Advocating for Yourself With Admin [Episode 235]

Rebecca Joyner [00:00:01]:
At this time, some of your school years are wrapping up. Many of you have already signed a contract for next year. Some of you are having meetings with your admin, having end of year teacher evaluations or conversations about what next year will look like and what classes you’ll be teaching, even though many of you know that that can definitely change come August or September. But all of this, timing wise, makes it the right time to start advocating for yourself with admin if that is something you have not been good at or doing at all in the past. The reason being this is the time when conversations about next year are happening. People are looking forward to summer, which gives them a little bit more capacity to have harder conversations than they do at the beginning of the year when there’s so much back to school stuff going on and it seems like too late to make any changes. Now is the time where there’s a little bit of a Runway in a gap between the next school year and the current one that we’re wrapping up. And so this is the time to say, hey, here’s some things I’ve experienced this past school year.

Rebecca Joyner [00:01:00]:
Here’s what I think needs to be different for next school year in order for me to have a sustainable career at this school. And the first thing I want to say before we really get into this episode is advocacy matters. If you’re not going to advocate for yourself with admin, no one else will. And I want to make sure you see the value you have as a secondary science educator. Typically, we are the area in most districts and states that there are the least qualified people to do our jobs. If you don’t believe me or your admin, don’t believe me. Look at how hard it is to find a sub, let alone a long term sub, for any class, period, let alone one that can teach science and actually be trained to do so. So you have value.

Rebecca Joyner [00:01:43]:
Even if you’re in a tiny district and you’re the only school. There are so many options nowadays with online teaching and things like that where you can find a job elsewhere. You are uniquely equipped to do that. So I really hope you see your value and that gives you confidence as you consider advocating for yourself with admin. Advocacy is not being confrontational, it’s not complaining, it’s being honest and communicating clearly your capacity and your boundaries so that you can work in partnership to best serve students. It’s asking for support and resources, but doing it in a way that’s not just self serving, but it’s for the good of the whole. And so that’s what I want to equip you with today. So we’re going to talk about.

Rebecca Joyner [00:02:25]:
First, how to identify and articulate your capacity with admin. This is so important. This is our starting place. Second, how to handle when you are asked to do more. That may not be happening this time of year, although I do find sometimes when it comes to contract negotiations, this is where they might slip in the idea of a new prep or a new coaching responsibility or something like that. Typically, I find that asking more happened more last minute at the start of the school year, but I want to make sure you are equipped to know how to handle that. Third, we’re going to talk about ways you can negotiate for their support when they are also trying to add responsibilities to your plate. So how do we negotiate rather than just accepting what’s being asked and taking on another responsibility.

Rebecca Joyner [00:03:08]:
And then four things you can ask for in those negotiations that will help you be able to do your job not just better, but truly more sustainably so that you can last in this career. That is truly what an admin’s job is. It is to support teachers so that teachers can support students. Unfortunately, many of you have been under bad admin who are very concerned with how they can move up the pipeline in terms of their job in the district or at the state level. So they are concerned with data and hitting numbers and not necessarily about the people that work for them. A good admin cares about their teachers and first and foremost because they know that in caring for teachers, they’re caring for students. So I want to make that clear to you. And also something I’ve talked about so much on this podcast that I cannot emphasize enough is good admin will make or break your job.

Rebecca Joyner [00:04:00]:
You may think that it can’t get any better than what you currently have, and then you experience something different and you’re like, wow, I didn’t realize how much of an impact on my role this admin was having or how much your admin weren’t doing anything for you. And then you get in a school where admin do so much and you’re like, wow, I didn’t realize that this kind of level of support was available to me. So I’m going to be linking a bunch of episodes to in the show Notes where we’ve talked about this in the past, just to kind of give you some different perspectives, including some guest episodes I’ve done with teachers talking about their experience working under different admin and what a difference it made. But again, for this episode, we’re just going to really focus in on you advocating for yourself with admin. And and this is not you being selfish or you complaining if you’re advocating in the way that I’m going to teach you. You are seeking partnership with your admin to serve students well and so that you can last in this career. So without further ado, there’s a lot to get into. Let’s dive in.

