Can You Get Teachers To Love Admin?

I recently discussed a recurring issue following this question from an employer:

“My teachers do an excellent job in the classroom and feedback from students is positive. But when it comes to administrative duties, I find they are lax. Registers are sometimes forgotten, lesson records are sketchy, and reports on students are late and not very full. How can I make teachers understand that these duties are as much a part of their job as teaching?”

Oh dear, I've heard this so often and I can understand why teachers prefer to concentrate on the business of teaching rather than fill in forms! Anyway, the advice I came up with was this:

You have taken the first step by acknowledging the problem! It's a fact of life that teachers usually hate admin. But you could ease the situation by building admin time into the timetable. The reluctance often stems from teachers being obliged to complete admin tasks in their own time. Since classroom pressures are usually stronger, they not surprisingly prefer to spend additional time planning lessons and organizing materials. If you build in fifteen minutes a day, or twice a week, when teachers meet in a designated admin room to complete their tasks, they will find it easier to accept that this is part of their normal responsibility.

For this to succeed though, you will need to involve them in the planning. If they see this as extra time tacked on to the working day, it will probably be met with resistance but if you can devise a plan whereby it fits into the existing work hours, it will have a greater chance of success. This may mean scheduling time when students work alone—using self-access materials, interviewing each other or doing other interactive projects. Alternatively you could shave five minutes off lessons to accumulate the time needed. Let the staff work out a system acceptable to all so that they feel they own it. Once admin features as a regular and obligatory slot on the teachers' timetable you should find the situation improves.

About the Author:

Brenda Townsend Hall, a contributing editor to ESLemployment, is a writer in the fields of English for business, cross-cultural awareness and business communications. Interested in receiving TEFL job listings weekly for free? To learn more visit TEFL Jobs.

 Brenda Townsend Hall

More Articles 

Government Apathy - A Different View - Al Arnold
I have always believed that political apathy starts at the bottom. That is the citizens. They do not go to meetings when issues are being discussed that impact their lives. They do not speak up at the earlyist opportunity to provide input. I...

US Government Recognizes 'They Slew The Dreamer' - Gary Revel
A friend just brought it to the attention of Gary Revel today that the United States Government has indeed recognized his conclusion of a conspiracy in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The House of Representatives and the Senate of the...

Sprint's Deal with US Government Means Nationwide Unlimited Wireless - Dr Joseph Mercola
The Department of Defense, working with the FCC, DHS, the President, and Congress, plans to purchase Sprint Nextel's iDEN network. The plan will eventually ensure that everyone involved in national securitywill beon the same...

Sustainable Energy Policies Debated By State Governments - Dave Larsen
Energy usage has become THE hot issue. As the price for gas and home heating oil climb into the statosphere, lots of folks are praying for relief. Will the government provide that relief? In his recent State of the Union address, President Bush...

God's one government has two branches! - David Ben Ariel
The Sabbath-keeping Church of God (that remains faithful to the plain truth of the Bible that Herbert W. Armstrong taught) has heard a lot about government, but many seem to have forgotten that God's ONE government has TWO branches: Church...

It's Time for Government Reform - Shirley deLong
March 11, 2005 It’s time for Government reform on local, state and federal levels! The country is bankrupt! America doesn’t have any money. 6/2004 Federal Website, I quote "National Debt was $7,217,027,211,368.81. A working persons' share...

Debt Consolidation with Free Government Grants? One Scam to Avoid - Charles Essmeier
Have you ever seen a commercial or an ad promising “free government grant money?” According to these ads, the government and other organizations give away nearly one half a trillion dollars each year, and all you need to do is apply! The ads go...

Rural Government Oganizations - Jacob Minett
Currently, more than 87,000 governmental units exist in the United States. In addition to the federal government and 50 state governments, an additional 87,000 plus units of local government exists. These units consist of general...

Government Grants Need Community Support - Robert Smethers
Government grants need good community support to ensure success. Your federal grants agency wants to know the community is behind this project and their support is essential. If you want to receive free grants you must network in your community! ...

4 Reasons To Never Buy Free Government Grant And Loan Guides! - Joe Cooper
It is true: You can receive free money from the United States government to go to college, for a business, and many other things. I personally know of individuals who get thousands of dollars every single year to do various business and...

US Government Grants Nightmare! - Robert Smethers
US government grants being centralized will really help all of us that are confused. Finding federal grants and getting our free grants should not have to be so hard. Sounds simple doesn't it? We have the least amount of time for federal searches....

How To Apply For Free Government Grants - Gavin Sanderson
You know there are free government grants available for so many uses. But how does one apply for it? Well, it all depends on what you want the grant for. The first thing you need to check for is your eligibility. Remember, government grants are...