“1st Year Principal–and Mentor?”

This post is written after reading “1st Year Principal–and Mentor?” by H. MiUndrae Prince, published in Principal Leadership (Middle School edition) vol 5, no 3: November 2004. I apologize for lack of a direct link to the article. If you would like a pdf copy of the article, please email me.

In an effort to understand the journey I am undertaking, I’ve been reading voraciously. I don’t know that this strategy has helped ease my anxiety, or even given me a clearer picture of what to expect, as I do not think that can happen until I begin. Each school is different. Each principal is different, and the neighborhood that I serve in will determine much of my education.

Yet this article has given me pause. The author, principal of Columbia (SC) High School, wrote from her own experience of mentoring a principal apprentice during her first year as a principal. The article enumerates numerous benefits to the principal: immediate feedback, confidence building, and support. The district benefited by increasing the pool of skilled, trained principals and a new way to view mentoring. Lastly, the protégé benefits from being a “quasi-administrator,” finishing the year with a “clearer picture of what to expect during a principal’s first year” (page 28).

As a protégé, I am grateful that I am not assigned to a first year principal.

First Days of School

I think back to my days in elementary and middle school, when I picked my favorite new outfit and shined my shoes for the first day of school.  My hair had to be just so, typically with Dad pulling the pigtails nice and tight, slicking the hair down and braiding the pigtails for my much-anticipated first day. Most years I was nervous, unsure what to expect.  We moved frequently, so I never knew what to expect from one year to the next.  Change was the expectation, and I learned to adapt to whatever situation was presented.  Maybe that’s why I didn’t bat an eye at schooling in Vietnamese, rather I started talking to another little girl, trying to figure out her language.  When in Rome, do as the Romans, right?

The days of my formal schooling may be long past, but I continue to anticipate the first day of school.  This time I am not one of the throngs of eager, excited students, but now one of the administrators.  I’ve seen many first days of school as a teacher, and this year will be my first on the administrative side of education.  I have no idea what to expect, since I’m a principal-in-training. What does that look like? I’m still not entirely sure. I know I’m not the one making the decisions, or being held accountable (whew!)  I’ll be shadowing a highly-recommended principal, trying to learn from her decisions and actions.  I’m looking forward to observing, trying to fit into this new role in a new neighborhood.

This blog will chronicle my experiences, learning and reflections of a year-long internship in an urban school.  Pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea, and let’s chat.