I was reading the previous thread about students obeying teachers in the classroom and was wondering how you all felt about teachers obeying administration. This thought comes from the example in class and how it was related to the reading. Should teachers obey the school administration at all times even if they are asked to teach something or do something that is against their beliefs or should they go against the adminstration and school board?

I also think this is a very interesting topic, should teachers obey administration at all times. I think it definitely depends on the situation. The hypothetical given in class...I think quite possibly the best solution to that problem may be to disobey the administration and inform "Gary" of what had happened. Then probably start looking for a new job. Sometimes the administration at schools and school boards are very messed up in their thinking and it takes a few people going against the administration to bring the problem forward. Administration should never put you in the position of having to choose between being moral and keeping your job. It is not the administration's job to judge people on their sexual preferences, race, sex, religion or anything else for that matter.

This is such a great question and I agree with the replys so far. I think that the teachers should agree with the admistrators to a point. Administration is there to keep all of the teachers and students "in line" and together on certain topics. On the other hand, I also believe that just like students, teachers need to stand up for themselves and fight for what they believe in. This could cause teachers to lose their jobs if it goes to far but if it is something that a teacher believes in then I think it is also something worth fighting for. What does everyone else think?

So the question is whether or not we are to obey our administration at all times or stand up for something we believe in. I believe that we should not conform and hopefully be able to help bring change to the system but as a first year teacher is this possible? I definitely think that I would do my best to help "Gary" in this complex situation but I would also be worried about losing my job. What if all other parts of the schools administration is excellent and they support you in every other aspect of teaching? What do you do then? Is it enough to leave? I think I would have sleepless nights over this situation and there is not a definitive answer.

I saw this sort of struggle with one of my teachers in high school. She had fought with them for years for the typical things like more funding and field trips, and eventually started going up in arms for everything else. She told me that she would fight for everything she believed in and would do everything she could up until the verge of being fired. She got a job at another school before that point, because her getting fired would make it hard for her to get another teaching job somewhere else, which would rob us of another good teacher and would let those "administration S.O.B.s" win. So I think that we should do whatever we think best, not the administration, but still we should avoid getting fired so that we live to fight another day.

It seems that the important decision for first year teachers is for them to be able to locate the fine line between what they should and should not obey. Obviously, one should obey any orders that are directly correlated to one's job (paperwork, staff meetings, etc.) However, there are other things that should be a choice of the teacher. For example, Initially Licensed Teachers in North Carolina are not forced to take part in any extra committees or groups in addition to their specified teaching positions. After their first 3 years of teaching, they can be "urged" to join these committees, but (ultimately) the decision is up to the individual teacher. While I do agree that is is a "good idea" to be on your administration's good side, these orders need only be followed if they are job-specific.

I agree that it totally depends on the situation, and like Katie said in class, it will definitely be different when we are actually in the situation and having to make a decision on the spot. I guess you just have to decide what you can live with doing. If you can agree with what the principal is doing or put your priorities in line and feel that you need to go along with the principal then do so. I think that the important thing is that you never feel like you have to do something that you're not comfortable with. There is always a choice that you can make and even though that choice may have consequences like losing your job, you still are able to make the choice that is right for you. Personally, I think it's always a good idea to put yourself in the shoes of all the people who could be involved in a situation before you make a decision.

Maybe this is easy for me to say since I'm not in the situation (yet), but I feel like I would disobey the administration if I believed in something enough. I think I'd feel like a huge hypocrit urging my students to think for themselves, draw their own conclusions, and stand up for what they believe in if I wasn't willing to do it myself. I think I'd lose more sleep, as someone said, wondering if I should have done this or that after not acting than I would if I lost my job. I don't know. I guess I feel like something I really, truly believe in is worth getting fired over. I think at the end of the day I'd rather be satisfied with myself than a job. I could always get another job - hopefully teaching at another school, but I could figure something else out if need be - but I don't think I'd ever get over feeling like a sell out to myself or the students for whom I was trying to set an example.

I think that this is a great question and agree with a lot of what has been said so far. Personally, I think that it just depends on the situation. The administration is there to try to make the best decisions for the school and its students and teachers, but that is not always the case. If I were presented with something that I honestly didn't believe in, I think that I would at least inform the administration of how I felt. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to this, but if it means looking for a new job then I would like to say that that is what I would do. If I am put in an uncomfortable situation than I am not going to be happy teaching at that school. Of course, I am not yet in this position and don't yet have a teaching job but I would like to say that I would stand up for myself and do what I believed in.

Teachers obeying administration is a very interesting topic. I wondered about this following our class discussion and I thought about how I would handle administration. I definitely think that administration is there to help the school run smoothly and have everyone on the same page when it comes to rules and helping the teachers as need be. I also think it is very obvious when an administrative person is over stepping their boundaries. That's when I believe as a teacher we have the right to stand up for ourselves if we feel uncomfortable. To voice our opinions and if need be have a session with the Principal about the situation and how it should be handled.

Casey Gill

I definitely think that teachers need to obey administration to a degree. I mean administration is there to help a school (hopefully), and this is who the teacher reports to. I am sure that there are going to be things that the teacher and administration will disagree upon, but it depends on how difficult of a topic it is. Someone I know actually taught at a school where she had some difficulties with administration on how she ran her classroom. For a while, since she was a new teacher, she would kind of give in to what they wanted. After a while of doing this, she was getting really frustrated & is actually looking for another place to work now. I think it is always good for the teacher and administration to agree on big issues, but there are always going to be disagreements between anyone that one works with.

I think you brought up a really good point. Yes teachers should have to obey administration, but at the same time they should have the freedom to do what they think is best for their classroom. It is a hard situation to be in because you may not be able to do what you want, or what you think is right but you still may have to do it because of the administration. There is a thin line there, but i think teachers should be allowed a little freedom though out their classroom in order for the best interest's of the students to be taken into consideration. Depending on the matter i would try and do what i thought was best, but if the administration thought other wise i would try and reconsider what i thought.

I ideally would like to think that I will be this honorable, take-no-crap teacher whose personal beliefs far outweigh the desire for a paycheck. But I am really torn between the fact that I would not do the same thing today as I would have if I were face with the situation a few years ago. I remember these great, young, enthusiastic teachers in my high school that turned into completely depressing-looking zombies after a year or two because they were so drained by the politics of the job that they were this far ( ) from quiting. So maybe if I were that drained, I would yell it from the rooftops that the administrator was a bunch of crap... But if I weren't so so far as about to jump off the empire state building and she/he approached me with the insider information, I might react more cautiously. Like I said in class, I think that the most rational thing that I would do was to secretly go to Gary and be like "hey Gary, I like that tie. By the by, Principal Whatever is wanting me to do some bullsh** spying on you because she wants to fire you. Take this how you will, I just thought I should let you know 'cause it's crap and I am totally on your side." And afterwards, if I couldn't live with myself staying at that job (which I probably couldn't), I would keep it hush hush and secretly offer my skills to another High School that has a more liberal outlook for it's staff and who appreciates its employees for that skill instead of his/her personal life.