Monday morning. It’s the first day of the new term and the experienced teacher turned rookie administrator is in her office, ready for what’s to come. Or, at least she thinks so. Suddenly, the world of the administrator begins to erupt. Placement decisions. Student complaints. Faculty demands. Unexpected, unbudgeted expenses. Late textbook orders. The questions and demands pile on. The new administrator finds herself racing to develop a new skill set in order to successfully meet these demands. She’s on her own to figure it out. From the vantage point of the classroom, this position looked interesting and professionally attractive. Now it feels isolating and overwhelming. Where does she turn for help?

Research indicates (Christison & Stoller, 2012; Foster, 2006; Harris, 2006; Palm, 2006) that teachers are asked to step into management roles without sufficient training or experience. As they begin, administrators scramble to develop a new skill set, create a support system, seek training opportunities, and explore relevant research. In this article, we share strategies that we have learned from our experiences moving from the classroom to administrative roles in the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at Portland State University (PSU) in Portland, Oregon.

Background

The IELP at PSU has been serving ESL students for 50 years and has experienced rapid growth over the last 5 years. This sharp increase in the number of students and teachers created the need for more administrative oversight. As is the case with many IEPs, our program traditionally filled administrative positions from the faculty. The three roles discussed here are the faculty coordinator, the learning center coordinator, and the academic director. All three of us have held these positions as fixed-term (full-time) instructors with a 1.0 FTE release from teaching. We are paid as instructors with supplementary stipends for the additional administrative responsibilities.

Our Roles

“The first role to emerge was the faculty coordinator in 2009,” explained Lisa McKinney.

I was chosen for this position through a faculty election process. Initially, I assisted with all aspects of program operations, student services, and faculty oversight. In 2013 the position was clearly defined. Since then I have been responsible for scheduling classes; managing, orienting, and mentoring adjunct instructors; and overseeing professional development for all faculty members.

Lisa also developed an online faculty orientation for new part-time employees, chaired five committees, and managed the CEA accreditation process for the IELP. “Because it was a new position, there was no training and only limited, casual mentoring available when I began,” Lisa noted, “I talked to the person who had had many of my new responsibilities, and colleagues in other programs in the area. In addition, I took some HR administrative workshops at Portland State.”

The next administrative position to open up in the IELP was the learning center coordinator, in 2011. “My experience transitioning from the classroom to this administrative role was quite different but equally challenging,” said Monika Mulder. “When I started this position, there were opportunities for training available, including an intensive training period during the summer term, as well as manuals and online training systems.”

The academic director is the most recently developed position as part of a larger restructuring of our IELP faculty governance system. This job was designed as a rotating position with two 3-year terms. “I oversee all aspects of the academic program, including curriculum, assessment, teaching, program development, and supervision of all full-time faculty,” said Wayne Gregory, who has held this position since it began in January 2013. “I started here as a teacher, after having been an academic director in another program for nearly 10 years. I used that experience but also had Lisa’s help and mentoring. Still, there was a lot to learn.”

For new administrators, the challenges can often be daunting. Gregory said,

I find that relying on a few basic strategies helps, regardless of the specific challenges a new administrator might face. For example, many of the most difficult problems administrators have to deal with are people problems. It’s important to try to fix the problem and not the person. This takes the personalities out of the equation and calms the situation. Another rule is to embrace your limitations and work to your strengths. Inexperienced administrators still are experienced teachers. They have managed classrooms, communicated difficult concepts, related to students, and handled disagreements.

Gregory also suggested administrators “pick your priorities and make sure they are the things that count and ones which you can successfully address. Success will breed more success and confidence.”

Challenges and Rewards

We faced similar challenges when we took on our respective administrative roles, including mastering a large amount of new information, learning on the job, adjusting to fixed schedules, and dealing with a new level of unpredictability. “I often think I should wear a fireman’s hat because I spend so much time putting out fires,” said Gregory.

On the other hand, the move to administration also provided unexpected rewards. “I enjoy the opportunities to improve and develop areas of the program, like hiring processes, and the chance to mentor adjunct instructors,” said McKinney. In addition, we have gained a better understanding of overall program operations, chances for collaboration with others in the field, and opportunities for large scale networking.

Lessons Learned

We believe new administrators could benefit from some basic lessons we have learned. “I recommend asking questions and seeking advice from other administrators on campus, like HR and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion,” said McKinney. “Attend conferences and workshops. Read books and articles. Use the information that is out there.”

If your program is smaller and more isolated, visit other schools and programs for insight. For example, Monika [Mulder] visited a larger program at another university in our state and toured the facility, talked with several administrators, shared ideas, techniques, and approaches. They reciprocated and visited our facility. Two of the most important things I gained from this were a validation of our practices and a confidence that I could be successful in my role.

In addition to the external sources available for training and help, there are simple steps any administrator can take to help keep his or her professional and personal life sane. “There are a few things I’ve learned that I keep going back to almost daily,” said Gregory.

First, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s what we tell our students, right? Also, don’t be afraid to make decisions. People won’t always agree, in fact someone will always disagree. But, overall most people are looking to administrators to make a call when a call has to be made. Finally, I think it’s important to embrace your weaknesses and work to your strengths. None of us is perfect and we may not be as skilled in one area as we are in another. However, as we build working relationships with our colleagues, we’ll find those who can pick up the slack, which allows us to do what we do best. This is empowering for everyone.

We believe there is hope for that harried teacher turned administrator on that chaotic Monday morning. Learning from the experience of others in similar positions, seeking out help from the ever-growing opportunities for training at TESOL International Association, and being willing to take on the risks and rewards that come from learning by doing are all strategies that can turn good teachers into good administrators.

Note: Information in this article is taken from our TESOL 2014 presentation: “The Next Generation: Transitioning From Teaching-Faculty to Administrative-Faculty.” Copies of the PowerPoint presentation are available upon request.

References

Christison, M., & Stoller, F. (2012). A handbook for language program administrators (2nd

ed.). Burlingame, CA: Alta Book Center.

Foster, B. (2006). From faculty to administrator: Like going to a different planet. New Directions for Higher Education, 2006 (134), 49–57.

Harris, S. (2006). Transitions: Dilemmas of leadership. New Directions for Higher Education, 2006 (134), 79–86.

Palm, R. (2006). Perspectives from the dark side: The career transition from faculty to administrator. New Directions for Higher Education, 2006 (134), 59–65.

Wayne Gregory has been in the ESL field for 28 years. He has worked in Japan and the United States. He is presently the academic director in the Intensive English Language Program at Portland State University.

Lisa McKinney has been in the ESL field for 23 years. She has worked in Japan, Canada, and the United States. She is presently the faculty coordinator in the Intensive English Language Program at Portland State University.

Monika Mulderhas been in the ESL field for 12 years. She has worked in Poland, Hungary, and the United States. She is presently the learning center coordinator in the Intensive English Language Program at Portland State University.