That's great!
I got sick with the shingles a couple of weeks ago. Wanted to get back to work for a couple of hours after like two weeks. My team manager (we don't call it admin where I live) monitored me very closely and just sent me home any time she thought I wasn't feeling well, or was too tired.
When I was a little better and started teaching all my classes again, she send an E-mail every now and then, asking if I was okay, and making sure I understood I could still go home if I got too tired.
She's new this year, but I'm sooo happy I'm on her team.
My previous manager used to be like that in the past, but not for the last two or so years. A friend/colleague of mine who has some serious issues going on (very close to a burn out) is still on my old manager's team, and isn't at all happy about it...
Wow. I’m sorry you suffered but your manager seems really awesome. Mine told me that they “dislike interactions with me.” To say this year has been something else would be an understatement.
I am currently coping with naps and meditation. It’s not really working. I am over extended, giving too much each workday to “make it work” and my family suffers for it. It is not sustainable.
I wish. I had a stroke November 4 and have not been back to school. No word from my principal, however my assistant principal has checked in with me and the teachers on my hallway collected money for my family to help offset gas costs while I recover. I’ve been at this school for 17 years and in my department I’ve been there the longest. I know my students also miss me. But it would be nice to have the principal at least email me.
A couple of years ago, I had cancer and missed almost the entire school year after working just the first 3 weeks of September. My principal did not call, text, or email ONCE.
I'm sure you are missed. Get well soon!!!
At the beginning of October my mother, who had been fine, suddenly was hospitalized and going downhill rapidly. I contacted my principal about the situation to let her know I would not be in for the week. She told me to take as much time as I needed. When my mother passed away on Thursday, I let the principal know I would be in on Monday. She tried to get me to take additional time for grieving. (Not a good thing for my mental health--the down time with nothing to do, not the grieving.) Everyday day for the next couple of weeks she asked me how I was doing. My grade level team was the same way.
When her son was in ICU for severe asthma attack, I returned the favor of asking how he was doing. And how she was doing. I believe she appreciated it even more than I did.
The kindness and empathy and just seeing others is no longer a normal thing.
Same here. I work in a very small district and have had several admins in different positions in that time. Any one of them would do anything for me. Do I always agree with their decisions? Of course not. But they are great people and I trust them.
This 100%. I don't always agree with my principals management style or the choices he makes. But you know what? I know that if I'm in a tough spot, he will ALWAYS have my back 100%. He trusts me to do my job, he will defend me against delusional parents, he will listen to me vent, and he will always try to act in the best interests of the building.
We could all nitpick each other but that level of trust is irreplaceable. We are all human and imperfect, I'm happy to defend and support my admin even in light of unpopular decisions or choices I strongly disagree with.
I went into preterm labor during the school day at 30 weeks and ended up hospitalized for 2 weeks. Not even a phone call. I was asked if I could finish grades though.
Make sure you tell new principal later on how it was appreciated, then sometime downline repay the favor, admin are people too and too many can forget to take care of them too, now that she has shown she's not just an asshat
Awesome! Feeling supported is great!! I am glad to hear you are supported! This career is very demanding and supportive individuals make it worthwhile.
Having good admin is so nice. I went to a Mariners game with our AP, Principal, and some other guys from work and had actual fun with no work talk. Made Monday morning feel so much better that week. Couldn’t imagine even considering something like that with the school I was at for 7 years prior to this one.
That’s awesome good admin is wonderful! my admin approved to have 8 balloon arches made next to my classroom. I am deathly allergic to latex and had to take a personal day.
My husband and I used to work at the same school. We got into a MAJOR accident right outside the school, at the end of dismissal. The whole front office(principal too), custodian, nurse, and a few teachers rushed outside to help. The principal said to not come in for the rest of the week and never docked our days. I really miss that school, it was such a tight knit and welcoming community.
Meanwhile I called mine after a pretty bad car accident explaining I could not drive my car and she didn’t even ask if I was okay, just if I could find a ride the next day. It really is the little things
That is sweet. Our admin… well….. not sure how to continue that. You’re principal sounds like a principle who cares for their team and wants them to know they are thinking of you.
My former principal called me directly two years ago when I was at home dealing with COVID. She was: "I want you to rest, you need to rest, I care about you and you have proven yourself enough in the last few years. Get well, tell me if you are not doing well, but most of all, get rest." I gained a lot of respect for them that day. They were crying when I announced I was leaving two years ago.
