Everyone wants to make a good impression on their boss, and teachers are no different.  Whether you are new to a school or have worked there for years, it’s never a bad idea to try to impress your principal.  Here are some simple ways to impress your principal.

Why Should You Want to Impress Your Principal?

If you are a new or nontenured teacher at a school, it’s obvious that you should try to impress your principal (because you want to keep your job!).  However, even if you have worked at a school forever and have already achieved tenure, it’s still a good idea to work hard to impress your principal.  Even if you cannot lose your job, your principal still has control over many aspects of your working life.  He or she decides what grade you will teach, how many students are in your class, what kinds of resources you can access, and many other things.  In addition, you probably want to have a reputation as an effective, hard-working teacher who does everything you can for your students.  All of these ways to impress your principal will help with that as well (and help you be the best teacher you can be!).

Be on Time

I know you have heard this one before, but that’s because it is super important.  Schools run on schedules.  If one person does not stick to the schedule, it can mess up LOTS of other people in the school.  For example, if you are 5 minutes late to a meeting, the others attending just wasted 5 minutes of their time or the next meeting may start 5 minutes late.  Or if you show up to work 20 minutes late, it means someone else needs to be supervising your kids during that time.  To impress your principal (and be kind to your coworkers), make sure you are on time for EVERYTHING.

Be Friendly

It is SO EASY to just be friendly when you are at work.  This is the simplest way to make a good impression on others.  Say good morning.  Smile.  Ask how your coworkers are doing.  Not only will this make YOU feel happier at work, it will impress your principal because you will have a positive effect on the school’s climate.  And as you probably know, every principal (and teacher, for that matter) wants a happy vibe in their school.

Act Like a Professional

Now this might seem obvious, but not everyone acts like a professional.  Sometimes as teachers, we can get to complacent with our professionalism.  This does not make a good impression.  So, make sure you are dressing, speaking, and acting professional at all times.  If you would not want something shown on the five o clock news, then you shouldn’t be doing it at school.

Follow Directions

It can be so simple to follow your principal’s directions, but so many teachers don’t do it.  This means that if the principal asks you to post something in your classroom, take the 30 seconds to tape it on the wall.  If the principal says to bring certain materials to a meeting, bring those things.  By simply following directions (which is something we expect our students to do, right?!?), you are sure to impress your principal.

Respond to Feedback

Principals give feedback for one main reason: to help you improve your teaching.  It’s your job to respond to that feedback, which you should WANT to do anyways because it will make you a better teacher.  For example, if your principal observes a lesson and suggests that Joey might need a desk by himself because he was distracting others, give it a try (and if it doesn’t work, you can always switch back).  I know that I am sometimes hesitant to try suggestions from my principal, but oftentimes I am surprised by how effective they are.  If you want to impress your principal, give their suggestions a try…you may even like it!

Teach Manners

So, I believe teaching kids manners is an important goal in and of itself, but it has the added benefit of impressing others who come to your classroom.  For example, you can teach your students to say “Good morning, Mr./Mrs. _______” when an adult they know comes into the room.  You are teaching them to be polite and friendly, as well as making a good impression whenever someone comes to your classroom.  (It also puts administrators in a good mood, which is helpful if they’re doing an evaluation or something of the sort!)

I hope you have learned some helpful tips about how to impress your principal in this post.  Now, go and put them into practice!  Do you have any other good suggestions about how to impress your principal?  If so, please leave a comment below!  Still have questions or concerns?  Click here to send me an email!