachers to focus more on academics and building relationships.