Rebecca Joyner [00:04:59]:
This is Secondary Science Simplified, a podcast for secondary science teachers who want to engage their students and simplify their lives. Hi, I’m Rebecca Joyner from It’s Not Rocket Science. As a high school science teacher turned curriculum writer, I am passionate about helping other science teachers, love their jobs, serve their students, and do it all in only 40 hours a week. Are you ready to rock the time you spend in your classroom and actually have a life outside of it? You are in the right place, teacher friend. Let’s get to today’s episode. First and foremost, let’s talk about how to identify and articulate your capacity clearly to your admin. Most likely at some point in the next few weeks, as your school year is wrapping up, there’s going to be some sort of like, closeout conversation or evaluation with your admin. This is the perfect time to bring this up, and I want to remind you, too, that capacity changes with seasons.

Rebecca Joyner [00:05:54]:
So you may feel like you’re about to articulate your capacity and it’s so limited and you feel really guilty about that. Okay, well, maybe you have a newborn. Maybe you just got a diagnosis for your health that is not good. Maybe you’re caring for your spouse or you’re caring for one of your parents with a serious health diagnosis. And this is something you’re all adjusting to. Hopefully there will be healing and or this won’t be forever. I’m trying to remove some guilt that I’ve heard some of you saying to me where you’re feeling bad that you’re in a situation where you have a limited capacity. So I want you to hear me say that it’s okay to be limited, and it may not necessarily always be this way.

Rebecca Joyner [00:06:32]:
Now, it’s your job to communicate why you’re limited and in what ways you’re limited. And the best way to do any communication with admin, y’ all, is to be clear and use data and objectivity as much as possible. So I recommend do a time audit these last few weeks of school audit where you’re spending your time, where your hours are going. I think especially unless your admin have experience as a science teacher, which is so rare they have no idea how much time goes into planning, testing, prepping, cleaning up labs. It is this whole other part time job that is unique to science teachers that they will never understand. So do a time audit so you can communicate like, hey, this is where my prep hours are going. This is how I’m having to come in early. This is how much time I’m spending grading outside of school, all of those different things.

Rebecca Joyner [00:07:24]:
Maybe you’re one of those teachers that you do use your unpaid summer and now you may be saying, I get paid in the summer. Well, no, you probably are just getting your 9 to 10 month salary divided over 12 months if you work out an hourly rate. Most teachers are working like minimum wage, if not lower. So like line up those numbers, say, hey, I’m working all these hours this summer so that I can try to prep and do some of these things. So it’s not cutting into my school time. But this is where all of that’s going to have the data have a clear list of all the ways you’re already going above and beyond the average teacher at your school. Like, I’m doing all this lab prep, I have four preps, I have this, I’ve had a new prep every year. I’m coaching this team, I’m managing this club.

Rebecca Joyner [00:08:08]:
Like list all of those things out so it’s really clear why, hey, this is what I have going on and this is why moving forward, I cannot take it on an extra prep or I cannot have that added responsibility. Or you’re going to have to ask someone else. You’re going to have to ask a parent to step up and coach. It cannot be a teacher, you know, or if you have to have a staff person on it, I’ll be the assistant. That’s like showing up to things. But I’m grading my papers and the bleachers, I’m not actually coaching. Okay, so be very clear about what’s going on, all the responsibilities you’re doing, really outline them and then outline why your capacity is limited in this season. Hey, I have a new baby, so I’m not sleeping at all, so my brain is not working.

