Before becoming a principal, I had a romanticized idea of what that meant. The first nine years of my time at All Saints Catholic Academy was spent in the classroom – teaching, guiding, practicing, processing, and revising. I think I was too busy to really notice what the job of a principal entailed; and from this outsider’s prospective, it seemed like a principal’s day consisted solely of morning assemblies, budgets, and discipline. I honestly had no idea what my principals did all day – and I was ok with that!
These past seven years as a principal have taught me a lot about what being a principal means (deep sigh of relief). It can mean working as a counselor, a nurse, a facilitator, or a custodian – sometimes within the span of an hour! What’s interesting to me is that the one thing I dreaded the most as a teacher I love the most as a principal – classroom observations. As a teacher, I hated them! Everything about it felt so artificial. The principal sits at the back of the classroom, armed with a yellow legal pad and a pen, poised to document my every step or misstep. My students were different – (less animated and less participatory); and I was different (too stiff and too formal). The experience never seemed authentic and I would spend the days leading up the observation dreading the whole experience.
Here’s what I didn’t know about observations as a teacher. It’s the icing on the principal’s cake! It is a very deliberate time to reconnect with the actual reasons for becoming involved in education. Students and student experience are what make a school a thriving and vibrant place! Having time carved out of the day that is dedicated to watching remarkable teachers in action and students ready and willing to learn is the highpoint of every principal’s day.
Learning is one of the most powerful experiences a person has and it is such a unique privilege to witness. The opportunity to work with adults who have the same vision and love for the school and the people in it helps me see education much more as a vocation instead of a career. I can think of few jobs as important as what we do here.
Two weeks ago, I was finishing up my second round of formal observations. On this particular Monday morning, I was with my pre-kindergarten friends, observing a literacy lesson. As I sat in a small, blue chair that seemed to belong in a doll house because it was so tiny, I watched. I listened. I marveled. of things a principal does in any given day. Some things are more fun than others, just like any job. But the most fun and the most meaningful are the times spent in classrooms with teachers and students. What better reward than to see the fruits of your labors?
Posted by Mrs. Wilson
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