The Texas Standard, Volume 22, Number 4, September-October 1948 Page: 4
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J. L. PATTON, JR.
Unfortunately, of all the time I have
spent in colleges and universities studying
Administration and Supervision, the basic
factors of administration which enable me
to hold my job were not ncluded in
courses of academic pursuit. It is true that
these courses were helpful and in many
respects served to broaden my perspective.
Many mechanics of administration and
supervision were discussed, but for some
reason or another I cannot recall one
single instance where prespective prin-
cipals were told what to do when a
teacher became difiant because, "I have
friends on the Board," or, how to ferret
out a teacher who had but a monetary
interest in the educational process.
One can study all of the courses of
administration and supervision taught and
will go into a two-teacher rural school
as a teacher-in-charge and will run into
vital problems of administration that the
total of all his formal training will not
solve. In a case like this the administration
will have to fall back on methods and
devices learned elsewhere, either from
his own childhood, his adult experience in
other fields, or the experiences of others.
In some instances, the wise administrator
-rust even go to others with no school ex-
perience whatever for the right course to
take. This being true we plainly see that
to be a good school administrator one
must know life equally as well.
Administration is possibly the only
phase of education where one cannot
refer constantly to old college note books,
textbooks, and a reference library for the
'rtyave 'pound *7* Se Tftaat
J. L. PATTON, JR.. Principal
Booker T. Washington High School
right answer in dealing with teachers and
the public.
Possibly courses in administration break
down under real life pressure, because
(1) the courses are designed to serve the
needs of ideal situations only. They assume
the principal to be infallible, the teacher
dedicated to the training of youth, and
that the children wil follow directions
unerringly. (2) Text books written in the
field of Administration and Supervision
are for the most part written by an "arm
chair strategist" who may have never
served one day in a school like yours or
mine. This "arm chair strategist" may never
have heard of reduced budgets, or teacher
working without a Bachelor's degree or
teachers with a mathematics major being
shifted into music in order to reduce the
teaching staff. After this strategist com-
pletes his writings and surveys, he hands
it to a University committee who in turn
gives him a Ph. D. degree. Then the writer
goes straight to a publisher to have his
disseration published as a textbook in
Administration. We will take this textbook
as a guide and go into some peaceful sit-
uation destroying it by trying to make
these experimental ideas work where a
little common sense was all that was
needed.
The skill to be able to screen out
usable points of "school taught" adminis-
tration from portions unadaptable for our
local situation is indeed an evidence of
genius.
If the administrator expects to be
successful he must (1) have a firm belief
in the goodness of his fellow teachers.
This does not imply a belief and confidence
which is used by master salesmen, a sort
of cold blooded courtesy that is used
merely "to get the customer to sign on the
dotted line.'- This confidence must be
pure, true and deep-seated. The principal
must not believe that he is the last sur-
viving person who wants to see the school
excel and soar upward. Such aspirations
must be shared mutually between principal
and teacher.
The principal must not have negative
views of his colleagues. Every teacher is
not after the principal's job, nor is he
hoping that the principal will trip or en-
tangle himself. The teachers's job means
as much to him or her as the principal's
job means to himself. Every one wants
job security. As principals we must not
succumb to the belief that all have "bowed
down to worship Baal" but ourselves.
If the administrator expects to be
successful it would be wise to (2) be
generous in praise for a job well done.
It is not necessary here to go into the
merits of the worth of praise when a job
is well done, for we know full well the
great psychological advantages and self-
satisfaction one receives when approbation
is received.
We advise generosity of praise not
merely as a reward to the teacher for at
the same time that one is receiving the
nod of approval he is also being insulated
against caustic criticism. In other words,
if we give due recognition to a well done
job, this same person is better enabled
to gracefully accept criticism from you.
He knows that you have recognized some
of his finer points and are not necessarily
accentuating his worse features.
The referee in any sport knows that
he has to do this, (3) "Call 'm like you
see em." There is no sport where "calling
'em right" is more necessary than in
school administration. This does not pre-
suppose that the principal will not "call
some wrong" accidentally. But "calling
'em right" implies that a principal must
refrain from favoring certain personalities
on hs staff while on the other hand con-
demning others just because a favored
one brought the message. In the admin-
istration of a school, a principal who
shows leanings toward certain personalities
* of his staff will soon lose the respect of
the unfavored group and the favored as
well. The unfavored will disrespect him
because of his open unfairness; the favored
will soon disrespect and distrust him be-
cause they know that he will allow person-
ality to supercede justice. The favored
are secure only as long as they are in
good standing.
One sterling aspect of good school
management is (4) to have occasional
"gripe sessions.'' There every staff member
is permitted to speak with immunity and
point out everything that is wrong with
the school and every other teacher. This
serves as a good safety valve as long as
the discussions are kept above the level
of personalities.
Here the principal has a wonderful op-
portunity to study his colleagues in their
native date. They are governed by the sub-
conscious more than the conscious mind.
So many things that the principal has not
been able to understand will be revealed.
Another good to be derived is that such
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Peace, Hazel Harvey. The Texas Standard, Volume 22, Number 4, September-October 1948, periodical, September 1948; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth193751/m1/4/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Prairie View A&M University.