Rebecca Joyner [00:08:48]:
Or hey, I’ve got my own children that have their own sports and activities. So I’m running to their practices all evening. I can’t be coaching something else or, you know, whatever that is. But get really, really clear about this so that you can articulate that to your admin. Second, I want to talk about. Okay, then how do you handle though, when you’re asked to do More. Okay, so if they’re asking you in this end of your meeting about an extra duty to take on a new prep, you know, maybe you’re having a conversation about covering classes. Maybe you constantly got pulled in this year, again, have the data say, hey, I was pulled in 18 different times to cover classes for people that were out because we couldn’t find qualified subs.

Rebecca Joyner [00:09:26]:
Like, have the data ready, okay. So that you can present that. And then when you’re asked to do these different things, you say, I’d be happy to help. What would you like me to deprioritize in order to have the room to do this extra thing? What can we take off my plate? Or what do you want me to stop doing? Here’s a list of all the things I’m doing. What would you like me to stop doing so that there is time to do this? I think this is a great strategy because it shows that you’re willing but you’re not going to do it alone and makes your admin acknowledge all that you’re already doing and it puts it back on them to help strategize, to figure out, like how we are going to make room for this. Maybe it looks like, hey, can we just ask elective teachers to cover classes when it’s last minute? Or, hey, what do we need to do as a district? You need to advocate for your teachers at the district level, admin and say we need to get more qualified subs in the door. What does that need to look like in order for that to happen? Or maybe it looks like teachers are getting compensated for the classes that they’re covering. Since we’re not paying for a sub, where’s that money go that we normally pay for a sub? How is that going to be compensated for teachers? Like, am I going to get an extra whatever for this? So I think that’s a really helpful script to use.

Rebecca Joyner [00:10:35]:
I’m happy to help. Like, I am willing to help. How will you help me figure out what’s going to come off my plate so that I can do this? Because I’m already at capacity. Okay. Another thing, like, let’s say there’s like, okay, well, there’s no way I can do this. There’s no universe where I can do this. I need to say no. But I don’t want to be harsh about it.

Rebecca Joyner [00:10:53]:
You can say, I want to do a good job with all my current responsibilities, so I cannot add to that in this time. Again, if you want to add something to my plate, what can we take off I don’t think you need to over explain here, but I think again getting really clear about what all your responsibilities are saying I, I want to prioritize doing these things well. If I’m going to be spread more thin, I’m not going to be able to do these things well. I also want to encourage you too. When you’re being asked to do more is like you are the only person who is going to set boundaries for you and no one else is going to do that. So if you don’t set the boundaries, they will always be violated because they don’t exist. And, and even when you do set boundaries, when you put fences up, people are going to try to crawl over them. So it’s up to you to place the boundary and hold the boundary that looks like not checking email after hours, period.

Rebecca Joyner [00:11:46]:
They are going to own every second that you give them when you’re on the clock. But you’re going to be the one who has to say no, you cannot have this time when I’m off the clock. Also not saying yes because you feel like you have to. If you do not protect your time, the system, the admin, the people over you, they’re going to suck up every ounce of it. So you do have to set some boundaries here. And again, if they’re trying to cross the boundaries, you say, okay, where are we going to compensate to make up for this? And that’s where the negotiation comes in. So that’s where my third kind of point is. I want to talk to you about how do we negotiate for their support when they are adding responsibilities or they are trying to cross boundaries you’ve set.

Rebecca Joyner [00:12:28]:
Again, let’s be really specific. Let’s have the list of all that we’re already doing and let’s have data. We’re not just going to say I have too much on my plate, I’m overwhelmed. We’re going to say I have five preps and I have 150 students and I’m teaching this AP class and I’m learning a new subject that you put on my plate last minute. Like we’re going to get really, really, really specific. Let’s make sure we’re really zoning into on things that only you can do. Okay? Only you can prep these labs. Only you can teach these students.