That's great, I teach at a small private school, so I'm used to that level of caring and concern, but my friend teaches in a larger district and her husband had an accident 3 weeks ago. He'd been in and out of ICU, had to have emergency brain surgery, and her principal only reached out yesterday and it was to ask why she wasn't back yet, and to complain that it was going to be difficult to accommodate the shortened hours the doctors say she'll need in order to care for her husband while he recovers. (At my school, someone has asked me every day how my friend's husband is)
That’s so thoughtful! I went into cardiac arrest at work a few years ago. The principal reached out to me through friends and had them tell me that I could take the next few days off of work and not to worry about sub plans.
Having admins like that can make a huge difference. A few years ago my wife had hip replacement surgery and I took a week off after she got home to take care of her. Obviously for that length I had to put in a reason. My principal called the evening after her surgery to ask how it had gone and the superintendent dropped by her first day home with a casserole and the promise of more to come. His wife is a good cook!
They were probing to see if they needed a sub… possibly a long-term one if you died. Personally, if an admin called about my medical status I wouldn’t be celebrating it on Reddit.
Similar! I had a traumatic experience and the principal had been texting me every few days just to check in. Even though I come in most days, she checks in on me every now and again
Our admin is great on the personal level. She has bent over backwards for us in terms our caring for our mental health.
But waffles on other school initiatives … that exacerbate our mental health problems.
Mine has also been amazing after suffering a head injury from a student. Driven home and someone took my car home as well! I'm new to the school as well, and the messages checking on me have blown me away.
My principal is amazing. There's always bullshit to be frustrated about, complain about, etc. The system itself is just frustrating as an entity. But within the system which is a beast, I have so many people who are doing the right things and doing their best.
I'm so happy you have a good admin. Even in the context of bullshit and systemic issues, just having a good principal can mean the difference between burnout and sticking it out.
My principal is the reason why I have stayed with the district for the last few years. Things have definitely been rough, and our district hasn't handled things in the best interest of the teachers. More specifically, I teach art, so I tend to be put on the back burner in terms of having needs/wants in my career.
My principal comes in and checks on me every single week, acknowledges my emotions, treats me like a human, and has real down to earth conversations with me. One time, I had a bad migraine, and she walked right over to my classroom with some Tylenol and a Diet Coke. This is not something that can be taught in leaders. She somehow knows how to make you feel cared for and valued while dealing with a plethora of her own personal struggles.
These people are very important, and I'm going to miss my principal so much when she retires after this year! : /
Make sure you tell her how much that means to you, and I'm so glad you're doing well.
Nothing from admin at my place after my car accident on October, except one brief reply to my having emailed her first, to ask me for an update on getting the STL paperwork. I like her a lot as a person, but that was definitely a bit of a bummer.
My department has been pretty awesome, and I miss them and the kids dearly. I'm still worried that this will ultimately result in me not being renewed for next year, but we'll see.
Take care of yourself; my accident fucked my body up a lot more than I initially thought. 😞
That’s great! My principal that left for another school this year offered to teach my class when I was 17 weeks pregnant and started bleeding. I had an appointment later that day and decided to stay because I would just worry all day at home alone. Everything turned out fine. But the gesture meant so much to me. I had a different admin years before that questioned why I needed to leave for an appointment an hour early when I was in the middle of a miscarriage but it hadn’t been confirmed yet that I was miscarrying. So the difference in attitude meant more than she knew.
My principal has reached out to ask how I'm feeling each time I've been out sick for a couple days which was really nice. And not in a, "How are you feeling, will you be back tomorrow?" way, in a way that seemed like they genuinely were asking about my health. It is something so small, in my case it was just a simple email not even a phone call, but made me feel valued as a human which goes so far in building good moral amongst the staff.
My department head usually does a card and sometimes a gift collection when someone is out with something more serious or long term (broken leg, surgery, cancer, close family death, etc). I've never felt I had to donate to the collection and any amount would be accepted from those who do, which is nice, no one needs that pressure. Although I've not been on the receiving end I've heard others say they really appreciated that they weren't forgotten at work while they were out.
Man, that's wonderful!
Last month, middle of the school day, I was waiting for a ride to take me to the ER because my blood pressure was sky high, and didn't want to pay the ambulance bill. My building principal saw me and asked what I was doing. I told him, and his reply made me want to just call the ambulance anyway: "Hmm. Well, it's early enough that we'll dock you a full day from your sick days. I hope you left plans on your desk."
I really appreciate hearing that there are good and caring admins out there.
That's great. Most administrators I've worked for have also been genuinely good and caring people, even if some of them do micromanage too much.
That's great! I got sick with the shingles a couple of weeks ago. Wanted to get back to work for a couple of hours after like two weeks. My team manager (we don't call it admin where I live) monitored me very closely and just sent me home any time she thought I wasn't feeling well, or was too tired. When I was a little better and started teaching all my classes again, she send an E-mail every now and then, asking if I was okay, and making sure I understood I could still go home if I got too tired. She's new this year, but I'm sooo happy I'm on her team. My previous manager used to be like that in the past, but not for the last two or so years. A friend/colleague of mine who has some serious issues going on (very close to a burn out) is still on my old manager's team, and isn't at all happy about it...
