Administrators Want Their Teachers to Be Sensitive to the Home Life of Students. And Administrators Need to Be Sensitive to the Home Life of Their Teachers.

There are teachers who are going through divorce. There are teachers who are battling depression. There are teachers who are coping with family illness. Teachers deal with the same stresses that affect everyone else. Teachers are professionals, and they try to be strong for their students. They continue to do their jobs with excellence. But these stresses have an impact. Teachers are human. It is imperative that school leaders recognize the reality of the stress that many of their teachers are under. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs does not just apply to students; it applies to teachers as well. They are in the pyramid too. Principals and other administrators are more effective when they are mindful of that reality. The sensitivity, patience, and compassion of principals can go a long way to maintaining the morale and energy of these teachers. And it helps to create the sort of culture that all employees appreciate.