Lessons in Leading
Lessons in Leading
Fourteen. That’s how many principals I’ve worked for in my career. I have been fortunate that most have been exceptional. What makes a school principal exceptional? In my opinion, it is a person who takes the time to get to know staff and can understand the climate and the culture that is already there to proceed with a vision that is collaborative. Together we ask ourselves - what do we need as a staff to help our students become life-long learners and good citizens? Leadership styles vary depending on the personality of the leader.
My first principal’s name was Jeff T. Jeff hired me for my first full time teaching job in Random Lake. This is what stands out for me when I think of Jeff: kindness, authority, sincerity, his handling of discipline, and his willingness to help me (a new teacher) without fear of judgment. He wanted me to succeed.
When I struggled that first year with a section of study hall seniors, he mentored me through it. He gave me some good advice, which I followed, and even when it didn’t work immediately, he took the time to sit in the study hall and be a presence. I appreciated that he took my challenges seriously, and he worked with me to grow through it. The first year teaching is the toughest - especially when you don’t teach all the students, much less even know all the students’ names in the school. It’s tough. There was no judgment. He never once told me to “just figure it out.” And if I ever felt the need to kick a student out of class or study hall, he kept the student and talked through the issue, never sending the student back to class.
When I taught in Rio, Doug S was also very supportive. Doug definitely was a presence and the kids knew it. He had a bark, and the kids knew that he meant business if you were called to the office. He also was a strong supporter of all kids’ activities, but I would say that he was more supportive of the activities that his kids were involved with - namely the fine arts. As an English teacher and drama director, he was always accommodating to the needs of the music, art, and theater kids and teachers. He also was a farmer, so he enjoyed talking with the ag kids and the FFA students. Doug was steadfast in his beliefs, and he allowed teachers the freedom to teach their discipline without too much judgment. Even if a teacher was challenged or if there was a phone call about something about a teacher, he handled it himself. If he thought it required a meeting, he’d let you know. I loved that about him. I’ve talked about a situation I had about a book that I was teaching and the parent complaint at a parent-teacher conference. He told the parent that it was board approved, and if they didn’t like it they should approach the board. The parent never did.
Rick M hired me to teach in St. Francis, Wisconsin. He was direct about the rules and our staff was very congenial. We wanted to do right by Rick. He stood up for us with the superintendent a few times, and it was nice to know that he took our concerns seriously. I don’t ever remember sending a student to the principal’s office, but that isn’t to say that I didn’t. What I remember most about the leadership that Rick brought to the school was his mild-mannered affect. He wasn’t the stern, steadfast Doug S. He was a gentle giant, actually. And even as a gentle giant, he had control of his school with collaborative meetings and respectful conversations.
Marty V ruled the same in Pewaukee. What I remember and admire the most about Marty is that he really wanted to get to know me, as a person, as well as a teacher. He asked me a lot of questions in my interview (duh), but when we were conversing, I think he went off script and asked me what my “perfect job” would be. No one had ever asked me that before. It’s like he was inquiring so that maybe there would be a chance to actually do it at PHS. Now, I’m not sure if that WAS the reason, but it made me wonder. I told him that I wanted a teaching job that would allow me to use my speech communication skills – teaching English and speech.
The other thing that Marty did for me was something that I never knew until years later. He saved my job. He saved my job by cutting another’s. So without knowing and without him sharing it with me - he went to bat for me. He actually did all that he could so that I would remain 100% at PHS because he believed in me. Good leaders stand up for their staff even without them knowing. I learned this years later when having coffee with a friend.
I left PHS with only two years there, and Marty was very kind when I was applying for a job in Columbus. He wasn’t thrilled that he would have to open up my position, but he was genuinely happy for me when he learned that I was back in my hometown. Not so much that I was teaching 8th grade, but happy nonetheless. It was no surprise to me that Marty won the State Principal Award the year after I left Pewaukee. He definitely was in my top 3. 😉
In my tenure in Columbus, between the middle school and the high school, I have had 10 principals. TEN! Four at Columbus Middle School and six at the high school.
Most of these positions were open under one superintendent. This superintendent is no longer with us, retiring a couple of years ago. What happened you might wonder? Let’s just say that under that leadership style many teachers left the district, too. An ungodly amount of teachers left the district. And because of that leadership style, we’re still recovering and finding our way back to trusting administration.
What I love about my current principals and their leadership styles, is that there is transparency, professionalism, kindness, confidentiality, trust, and discipline. What I admired and respected as a young teacher, early in my career, I've seen in my last year as a full time teacher, and now again in retirement as a substitute. Our high school principals are doing their job. They are relating to the kids, building relationships with staff and students, WITHOUT overstepping boundaries. A good leader doesn’t need to key into a classroom to see what’s going on. A good leader doesn't want to know everyone’s business. A good leader isn’t trying to win friends with baseless, fake friendliness. A good leader is doing the work. Not shying away from the uncomfortability of challenges - namely discipline or any other aspect of the job where there may be conflicts. A good leader will address a conflict, humanely and with understanding for all parties. A good leader will lead by example and not be “showy.” A good leader is respected by all staff, even if the leader has to make really tough decisions. A good staff will understand.
I remember walking down the hall with one of my principals. He asked me if we could talk in my room. My gut reaction was, am I in trouble, which I verbalized, and he said, “Well, let’s talk a bit.” We stepped into my classroom and he told me that he needed to speak to me about a situation that occurred after school. I was petrified that I did something terribly wrong. I had a respectful, friendly conversation with my principal who felt empathy, and then also told me to be careful to not put myself into that kind of position again. Trust me – it wasn’t anything too bad, but it was on someone’s radar and he needed to deliver the news. Don’t get me wrong, I was pissed about being reprimanded. But I wasn’t pissed at my principal. I was pissed about the situation. A healthy relationship with a leader and a staff member should be one with mutual respect. If that’s not there, getting any kind of news would be ill-received and would damage future conversations.
Leaders have a weighty role. They have to prove themselves to their followers. If they can’t do that, they are not good leaders. In education, in my humble opinion, it comes right down to doing the hard work. The hard work includes handling difficult situations with parents, students, and other staff. It’s being friendly without being overly friendly. It’s handling discipline matters so that teachers can instruct the kids in the classroom. AND it’s finding a way to get the discipline issues under control with conflict resolution strategies or even simple conversations. It’s respecting teachers enough that you let them be. Trust them to do their jobs. It isn’t about vanity and self-promotion. It’s about self-less, behind the scenes, working through problems to find real solutions.
My favorite principals were advocates for what is right and trying to fix what might be wrong, with the collaboration and community of their staff.
