Communication Boundaries

Leadership Tips from Dr. Korrie White

How to avoid adding unnecessary stress on teachers (Communication Boundaries)

While observing teachers in their classroom settings, there are a couple of observations and conversations that have sparked as a result.

During the instructional day, teachers had several interruptions via classroom phone, intercoms, etc. This is not only distracting to students but also to teachers. It ruins the flow of the classroom instructional environment.

Before interrupting teachers and students during the day, ask yourself (1) Is it important? (2) is it necessary? (3) Can it wait?

Many times, many things can be shared in advance. Take the time as an administrator to meet with your entire administrative team. Discuss details of various needs and events that may come up or be needed for the following week. Create a Monday Memo and try to incorporate as much information as you possibly can in this one document (Ex. Due dates, important announcements, upcoming events, etc.).

During your staff meeting place the ownness on the staff. Let them know in exchange for fewer interruptions, you expect all teachers to check their emails at specific times.

Another suggestion/recommendation: If you have a larger school where various issues may arise all day long (that is another chapter to get your school climate under control) set specific times of the day when you expect your staff to check their mode of communication. If you are an administrator that is in a position where you may need to communicate more frequently, set a specific time during the day that you ask your teachers and staff to check their mode of communication (Group me, emails, etc.). I know a principal that requests teachers to check emails at 7:45 am and 1:00 pm each day. All administrators in the building know to send any information during this time.

An even better idea: If you have multiple people that may need to communicate, why not designate one person to send the communication, so teachers do not have to read and respond to several emails throughout the day.

Parent Communication:

Principals help your teachers to understand that with their help you would like to establish an interruption-free instructional day. Let them know that you as the principal will set the tone and ask parents to contact the office if there are immediate needs or issues with their student during instructional time. We understand teachers take pride in being available and accessible to parents; however, there must be boundaries in place. As leaders, you must help teachers set and maintain boundaries. Ask the teachers to refrain from responding to text messages throughout the day to parents as well as emails. Just like administrators, teachers should set boundaries of specific times so that parents know when to expect their teacher to respond to any type of communication. Parents should be informed in the beginning that at any time there is an emergency, they should contact the main office. Again, we must protect our teachers’ instructional time no matter what.

Finally, Let’s talk about Group me/Remind Apps: Be mindful of the time of day (after hours) you and other school leaders are sending messages. Everyone needs boundaries. As administrators, we tend to work 24/7 (weekends included). Know that this is your choice, but it may not be the healthiest choice (another chapter/blog). Sending long group texts at 8:00 pm on a Sunday night may not be the best time for your staff. This can cause a great deal of anxiety for some. Remember, most people want to do what is asked in a timely manner. Some may feel the need to begin processing and executing the task at 8:00 pm at night when they should be enjoying their own personal time before starting the workweek.

Recommendation/Suggestion: Sit down with your staff and ask when they would prefer to receive emails/remind texts. Disclaimer: Yes, I realize emergencies come up, and you may have to communicate outside of the standard time. People understand emergency situations can and will arise. Be sure to communicate that on the front end. Remember, you should not have an emergency every day. If so, you need to continue following me so I can help you bring calmness to your building (smile).

Every year at the beginning of the school year I made it a point to ask my team about when they preferred to receive a school-wide notification. One year my teachers asked that I wait until Monday morning to send it (I would never send anything before 6:00 am).

Another year, my staff asked that the general reminders would go out on Sunday mornings instead of Sunday nights. Their rationale that year was it gave them that day to process and prepare mentally if they chose to open it. Remember every group of teachers and staff is different. Needs may change from year to year. The key is to be flexible. Another Disclaimer: As a principal, I never expected my teachers to read any messages before Monday mornings. Again, I wanted to set boundaries.

Another observation I found is that some principals have mastered not using the intercom to communicate but instead send remind messages/group text messages all day long. Here is another free tip (your teachers do not like this)! Please do not send group me texts all day long to teachers. Even if you set expectations of when you would like teachers to check their phones, we are programmed to check our phones constantly. Try not to be a distraction. Your overachievers will put the self-inflicted pressure on themselves and feel the need to take care of the action item immediately. Help them out and schedule when communication will go out.

Lastly, stay away from the microphone (intercom). When your teachers and staff hear that intercom, they should know it is morning announcements, afternoon announcements, or an emergency.

Recap: Before interrupting teachers personal time or instructional time ask yourself:

1. Is it important?

2. Is it necessary?

3. Can it wait?

What questions do you have for Dr. Korrie? Leave them below. Dr. Korrie can be contacted at drkorriewhite@gmail.com for anyone on one coaching sessions.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any institutions or employers the author (s) (Dr. Korrie White or any guest authors) may have been affiliated with in the past or current position (s). All views shared are the author's thoughts. The content here is for informational purposes.