A
Primer for Principals: Tips for Educational Leaders
Published in Marietta Daily Journal Aug. 9, 2015
Dear
Principal,
School is in and both the stress and
the joy are back. Since for school age
children the American summer is becoming a thing of the past, you no doubt have
less time than ever to look ahead. Most
people don’t realize you had to start thinking about August last January.
When I think of educational
leadership, my mind runs to principals.
To me the pivot of educational leadership is the school principal. Essentially you stand between the policy
makers and the practitioners. You also
serve parents. This takes communication
skills that are too often unappreciated.
I’ve never walked in your shoes, so
far be it from me to give you advice.
However I have worked for, worked with, and observed closely 11
principals, all of whom were effective educational leaders. These 11 principals had different talents and
gifts, but the important thing is they gave their gifts away – to their
students, their faculties and school communities as well. All of what I suggest below is what I saw in
these 11 principals.
I hope you haven’t lost the glory of
looking into the face of a child or a youth.
I hope you are still intrigued by the innocence, the hungry eyes, the
anticipation of adulthood and the bright hope for tomorrow that most children
and youth possess. I also hope that you
are saddened by the growing number whose hope has been crushed by conditions
and circumstances they had no control over.
They, more than anyone, need the help that you and your teachers can
give.
Please consider the following
actions as the new school year gets underway:
Walk the fences.
Most likely, administrivia prevents you from visiting classes as much as
you would like, but students need to see that you enjoy learning. Please don’t visit only to evaluate your
teachers but to sit and participate in the lesson. Cut up just a little bit. Lean over and whisper (but only once) to a
student while the teacher is talking.
This is not for making you cool, but making you human. There is little wonder that students don’t
know you care. They don’t even know
you. But they should. Tell Central Office that next week is for
visiting classes and that you really don’t need to be in meetings. Knowledge excites students. Self-esteem pablum doesn’t. Let students know that learning excites you
and that they are there to get knowledge.
Choose your weapons. You are in a fight, you know,
so fight the good fight against mediocrity and casualness. Fight for excellence. You need neither a bullhorn nor a stern
countenance; just your sincerity and omnipresence. Don’t overdo this business of “identifying
with students.” Do you think the parents
of the Greatest Generation gave a lot of thought to “identifying” with their
children? Heavens no, and that’s one
reason their children did well. They
were not coddled and their favor was not sought. The best weapon of a leader is concern for
those he or she is leading, not a desire to be liked.
Remember your history.
The truth is you were an adjective before you were a noun. Schools started out with no administrators,
just teachers. The teacher chosen to light
the fires, clean the room and secure materials was called the principal
teacher. When the tasks of readiness
became too numerous and time-consuming, the principal teacher ceased teaching,
assumed the operational and supervisory tasks fulltime and was then called the
principal. Your role and your title were
born out of service, out of menial tasks that were necessary for a good
learning climate. The lesson from this
history is clear.
Watch your language.
The field of education has cluttered the culture with vague, insipid
words. Please don’t ever say
“facilitate,” or “sibling,” or “pupil station” when you really mean “make
easier,” “brother or sister,” and “desk.”
You know what all of the other trendy words are.
Trust your instincts.
If you’ve got the job, you’ve already been vetted, so cling to the
common sense that brought you this far.
The world has changed but human nature hasn’t. Beware of all the romanticized educational
literature that tells you today’s students are the sharpest generation
ever. It ain’t so. I was told the same thing 50 years ago. Students are no more or less capable of mischief
than they were then. But the same is true for excellence and
achievement.
Finally,
I suspect you are appreciated far more than you realize. You’re a cultural leader. Your role is most significant. I wish you the best.
Roger
Hines
8/5/15
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