Rebecca Joyner [00:12:57]:
AB Biology. Anyone can manage the bus loop. Anyone can be a hall monitor. Anyone can coach the soccer team. I mean not anyone, but like a lot more people can probably coach the soccer team and be equipped to do that like a parent than can come into Your classroom, in prep, a lab. So I think other kind of scripts we can use. Things we can say is like, I’m currently managing and then fill in the blank with all your responsibilities in order to do these responsibilities well and add in something else I need and then fill in the blank. We’re going to ask for things and I’ll give you a list of things you can ask for.

Rebecca Joyner [00:13:32]:
Or say, hey, is there a way? Even if they’re not adding things to your plate, but you are already over capacity this school year. Say, hey, this school year, it was way too much. This is not sustainable to me. I cannot support students if this continues. I think as much as you can tie things to student outcomes, that is going to work in your favor. But say, hey, is there a way that we can adjust this, or you can help me with this, or you can partner with me in this so that I can then better support students in ways that only I can support them. I think another thing that’s important too is save the receipts. Okay, I’ve talked about data and being really clear and objective, but save the receipts.

Rebecca Joyner [00:14:10]:
Not like we’re like keeping a diary of ways that you’ve been, like, screwed over by admin in the past, but like kind of saying, hey, like, the last time I was asked to cover a class or assistant coach this or help run this club or take on this new prep, I was told that you were going to buy me a curriculum or the students were really going to run this, or there’s going to be a lot of parents coaching this team, and I was basically just going to be their name. What actually happened was. And then you list all the ways your boundaries got crossed or all the ways things didn’t go as they told you, they were going to go and say, I cannot commit to something, or I feel hesitant to take on new responsibilities unless I have guaranteed support with xyz and you fill in the blanks. So that’s using language of saying like, hey, I have been willing in the past. I have added on extra things. I’ve done these things. And here’s how all of those things have ended up being way more than was initially told to me and how it’s causing me to suffer as at doing the things that only I can do in ways that I can serve students. Okay, so those are kind of ways that we’re communicating all of this.

Rebecca Joyner [00:15:16]:
This is how we are going to advocate for ourselves and we’re going to set boundaries, but we’re going to talk in a way that’s reasonable. We’re not going to be emotional. That’s where I think putting some prep work into this is helpful in terms of like having the list make a printout that you can hand to them of saying like, hey, here’s what this looks like. And that way we can talk to them about this really strategically and calmly without it being emotional again. That’s why this is such a great time of year to do this because yeah, you’re probably exhausted, but you have the hope and the light at the end of the tunnel of summer. So hopefully you can maybe take some deep breaths and have this conversation as opposed to having it come October, November when it’s like, oh my word, we have the whole rest of the school year left. How am I going to make it type thing. Okay, so now we’re going to ask for help.

Rebecca Joyner [00:15:59]:
There are so many ways your admin can help you. So many ways that, that don’t require money. Some do, some require time, some don’t. But there are ways they can help you. First, admin can help with behavior issues. Maybe your conversation. Maybe a way you’re going to advocate for yourself and your co workers in these end of year conversations with your admin is saying, hey, we need to have some support as teachers from admin when it comes to classroom management. We cannot keep managing things in house.

Rebecca Joyner [00:16:27]:
Maybe this looks like this setting up an ISS situation in your school for like drastic situations. Maybe this looks like a school wide cell phone or device policy so they can back you up. Maybe it’s a school wide policy for dealing with absenteeism and grades and them partnering with you and partnering with counselors to be reaching out to these parents and these guardians when students are chronically absent or we’re trying to get their grades made up but they’re missing so much work. Maybe it looks like establishing a teacher’s aid program which, which is a free, free, free way that your admin can give you a teacher’s aid. It’s a student who gets a class period that’s usually zero credit hours. So it’s treated like a study hall or something like that. But it can go on their resume as like an internship or something like that. That’s during school hours where they’re helping you and you can get them to make copies and take some of these petty tasks off your plate where students kind of get a break too.

