Jeffersons and Butterflies: on becoming a school principal

After almost 18 years of teaching with the past four as a middle school vice-principal, I have recently been appointed as an elementary school principal for the next school year!  I am thrilled, humbled and admittedly, a bit terrified at this honour which has been bestowed on me.  I have known for the past couple of years that I have wanted to become a school principal but it’s always felt like, “one day”.  Well, that “one day” is (almost) here (cue stomach butterflies).

I know that I will not be alone in this.  I know I have the skills needed and that my mentors and colleagues have helped me prepare.  I can and will handle all that a principal needs to be able to do, manage and deal with in the day-to-day.  And I know that this will not happen overnight, that there most certainly will be moments where it will be hard, and that it will be challenging.  I expect this and welcome it.  My growth mindset, willingness to take risks, relationship-building skills and support from my mentor and district office will all be factors in my success as a principal.

When I told my friends and family about my new role, someone said, “hey, movin’ on up!”...just like the Jeffersons theme song (dating myself just a little).  But the thing is, I don’t see this as an entirely vertical move.  Yes, I will be the head of a school but I really want to build the type of learning community where I am a part of something, as a partner and as a learner, with the staff at my school. I have a view of the future where relationships and trust are built to the point where collaboration is the norm and we create change, take risks, improve and learn together.  I definitely have a lot to learn and I certainly don’t have all the answers!  

So I intend to be “movin’ on over”  which is not to be confused with George Thorogood’s “move it on over” where a “mean old dog’s movin’ in”...mainly because I’m fairly young and I don’t think I have a propensity for meanness, but I digress.  I see my move into the role of principal as more of a lateral move really, where I intend to learn all I can about my new school community while I get to know everyone and they get to know me. This relationship and trust building will be the basis of everything that evolves from there. Then, when we are ready as a staff to ponder change or to face new initiatives (curriculum redesign, anyone?), my vision is that we will do so together.  

I have more I want to delve into in this blog about communities of practice and professional capital but I will leave that for another post!  Considering that I am still about three months away from my vertical-lateral move, I will remind myself to take things one day at a time now as I finish up my current assignment as vice-principal and say goodbye to my current school, students and colleagues.  My “one day” will be here soon enough (with butterflies, right on cue).