A BRIEF REFLECTION ON THE PRINCIPALSHIP

I reflect upon the principalship daily. I live and breathe the principalship. I was born for the principalship. It's a very fascinating position but it's really not for everyone. It is also a very complex and overwhelmingly demanding position. The principal wears countless hats in the span of any given 30 minute block of time throughout the course of a school day. The principal is expected to have immediate answers and solutions for every issue that arises in a school. Everything that could possibly happen or go wrong at any given moment in a school falls on the shoulders of the principal. On top of all of the principal's responsibilities, the principal is expected to be the instructional leader, informational leader, inspirational leader and the lead learner of the building. Student achievement is a direct reflection of the principal. The principal is expected to be an expert in school law, school finance and the school curriculum. The existing school climate and culture are a reflection of the principal too. The principal must also be able to effectively navigate the politics of the school, the district, and the city / town in which it is located....which is not always an easy endeavor. Principals would like to please everyone but in all actuality, they cannot. Someone somewhere will always be displeased. Principals have families too but they devote so much of their time and energy to their schools that they sometimes (and for some often time) neglect their own families. I could actually write forever about the role of the principal but I will stop here...(perhaps I will write a longer blog post on this topic soon) but I will end it with this...the principal is a human being with real human emotions that in most cases can't be exhibited because everyone is looking for the principal to stay in character and exhibit strength at all times. I salute all of the hardworking principals today. The principalship can certainly be thankless at times, but today, I'm saying to my principal colleagues, thank you for what you do for children.