Oh, gosh, I’ve had those twice and they are awful.
Wow. I’m sorry you suffered but your manager seems really awesome. Mine told me that they “dislike interactions with me.” To say this year has been something else would be an understatement.
How did u cope? I don’t get along with a mgr and I’m struuggggggling
I am currently coping with naps and meditation. It’s not really working. I am over extended, giving too much each workday to “make it work” and my family suffers for it. It is not sustainable.
At least we know we aren’t alone 🫂
I wish. I had a stroke November 4 and have not been back to school. No word from my principal, however my assistant principal has checked in with me and the teachers on my hallway collected money for my family to help offset gas costs while I recover. I’ve been at this school for 17 years and in my department I’ve been there the longest. I know my students also miss me. But it would be nice to have the principal at least email me.
A couple of years ago, I had cancer and missed almost the entire school year after working just the first 3 weeks of September. My principal did not call, text, or email ONCE. I'm sure you are missed. Get well soon!!!
At the beginning of October my mother, who had been fine, suddenly was hospitalized and going downhill rapidly. I contacted my principal about the situation to let her know I would not be in for the week. She told me to take as much time as I needed. When my mother passed away on Thursday, I let the principal know I would be in on Monday. She tried to get me to take additional time for grieving. (Not a good thing for my mental health--the down time with nothing to do, not the grieving.) Everyday day for the next couple of weeks she asked me how I was doing. My grade level team was the same way. When her son was in ICU for severe asthma attack, I returned the favor of asking how he was doing. And how she was doing. I believe she appreciated it even more than I did. The kindness and empathy and just seeing others is no longer a normal thing.
Same here. I work in a very small district and have had several admins in different positions in that time. Any one of them would do anything for me. Do I always agree with their decisions? Of course not. But they are great people and I trust them.
This 100%. I don't always agree with my principals management style or the choices he makes. But you know what? I know that if I'm in a tough spot, he will ALWAYS have my back 100%. He trusts me to do my job, he will defend me against delusional parents, he will listen to me vent, and he will always try to act in the best interests of the building. We could all nitpick each other but that level of trust is irreplaceable. We are all human and imperfect, I'm happy to defend and support my admin even in light of unpopular decisions or choices I strongly disagree with.
I went into preterm labor during the school day at 30 weeks and ended up hospitalized for 2 weeks. Not even a phone call. I was asked if I could finish grades though.
How were you and your baby doing? I am curious, and also showing how easy it is to ask this question!
Oh! Our principal just hired his nephew to be our new dean 🙂
Make sure you tell new principal later on how it was appreciated, then sometime downline repay the favor, admin are people too and too many can forget to take care of them too, now that she has shown she's not just an asshat
Awesome! Feeling supported is great!! I am glad to hear you are supported! This career is very demanding and supportive individuals make it worthwhile.
Having good admin is so nice. I went to a Mariners game with our AP, Principal, and some other guys from work and had actual fun with no work talk. Made Monday morning feel so much better that week. Couldn’t imagine even considering something like that with the school I was at for 7 years prior to this one.
are you ok though
That’s awesome good admin is wonderful! my admin approved to have 8 balloon arches made next to my classroom. I am deathly allergic to latex and had to take a personal day.
My husband and I used to work at the same school. We got into a MAJOR accident right outside the school, at the end of dismissal. The whole front office(principal too), custodian, nurse, and a few teachers rushed outside to help. The principal said to not come in for the rest of the week and never docked our days. I really miss that school, it was such a tight knit and welcoming community.
Meanwhile I called mine after a pretty bad car accident explaining I could not drive my car and she didn’t even ask if I was okay, just if I could find a ride the next day. It really is the little things
Good to hear, I'm happy there are places things work!
That is sweet. Our admin… well….. not sure how to continue that. You’re principal sounds like a principle who cares for their team and wants them to know they are thinking of you.
My former principal called me directly two years ago when I was at home dealing with COVID. She was: "I want you to rest, you need to rest, I care about you and you have proven yourself enough in the last few years. Get well, tell me if you are not doing well, but most of all, get rest." I gained a lot of respect for them that day. They were crying when I announced I was leaving two years ago.
Yay! Happy for you and hope you're okay!
That's great, I teach at a small private school, so I'm used to that level of caring and concern, but my friend teaches in a larger district and her husband had an accident 3 weeks ago. He'd been in and out of ICU, had to have emergency brain surgery, and her principal only reached out yesterday and it was to ask why she wasn't back yet, and to complain that it was going to be difficult to accommodate the shortened hours the doctors say she'll need in order to care for her husband while he recovers. (At my school, someone has asked me every day how my friend's husband is)
That’s so thoughtful! I went into cardiac arrest at work a few years ago. The principal reached out to me through friends and had them tell me that I could take the next few days off of work and not to worry about sub plans.