Rebecca Joyner [00:17:21]:
It’s so easy. All the admin have to do is like the paperwork for it and the coordination with the counselors to add it into like the Master schedule we’re working on that is such a way that they can serve you. Obviously they can support you with money and budget for supplies or curriculum needs, especially as a science teacher. And maybe they’ll say there’s no budget. Okay, we’ve all been there. I hear what you’re saying. Okay, what would it look like then if we asked for a lab fee for lab science courses? I taught at a large public title one school. At one point we had a lab fee for lab science courses.

Rebecca Joyner [00:17:55]:
It was like $7 for on grade level students and I think 14 for honors level students. Okay. Obviously if a student was on the free and reduced lunch program, they were not required to pay this fee. Obviously there was Grace. We also asked parents that could pay the fee for their student. Hey, would you be willing to pay for another student or two? We don’t give names. But just when they were paying for it, like, hey, could you send in a donation? And that was used to cover all of the extra lab supplies we needed for these lab courses. If you don’t want to do that, if you don’t want to have a lab fee and your admin won’t approve it, will they approve you asking for donations from parents? I know a lot of admins say that you can’t do that, which again, kind of feels insane to me.

Rebecca Joyner [00:18:35]:
I don’t think you ask parents directly. You don’t reach out to like Casey’s dad and say, hey, will you pay for this? No. It looks like when you send out your weekly or bi weekly correspondence to parents, there’s a section at the bottom that asks for different donations, like things we’re looking for for our classroom. And it has a couple of options. It can be linked or whatever. You can have a running Amazon wish list, that kind of thing. I always call this. This is parent partnership.

Rebecca Joyner [00:18:59]:
I’m not asking for donations. I’m providing an opportunity for parents to partner in the learning experiences of their students. This is where I’m talking about, like language like that. That’s where it can change everything with admin. So I hope if y’ all haven’t already, I have transcripts for my podcast episodes on my website where the show notes are. I’ll link that. It’s in like a dropdown menu. You can literally like copy and paste that in chat GBT and say, hey, pull out all the different scripts that I kind of shared the one liners, if you will, so that you can have them and you can use them for yourself.

Rebecca Joyner [00:19:30]:
Okay, that’s again, it’s one way we’re reframing this. I’m not asking for donations. I’m providing an opportunity for parents to partner in the learning experiences of their students. That is one I’ve used over and over again. And I will say now as a parent of public school kids, I get so thrilled when their teachers give me an opportunity to partner with them. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m a former teacher or what, but I know what’s going into what they’re doing in their classrooms. And we’re just at the elementary level and I’m wanting ways to help them. I’m wanting ways to say thank you and serve them.

Rebecca Joyner [00:20:04]:
So there’s no requirement. It’s not like I, it does anything for my child or like I get, you know, stars on my like kids report card because I donated or anything like that. But if they’re saying that they have these needs, I would love the opportunity to meet them. And not every time can I. Sometimes I just can’t get to Walmart by the time they need it. But I think it’s a way that admin can give you approval to have other people partner with you in ways that they may say like, oh, you can’t ask for this or we don’t have the budget. Okay, well can I ask parents to help me? Is that allowed? A huge ask that can make lifetime a difference is an extra prep period. I think if you teach 45 or 50 minute classes and you have an AP class or an IB class or some higher level class like that, you should be given double prep.

Rebecca Joyner [00:20:47]:
I think anytime you’re given a new class to teach, you should be given an extra prep. I think all the time about how when I taught at semester block schools or just ab block schools, I I had 90 minutes every day. Then when I got to traditional school I had my 45 to 50 minutes every day. Like that is a major, major difference. So maybe it’s looking at, okay, can I have an extra prep period and not in perpetuity again, just in this season when you’re asking me to take on this extra stuff, it could even look like lining your prep period up with lunch. So then that gives you like a more extended block time too. That can really help too. And that’s just something that they, the admin can manage with your school counselor to work it into your schedule.

