Administrators, Find Out Your Staff’s Love Language
Post inspired by Punk Rock Classrooms guest Gabbi Buckley
Schools are the backbone of education. They are where students spend most of their time during the day, and where they go for education to become productive members of society. This is why it’s important that administrators have strong relationships with teachers in order to maintain a healthy school environment. Administrators should find out what each teacher’s love language is so that they can communicate with them accordingly and strengthen their bond with them as well as encourage teachers during these difficult times.
What is a love language and how can it help administrators strengthen relationships with teachers?
A love language is a way of expressing feelings of love and caring. These languages are different for everyone and include words of affirmation, quality time, and acts of service. Knowing what your staff’s love language is can be an extremely effective way to strengthen your relationship with them and encourage them to be their best selves. The education system relies on the hard work and dedication of educators in order to function properly. Administrators should learn about each teacher’s love language so that they can communicate accordingly with them. Teachers spend a majority of their life at school and therefore must have a strong relationship with administrators in order to feel valued and supported.
How can you find out what your teacher’s love languages are?
It can be difficult to figure out what the love language of any individual is, but with teachers, there are some cues that can help. It’s important to take into consideration how they react to things in the classroom and in their education career. For example, if they respond most positively when they receive compliments or feel validated through small actions, then their love language might be “words of affirmation”. If they seem happiest when you spend time listening to them and coming up with solutions to classroom or school-related activities, then it could be “quality time.” When administrators can figure out each teacher’s love language, they are better able to communicate with them on their terms and encourage them in the best ways possible.
What are the benefits of knowing your teachers’ love languages?
When administrators find out what their teacher’s love language is, that helps them to communicate with them in a way that makes education more effective. Teachers respond positively to encouragement and when they feel valued, which allows education to function more smoothly. When communication improves between administrator and teacher, education can run more efficiently because there is less conflict within the school environment. This creates a healthier learning environment for both teachers and students alike.
As an administrator, it is important to be empathetic and understanding of the needs that your teachers have. Understanding their love language can help you work more effectively with them to promote relationships between staff and students. Because education is a team effort, it’s important to be able to communicate well with one another to create a successful education system.
Alfonso Mendoza Jr., M.Ed. is an Instructional Technologist, Instructional Designer, Doctoral Student, Podcaster, and Google Innovator that is passionate about education.
Visit www.myedtech.life and connect with me on Twitter @MyEdTechLife
