Mr. Pfizer’s results were not all positive. While teachers want to have
books, they also dislike not giving books to students. Students who are not
issued books cannot do assignments or participate in class. Some teachers
felt this was worse than not issuing a book as it disrupted instruction. It
was left to the deans to call the parents of students who still owed books.
Teachers dislike class disruptions, whether these are unexpected visitors,
public address (PA) announcements, or fire drills. One task of the school
leader is to reduce these disruptions and permit teachers to have uninter-
rupted instructional time. Let’s look at the three items just mentioned.
Some unexpected visitors, such as a school leader conducting an
unannounced observation, cannot be helped. Of course, the principal or
assistant principal will be as unobtrusive as possible. Teachers can be
better prepared for other visitors. Successful principals often have visi-
tors from other schools, districts, states, or countries sent to the school
to look at some of their instructional methods. Such principals plan care-
fully for such visits. If the plan calls for these visitors to sit in on any
classes, teachers are informed well enough in advance so they may opt
out. Most will not opt out as being on the visitor list is a validation of
their work, but they will know to expect visitors and may prepare their
students in advance.
Once a year, Mr. Thelen’s magnate academic-vocational school hosted
a feeder school luncheon where guidance counselors from feeder schools
were invited to visit the building to learn about the school’s programs
so they could better advise their graduating eighth graders. Mr. Thelen
hoped these counselors would be impressed and advise some of their best
students to apply to one or more of the special programs.
Part of this event included a tour of the school. Student guides had
specific rooms to bring these visitors to, and these teachers were informed
in advance that they would almost certainly have visitors. However, the
student guides were told to permit the visitors to enter any room they de-
sired. No one wanted the guests to think this was a “dog and pony show,”
directing them only to the best teachers with the best students. So, all staff
were informed that this was going to be a special day and that they should
be ready for visitors during any morning class. They were also told that
the more middle school students who applied for special programs, the
more secure were their own positions.
90 Chapter 7