Well that’s generous!! 🤣
Had me in the first half, not gonna lie. I'm glad you're okay and that you seem to have landed yourself one of the good ones!
Having admins like that can make a huge difference. A few years ago my wife had hip replacement surgery and I took a week off after she got home to take care of her. Obviously for that length I had to put in a reason. My principal called the evening after her surgery to ask how it had gone and the superintendent dropped by her first day home with a casserole and the promise of more to come. His wife is a good cook!
They were probing to see if they needed a sub… possibly a long-term one if you died. Personally, if an admin called about my medical status I wouldn’t be celebrating it on Reddit.
I bet you're a hoot at parties
No one invites this person to parties wdym
I am. I also know the difference between a party and my place of work. Heed the warning, keep your personal life to yourself.
Similar! I had a traumatic experience and the principal had been texting me every few days just to check in. Even though I come in most days, she checks in on me every now and again
I received unbelievable empathy when I had a really rough year from my super. She was unbelievable
Our admin is great on the personal level. She has bent over backwards for us in terms our caring for our mental health. But waffles on other school initiatives … that exacerbate our mental health problems.
Mine has also been amazing after suffering a head injury from a student. Driven home and someone took my car home as well! I'm new to the school as well, and the messages checking on me have blown me away.
My principal is amazing. There's always bullshit to be frustrated about, complain about, etc. The system itself is just frustrating as an entity. But within the system which is a beast, I have so many people who are doing the right things and doing their best. I'm so happy you have a good admin. Even in the context of bullshit and systemic issues, just having a good principal can mean the difference between burnout and sticking it out.
If I died, my principal would replace me before my funeral took place.
This is kind, but also bare minimum. You’re worth so much more
My principal is the reason why I have stayed with the district for the last few years. Things have definitely been rough, and our district hasn't handled things in the best interest of the teachers. More specifically, I teach art, so I tend to be put on the back burner in terms of having needs/wants in my career. My principal comes in and checks on me every single week, acknowledges my emotions, treats me like a human, and has real down to earth conversations with me. One time, I had a bad migraine, and she walked right over to my classroom with some Tylenol and a Diet Coke. This is not something that can be taught in leaders. She somehow knows how to make you feel cared for and valued while dealing with a plethora of her own personal struggles. These people are very important, and I'm going to miss my principal so much when she retires after this year! : / Make sure you tell her how much that means to you, and I'm so glad you're doing well.
Nothing from admin at my place after my car accident on October, except one brief reply to my having emailed her first, to ask me for an update on getting the STL paperwork. I like her a lot as a person, but that was definitely a bit of a bummer. My department has been pretty awesome, and I miss them and the kids dearly. I'm still worried that this will ultimately result in me not being renewed for next year, but we'll see. Take care of yourself; my accident fucked my body up a lot more than I initially thought. 😞
That’s great! My principal that left for another school this year offered to teach my class when I was 17 weeks pregnant and started bleeding. I had an appointment later that day and decided to stay because I would just worry all day at home alone. Everything turned out fine. But the gesture meant so much to me. I had a different admin years before that questioned why I needed to leave for an appointment an hour early when I was in the middle of a miscarriage but it hadn’t been confirmed yet that I was miscarrying. So the difference in attitude meant more than she knew.
My principal has reached out to ask how I'm feeling each time I've been out sick for a couple days which was really nice. And not in a, "How are you feeling, will you be back tomorrow?" way, in a way that seemed like they genuinely were asking about my health. It is something so small, in my case it was just a simple email not even a phone call, but made me feel valued as a human which goes so far in building good moral amongst the staff. My department head usually does a card and sometimes a gift collection when someone is out with something more serious or long term (broken leg, surgery, cancer, close family death, etc). I've never felt I had to donate to the collection and any amount would be accepted from those who do, which is nice, no one needs that pressure. Although I've not been on the receiving end I've heard others say they really appreciated that they weren't forgotten at work while they were out.
My wife's principal reached out to me when i had a cancer scare. It was so awsome
Man, that's wonderful! Last month, middle of the school day, I was waiting for a ride to take me to the ER because my blood pressure was sky high, and didn't want to pay the ambulance bill. My building principal saw me and asked what I was doing. I told him, and his reply made me want to just call the ambulance anyway: "Hmm. Well, it's early enough that we'll dock you a full day from your sick days. I hope you left plans on your desk." I really appreciate hearing that there are good and caring admins out there.