Todd Creech

Thomas County Middle School
Thomasville, Georgia
tcreech@tcjackets.net

Best Practices

1) One practice I think I follow particularly well is my communication with parents. As administrators we are called on to interact with parents and family members on a daily basis. These families are trusting us with their most precious possession, their children, and I want to ensure they feel confident we are up to the task of managing and guiding them well. My morning duty station is in the student drop off line, where I am able to laugh and interact with our students and families in a cheerful way to begin their day in the best way possible. Because of that, when I’m called upon to interact with those students and family members for disciplinary reasons, my call is typically more well received. Even when it’s not, I pride myself on maintaining a level head, and my goal is always to end a conversation with the family member being calmer and in better spirits than when the conversation started.

2) Another practice I feel I’m particularly good at is supporting my teachers. I try to foster an environment where teachers feel comfortable speaking to me to voice concerns if needed. Teachers deserve the utmost respect, and I try to make sure they receive that from me. It’s easy sometimes to forget what it was like to be a classroom teacher, but I try to put myself in their shoes and maintain that perspective. Part of my administrative duties includes observing teachers. The teachers I observe know that I am never looking to have a “gotcha” moment when I’m observing them. I want them to feel that we’re on the same team, and when I visit I’m only looking to help make their classroom and our school the best it can be for our students.