What Type Of Person Thrives In The Education Industry, According To A Teacher At International School Of Aruba
Effective teachers are "warm demanders," balancing care and high expectations to create joyful, structured classrooms; successful principals share these qualities but also possess strategic thinking, strong communication, and crucially, the self-awareness to know "where their locus of control is and where it's not," accepting limitations and focusing energy effectively.
Warmth, High Expectations, Structure, Strategic Thinking, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sean Holiday
Secondary Lead/Teacher
International School of Aruba
George Washington University, 2006
Masters in Education, Loyola Marymount University, 2008; Master in Public Administration, University of Southern California, 2012
International Relations & Affairs
Education
Education
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. A successful teacher is a "warm demander," balancing care and high expectations in a joyful yet structured classroom.
2. Principals who thrive possess warmth, create effective systems, think strategically, and communicate well, but also understand their limitations and know what to delegate.
3. To succeed in education leadership, knowing your limits and focusing on what you can directly impact is crucial.
Transcript
How would you typically describe people who thrive in your industry?
I really like that question. I think people who thrive as teachers are often what are called "warm demanders."
This means they are kind, personable, caring, and funny, but they also have high expectations and expect students to meet them. When I've observed excellent teachers, their classrooms are full of joy, but also ordered and structured.
Children crave structure and boundaries, but they don't want their classroom to be a sad or joyless place. When you can combine that level of joy and warmth with clear goals, structures, and processes to achieve them, it creates magic.
Being a principal is a bit different. The "warm demander" concept is still helpful, but I think people who have truly thrived as principals have other key qualities.
I'll be honest, I was an effective principal, but I loved teaching about 95% of the time and didn't love being a principal that much. It was a more challenging job for me.
What truly sets great principals apart is their understanding of their locus of control. They know what they can fix and what they cannot, and they are okay with leaving things alone that are beyond their influence.
I often struggled with wanting to fix everything. I found it hard to say, "No, I'm not going to touch that," because if something wasn't working, I felt we needed to fix it. This isn't about not caring; it's about understanding the limits of what one can affect.
Advizer Personal Links
www.seanholiday.com; Instagram @sholiday