I vividly recall a visit from a district leader where we discussed our school’s needs and conducted a routine walkthrough. When all the analysis was done, one recommendation resonated above all others: I needed to be in classrooms significantly more often to move our instructional vision along.
I remember the immediate defensiveness. My mind raced with the countless operational duties, the administrative backlog, and the constant crises that prohibited me from visiting classrooms. I thought, “She has no idea what it’s like being a principal.”
It wasn’t until a year or two later, following persistent low test scores, that a consultant delivered the same crucial message, using logic I couldn’t ignore: When you are not in classrooms, you are relying on assumptions that your teachers are doing the best they can. Very often, they do not know what their best could look like. Furthermore, based on efficacy theory by Bandura, people find more purpose in their work and are more prone to reflect when they receive clear, meaningful feedback.
This was a blind spot for me, as I rarely received feedback as a teacher; I was left to my own devices. Luckily, I had a ton of passion to make a difference. Poor test scores to me were feedback that my instruction fell short; if students didn’t grasp concepts, I changed things up. What I realized through my career in education, however, is that not everyone is like that. Plus, when you hit an instructional wall and are unable to make progress, it’s easy to fall into a fixed mindset and begin blaming external factors. Principals and Assistant Principals often get caught up in the day-to-day, but instructional leadership must be the priority.
Here are five false assumptions that prevent leaders from being where they need to be:
5 False Assumptions Why Leaders Avoid Classrooms
1. “Teachers should have autonomy and figure things out themselves. Their jobe is difficult enough.” With today’s complex curricula and the wide range of learners in every classroom, coupled with how much we have learned about educating children, there are always opportunities for teachers to improve. Yes, teaching is a difficult job, leaving them to figure it out on their own makes their job even more difficult. Limited feedback and support leaves the problem-solving solely in their hands. While some teachers hold themselves to high expectations, the problem-solving process should not be done in isolation because there is always an idea or concept they don’t know they don’t know. A collaborative perspective is vital.
2. “There are so many other high-priority things to do.” While the list of administrative tasks will always be long, based on my own experience and research, improving instruction is vital to improving student performance and student learning. We must constantly ask: How many of the items on my list could be shifted into the hands of another staff member as an opportunity to develop other leaders in the school? Will the task be done perfectly? Figure out if “perfect” is necessary at this point in your tenure. Perhaps “perfect enough” can be met through the coaching and development of your staff member.
3. “There is a certain number of times you should visit a classroom per month.” This assumption could not be further from the truth. Providing regular, low-stakes feedback offers immediate opportunities to help teachers problem-solve the improvements we want to see. It also ensures the curriculum is being delivered consistently and reliably. Anyone who actively resists your presence in the classroom is likely hiding something or is not philosophically aligned with what you believe effective instruction should look like. Eventually, you will need to have an honest conversation about what’s best for the students. I promise, learning is on the other side of that discussion.
4. “I’m not the content expert of the subject being taught.” This feeling is understandable; it’s overwhelming to feel responsible for mastering every subject. But you must let go of the pressure to compensate for four years of college-level subject training. Instead, get clear about what high engagement looks like and help the teacher achieve 100% engagement. You can provide high-leverage support by focusing on universal teaching moves: setting up student learning, improving transitions, building student perseverance, organizing productive group work and discussion, and accurately assessing learning. You do not need to know physics or calculus to give that level of support.
5. “Coaches, lead teachers, and consultants visit means leaders do not have to visit as much.” Coaches’ support can be rejected, ignored, or dismally embraced. Leadership support, however, comes with a higher level of accountability; a level of accountability that has urgency embedded in it. Support from instructional coaches, consultants, and lead teachers should be reinforcing the improvements you and the teacher have agreed to, ensuring that progress is accomplished systematically.
The Urgency of Leadership Presence: Prioritizing Instruction
Assuming, or even depending on, teachers to figure out how to be a more effective teacher on their own has a low percentage of success. That is where the leader comes in. With regular, specific feedback, which is feedback that is clear, achievable, and tied to student outcomes, teachers will improve. Your presence transforms accountability from an abstract concept into a supportive, developmental process.
Teaching will not improve if administrators are not consistently present in the classrooms. Your role is to serve as the Chief Instructional Officer, and that requires a daily audit of your priorities.
Start making instructional leadership the priority right now by applying a three-pronged test to every non-instructional task that lands on your desk:
- Does this have to be done now? Challenge the urgency. If the task can wait until after school or the next morning, prioritize classroom visibility during instructional time.
- Is there someone else who could take this and run with it? Invest in delegation. This is not avoidance; it is an active opportunity to develop the capacity and leadership skills of a staff member. It is the long-term solution to administrative overload.
- Is there a system that can address this? Build sustainable infrastructure. Many daily interruptions—from discipline issues to supply requests—can be managed more efficiently by implementing clear, standardized protocols, freeing up your time for instructional leadership.
Get out of the office and get into the classrooms. Your presence is the single most powerful lever for moving the instructional vision of your school forward.