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Some Exciting News

On Wednesday of this past week, the new Principal's Shortlist was approved by the Board of Trustees and released to the system, and I was on it. While I am very much excited and honoured to be considered worthy of such a position, I can't deny that the thought of taking this role on makes me a bit nauseous. I suppose I will forever be the reluctant administrator who continues to miss teaching and magic we can make happen in a classroom. Part of the uneasiness is attributed to a new-found appreciation of the degree of scrutiny under which principals are viewed. I have always appreciated that there really is no separation of the private and public persona. I can claim that "my views are my own" but I have also come to really understand how being part of an organization such as a school board simply does not allow for that and rightly so. I have to be even more guarded and careful about what I publish to avoid misunderstanding and misrepresentation of myself and potentially others. I have been known be something of a "straight shooter". There's not a whole lot of guess work required to figure out what I think on a matter because most of the time, I'll say what I'm thinking. It goes a long way with kids and most of the time, with teachers too. I realize I'm entering a very different arena that my experience as a Vice Principal has not really allowed me to understand fully. How I present myself in the way I speak and even dress will be even more so under the proverbial microscope. I get it, I do.

As I ready for the news of my placement for the upcoming school year, I have A LOT of thinking to do and was recently given some really good advice about survival in Year One:

  1. Be quiet. Observe. Listen.
  2. Reinvent my approach on social media.
  3. Invest time to develop a positive working relationship with my superintendent. 
  4. Seek out mentorship from seasoned principals who "get it".
Interestingly, none of these points pertains to running a school specifically. I have come to appreciate that much about being an effective principal stems from having a kind of "presence". I have been told that my personality lends itself to this sort of presence but I'm realizing that being the face of the school requires someone who can still remain true to themselves while presenting as someone who truly understands that they represent an entire system of beliefs, practices and ways of doing and being. Much of the upcoming months will require me to dig REEEEEALLY deep and look at ways of reinventing myself a bit while still being authentically me. I am the age that I am, looking forward to such an amazing opportunity and a lot of it has to do with me and who I am. While I have many reasons to be proud, I know that I am about to take on a role that has absolutely nothing to do with me or my wants or goals. It's about kids and what's best for them. THAT is really what I'm all about.

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