Being a principle is a lot more than just disciplining kids all day. It’s a lot harder than one would think. It involves planning, setting up after-school programs, and making the rules. You also get to meet lots of different students, teachers, and parents.
But it can also be mentally and physically exhausting. Mr. Hairston, 6th grade history teacher, gave his opinion on whether or not he would ever be a principal. “In regards to ever becoming a principal, I would have to say I respect the position of principal, however, I believe in life that we all have a calling. Some people are called to be a mechanic, or a doctor. Others are called to ministry or administration. I believe that I have been called to be a teacher. In my opinion, teaching is a noble profession. I love being able to interact with my students. They learn from me and I learn from them. The relationships I have created are life long and I would never want to lose that.” When asked if he would change anything about this school if he were to become a principal, he said no, and that the current principals are doing a great job.
Fun Fact: There are about 89,810 principals in the US! In ALMS alone, we have three fantastic principals. Mr. Coe, Dr. Motley, and Mr. Underwood. The word principal originates from the Latin word ‘Principals’, meaning “first in importance”, and is related to the title of prince.
Principals have a bigger impact on students and schools than we think. Without principles, our lives would be quite different. When asked, ‘What made you want to become a principal?’Mr. Underwood replied, “I wanted to have more opportunities to work with students and staff in an educational environment that went beyond the scope of what I was able to do in the classroom. I was motivated by the idea that I could build even more relationships and have a broader impact in helping to keep ALMS the fantastic school that it is.” All it takes is a little motivation. His answer is the reason why ALMS is the school it is today.
An interesting and informational statistic made by Forbes magazine took a poll of all of the male and female principals in the school systems. About 55% of principals are female, 45% are male.
NAESP, National Association of Elementary School Principals, said that principals are excellent predictors of student achievement and other outcomes. Principals are big deciders on whether or not teachers continue teaching, and making sure students come to school. Without principals, students wouldn’t have a need to come to school, and teachers could leave whenever they felt like it!
In Prince George’s County, Maryland, there is a school without any principals. This means that the teachers get to vote on everything and make all the decisions for the school. US News did a report on this, and they interviewed a woman named Dorothy Ray. She said, “ Teachers don’t really get a lot of say in what goes on in schools. So I thought, why not then have an avenue where teachers really get to step up to the plate and decide how schools actually operate?”
Most people think that when the last bell sounds, everyone is done for the day. But the silent superhero is still at the school, working diligently. The Wallace Foundation asked three principals some commonly asked questions. One of the questions was, “Does a principal’s day end when the last bell rings?” They all said no. They highlighted on the fact that, even though they leave the school at the end of the day, their day never really ends. Most said that they were either at sporting events, performances, or after-school activities. Not to mention all of the emails and potential paperwork. They said that it’s a 24/7 job, and I’m sure most principals would agree.
So, in conclusion, it’s much harder to be a principal than some people may think. The next time you see one of your principals, make sure to thank them for making your school great!
CITE WEBSITES:
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/19/a-school-without-principals-yes-really
https://wallacefoundation.org/resource/article/busting-5-myths-about-being-principal
