Suggested Blog: How to deal with difficult administrators...

My advice when it comes to administrators is pretty simple: Do NOT confront them. Do not let them know you think they are incompetent, lazy, sexist, unfair, etc. Show them nothing but respect. Bring them gifts, if it helps. Make them like you.

This goes for all administrators, but especially difficult ones. Why? Because you want them on your side. You want them to think you are a nice person and a decent, sincere teacher. Usually just staying out of their hair and seeming like you do your job is enough. Then just pretend as if they do not exist. If they are no good, you want them out of your business. Keep them thinking you are a good teacher, then have as little to do with them as possible.

Most incompetent authority is in constant fear of being found out for how incompetent it really is. For this reason, bad leaders are hypersensitive to anything even remotely resembling criticism or second-guessing. Therefore, if you have a better idea for something, speak privately and give them the opportunity to feel like it was theirs. Do not confront your administrators with their incompetence, especially in front of witnesses, or it will only go badly.

Of course, there will be difficult things that may happen to you because of inane decisions or policies of your administration. Please do not make things worse by complaining. Just roll with the punches. If you must, must say something (as in you cannot possibly teach the classes they ask you to), do so in the most respectful way you can possibly imagine. When the need arises, be firm without being difficult.

There is also the possibility that your administration refuses to back you up on discipline. Unfortunately, this is quite common. If it happens, bend the rules if you need to so that you can get your classroom under control. If your administration refuses to help you with discipline, you need to come up with last-resort consequences you can enforce on your own. Do what you gotta do. If that means kids standing outside, or whatever, so be it.

My advice is simple and obvious to some, but nevertheless, it always blows my mind how many young, new idealistic teachers get into personality clashes with their administrators. Perhaps the sudden change of environment is worth noting: College professors are generally confident individuals who can usually take criticism without bad feelings or petty reprisals; your new bosses, probably not so much.