Making the Transition From the Classroom to the Office
Superhuman with god-like qualities who is capable of being in the middle of controversy while not becoming it. Must be a person who is comfortable being responsible for everyone and everything while only being in control of themselves. Above all else, someone who likes making a difference working with students. If you do not mind being in the middle between anyone of the following: students, parents, teachers, superintendents, boards of education, then please consider applying.
The posting although factious is more truth (compiled expectations of the education community i.e. student, parents, staff, and board of education) than fiction. The move from classroom teacher to building principal is a challenging one. The classroom offers routine, immediate feedback, and control while the principalship is unstructured, with little unsolicited feedback, and influence quickly replaces control. If you are having difficulty in the classroom the principalship is NOT for you, but if you recognize that you have capacity and desire to lead, it maybe something to consider.
If you are considering the move the following steps are critical to the successful transition. The first step: find a mentor, someone who is successful in a leadership role and is willing to help you develop your skills.
The second step: get training: the best Masters programs will have instructors that are former Principals/Superintendents that bring a tremendous amount of experience to their courses. The third step: refine your educational philosophy, what is important? The fourth step: apply, find positions in locals that you are interested in and apply (without experience you will probably have to rely on the good old boy network).
I was fortunate enough to replace my mentor and long time principal at a school in which I worked at for seven years and loved. Depending on the school, staff, and community this may not be an easy transition but I found it better than starting over fresh in another place. The only downfall is you are not a “distant expert” or a guru the school district found in some strange far away place, plus everyone already knows your baggage. The upside is they knew what they were getting and still chose to hire you.
It takes grit and sheer determination to make it through each day of the first year especially if you are going to make any changes (which you should do early during your tenure). Change should be steady and should start with things that you believe will be critical to student achievement, building team mentality, and consistency.
If you are new to the district be extra careful who you gather information from and align yourself with. The learning curve is tremendous, if you are in the classroom and make a mistake only twenty odd students notice, now the whole school will be talking it over the lunch table (and it may be something that you did right that gets people upset).
The good news: the job does get easier and if you like something new and challenging everyday a principalship maybe something for you to consider.
