Relationship responsibility between adviser and boss

         After listening to teachers share negative qualities of their administrators (aka "Pity Party"), Kristin Gilger gave teachers strategies for communicating with difficult principals.

Gilger prepares a "pity party" list.

Early in her session, she clarified that it's the adviser's responsibility to secure a good working relationship because the adviser has to advocate for the newspaper students.

One strategy she suggests is to meet with the principal before school starts to better understand the principal's expectations.  These are suggested questions to ask him or her at that meeting:

1.  If a story is not flattering to the school but is accurate and balanced, how would you feel about it?
2.  What content do you consider "off limits"?

Gilger had the 30 high school journalism teachers role play a discussion between an adviser and principal about a controversial story. This is a strategy that was quite effective. In fact, I will use this with students to prepare them to keep interviews from becoming hostile.

She said it's important to really listen and to indicate that you've heard what the other person is saying. I agree. I hate to watch television shows (news, reality tv, etc) where the speakers disagree. Often I can tell that they are not listening to each other. They talk over each other and raise their voices to drown out what the other says. Pointless !

Donna Owen
McIntosh High School
Peachtree City, Georgia