In an article from the March/April issue of Principal magazine the author brings to the surface a thought-provoking topic..... He says that when principals refer to their school’s faculty as “my teachers” it sends a negative message to teachers that they are not respected as professionals. The author, Eric Glover, says that principals should move away from using this phrase because it is inappropriate in most cases. “My teachers" is shorter and quicker to say than "the teachers with whom I work" or "the teachers in our school” Glover contends. “The problem is that rather than serving as a title of respect, ‘my teachers’ may be interpreted by teachers as a symbol of the power that a principal holds over them.”
Do you believe that using the term “my teachers” is condescending to your faculty? Are teachers being too sensitive, or is this a valid argument?
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3 comments:
I am not offended by it at all. After all, she in my principal. She belongs to me. Right?
I agree with you both. I think that if the principal or administrator had a relationship with their teachers that was very collegial and collaborative then the comment would not be considered offensive.
On the other hand, if the principal is a "dictator" or "know it all" I think that the comment would be very condescending to the faculty as a whole.
Sticking with this theme...Ask yourself whether you see the staff as a family or a community... They should see themselves as a community of learners. This supports and fosters professionalism.
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