Rebecca Joyner [00:21:27]:
I think it could also look like asking, hey, for this next year or this semester where you’re asking me to do these extra things that only I Can do. Can you take off some of these responsibilities that other people could do, like the coaching, like the hall monitor, like the attending X, Y, Z sporting events and running the front table or whatever? Okay, you’re not asking for time off forever, just for this season where they’re putting more on your plate. I’m hoping that this gives you a lot of ideas for what you can ask for and ways that you can get support even when things are being added to your plate. Please reach out to me on email rebeccanrocket scienceclassroom.com or Instagram DMS it’s not rocket Science is my Instagram. And let me know if you have found this helpful. Now, the last thing I want to say before I close you out with a little challenge is on the other hand, if you’re listening and you’re like, well, I actually want to add something to my plate. I want to add a new club. I want to add a new sport.

Rebecca Joyner [00:22:23]:
I want to add a new prep. I really want to teach AP bio. I’ve always wanted to teach that. And you’re trying to advocate for that. Here’s what I think you need to do. Once again, we’re going to communicate clearly. We’re going to be really organized. We’re going to have a list and we’re going to have data.

Rebecca Joyner [00:22:37]:
Okay, so we’re going to have a list of what this would look like, how you’re going to have the capacity to do this, what you’re willing to put in, all the extra you’re willing to do to kind of make this happen. You need to prove interest, say, hey, I put out like a signup sheet. I had 50 students who are interested in this. Prove while it’ll be good for students and then prove why it would be good for the school as a whole. What does having a new lacrosse program do for the school? What does having AP chem as an option for students do for the school? That kind of thing. So those are the kinds of things I want you to consider if you are advocating for something new that you’re trying to add in. Last thing I want to remind you of is, is this. Boundaries don’t make you less committed and they don’t make you look less committed.

Rebecca Joyner [00:23:19]:
I think some of us are afraid to set boundaries or to say we’re limited in capacity because we’re so fearful of job security. And I think you just, again, what I said to start, you need to see your value and see you’re trying to be sustainable in this career, advocating for yourself and Having these conversations with admin will allow you to stay in your position longer, meaning less turnover for your admin to manage and deal with. Okay, so in actuality this is like, hey, if you can help me now, it’s gonna serve future to you later. Cause I’m gonna be here for 10 or 15 years and not burn out. Maybe you’ll last 25, I don’t know. But that’s what I want you to hear me say. If you’re again feeling fearful, to set boundaries, to articulate your capacity, or to ask for more support. Okay, this is not self serving.

Rebecca Joyner [00:24:06]:
It is what’s best for you. But what’s best for you is ultimately what’s best for students, which is best for admin and the school as a whole. Okay, so your take home challenge this week, have your first conversation with admin. If you don’t have something lined up, put something on the calendar. If you do have something lined up for the end of the year, let’s go ahead and make some talking points, write some stuff down, make your little script of what you want to say. Maybe you word vomit to chatgpt all your responsibilities and have chat GPT kind of give you a rundown so that then you can present that to them. I think that’ll really, really serve you. And think about how your summer could feel going into summer knowing you’ve had this conversation already, and how much lighter you might feel as you enter a new school year at the end of the summer.

Rebecca Joyner [00:24:48]:
If you want to check out the transcript and any other admin episodes I have again, I have so many, I think I have like 10. I have them all linked in the show notes for you, which you can find at. It’s not rocketscienceclassroom.com Episode 235 and if you haven’t left a review for the podcast yet, I would love it if you would leave a review. Especially if you’re feeling extra equipped after this episode for advocating for yourself with admin. All right teacher friends, that wraps up today’s episode. If you’re looking for an easy way to start simplifying your life as a secondary science teacher, head to itsnotrocketscienceclassroom.com challenge to grab your classroom Reset challenge. And guess what? It’s totally free. Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you here next week.

Rebecca Joyner [00:25:34]:
Until then, I’ll be rooting for you, teacher friend.