Dear Educator, Don’t Mistake Access for Authority

A dark-skinned lady holding a mobile phone

You know that special group of educators who have direct access to the school head or employer? 

Maybe they’re in leadership. Maybe they’ve earned that trust over time. Maybe their role gives them that kind of proximity.

Whatever the reason—if that’s you—please lean in for a moment.


Every morning, your boss wakes up and checks their messages. They’re probably expecting work updates, meeting reminders, a progress report, or something urgent about the day. 


But what do they find?


A Bible verse.


A motivational quote.


A “have a blessed day” line.


Every. Single. Day.


Let’s acknowledge something important:

You mean well. It’s coming from a good place. Maybe even a spiritual one. And yes, we all love encouragement and positivity.


But the truth nobody wants to hear:


You were hired to do a job, not to be their spiritual adviser.
You’re not their life coach. You’re not their therapist. You’re their employee.

And when that line gets blurry—when personal messages start replacing professional updates—you might be distracting yourself more than you're helping anyone else.



See What You May Be Missing

Workplaces, especially schools, are living, breathing systems. They evolve. Expectations shift. Priorities change. What worked last year might not work this term.

And if you’re not paying attention—if you’re so caught up in being familiar that you forget to stay focused—you may find yourself left behind.


Honestly,
When it’s time to make tough decisions, your daily prayer texts won’t save your job.


When performance is being reviewed, your morning affirmations won’t erase gaps in your delivery.


When parents complain, and children aren’t learning, your inspirational quotes won’t be enough.


And your boss—the same person you message every morning—will still need to call you out if you’re not doing your job well. 


That's not betrayal. That’s leadership!



So What Should You Do Instead?

🔶 Stay professional in your communication 

If you haven’t been invited to send personal messages, don’t assume you should. If in doubt, ask.

🔶 Focus on your actual work.

Are you growing? Are you upskilling? Are you delivering results? Those are the things that speak for you—even louder than your daily devotions.

🔶 Be wise about boundaries.

Access is a privilege. Don’t confuse it with immunity. Familiarity is not the same as indispensability.

🔶 Watch for cues.

Has your boss ever responded to those messages? Have they encouraged it? Do they engage with the same energy? If not, that may be your cue to pause.


☘️

Being close to leadership can be a gift. But it’s also a test.

The real proof of your value isn’t in how often you pop up in your boss’s inbox—it's in how well you show up in your role.

So, if you're lucky enough to have that access, don’t abuse it. Don’t get carried away. And definitely don’t lose your focus.

Be excellent. Be professional. Be intentional.


 That’s the real message that will never go unread.


☘️

I'm sure this article impacted you positively 😊.

Now, be kind enough to share it with that educator.




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Comments

  1. Cynthia OghenegarenJuly 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM

    Hmmmm know your boundaries and be professional. Don't take privileges for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MuhammedJuly 21, 2025 at 4:58 PM

    What a great read. I know someone that's always removed and added every now and then from the company's official group because of something related to this article. 😃😃

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Empowering Educators with VickyJuly 25, 2025 at 12:49 PM

      😄😄😄... What an unnecessary stress for the group admin!

      Delete

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