It’s good to talk, as the old adage goes. In schools, this is certainly true. Indeed, one of the most important things schools can do is make staff feel they can talk to colleagues or managers whenever they need to.
This may sound simple, but when staff are facing numerous pressures on their time, it is quite possible that the chance to raise concerns - related to their own wellbeing or that of a student - will simply be lost or ignored, neither of which are good outcomes.
Given this situation, it is vital that schools make staff feel comfortable and confident in raising concerns - and there are some good tactics to employ to help you do that.
1. Talk to staff on the same level
Staff need to feel that whatever the power dynamic between them and the person they are talking to, there is no division of “us and them”.
When a staff member comes to you with a concern - whether it is for themselves or for a pupil - you might have to leave your “leadership” hat at the door and be prepared to just listen as a human being.
You can return to the leadership role afterwards to fix the problem as appropriate, but the key thing is that, in that first initial moment, you are approachable and engaged.
2. Recognise staff for bringing concerns to you
Teachers are on the front line. They see the students the most and notice when they’re not themselves. As such, if a teacher brings a concern to you, be thankful that they know their students well enough to identify that something might be off.
Similarly, if they tell you about something relating to themselves, take the time to show that you have heard and understood the concern, and explain what support you can offer. It may be that in either instance simply talking about the concern is enough.
The key in either situation is that you make staff feel that bringing a concern to you was the right course of action and one that they should take in the future, no matter how small the issue may appear.
3. Demonstrate that concerns will be taken seriously
Staff want to know that they have been heard and that action - if required - will be taken. So, let teachers know what you plan to do (if you can), or even ask and consider their ideas on the best way to proceed (if it’s applicable) so they have a sense of agency in the process. You should also let them know if you intend to pass the issue on to a more appropriate staff member.
Sometimes no action is necessary, but, whatever you do next, the key thing is to keep staff informed so they know the act of raising a concern leads to the right response.
None of this is rocket science. However, that’s half the point: sometimes the small stuff is what gets overlooked - but it’s often the small stuff that matters most.
Sadie Hollins is the head of sixth form at a British-curriculum school in Thailand and has been teaching internationally for three years
This article originally appeared in the 10 December 2021 issue under the headline “Listen up - it’s vital that staff know your door is always open”
