We must, however, remember that these
skills do not come naturally. Leaders should
model these practices and provide oppor-
tunities for teachers to practice with one
another in safe environments before asking
them to do so on their own. The result is in-
creased self-efficacy teacher empowerment.
Step 3: Perspective taking
The third step is perspective taking.
This is one of the most important skills in
a healthy school culture. It can also be one
of the most challenging. To communicate
genuine care for others, we must recognize
the diversity of thinking and experiences in-
dividuals bring to an interaction. By actively
thinking through possible reasons behind
someone’s actions, we open doors to under-
standing and empathy.
In the classroom, teachers engage in
perspective taking when they seek to see a
situation from students’ perspectives. Ac-
knowledging students’ backgrounds and
approaches to problem solving may be dif-
ferent from our own is essential to building
relationships and a classroom environment
in which students feel valued.
One of the first lessons I learned as a
principal was how critical it was to build a
shared understanding with teachers about
our students and how they might see the
world. Taking teachers on a tour of the
neighborhoods in which students lived was
eye-opening for many. I wanted them to de-
velop empathy (not sympathy) for the lived
experiences of students.
In our next staff meeting, discussion cen-
tered on expectations for student behavior,
teachers brainstormed possible reasons why
students might behave in ways that differed
from expectations. Considering students’
perspectives led to rich conversations, an-
ticipating possible behaviors and preparing
appropriate reactions.
Unfortunately, this learning about stu-
dents’ perspectives does not automatically
transfer to interactions between adults.
During collaboration, leaders must capital-
ize on opportunities for adults to consider
one another’s perspectives.
The importance of adult perspective taking
is clear in the frustration Nancy feels: “There
are so many stresses. Students with extreme
behavior and pressure to raise state test
scores. Having to teach out of a prescribed
curriculum on a schedule means my stu-
dents are falling behind. I don’t feel trusted
in my content knowledge or have the ability
to make choices that would improve learning
for my kiddos. I wish administrators would
think about us and not just test scores.”
When teachers do not see evidence that
their perspective is taken into consideration,
they feel defeated and powerless. If Nancy were
teaching in a school in which leaders modeled
social and emotional learning competencies
and welcomed teachers to engage in these
practices as well, she would be more hopeful
for her students and about her profession.
Positive possibilities
To retain teachers, we must ensure
they learn and are suppor ted in the
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