The road to the top is tough, and it’s not necessarily one that gets easier once you’ve arrived.
Directors go about their days balancing a number of priorities: checking in with students, observing instruction, coaching teachers, and dealing with unpredictable issues that arise.
Research has shown that schools are likely to have better teacher retention the longer a principal stays at the same school, but in a December 2021 surveymore than a quarter of principals said they plan to leave the profession in two to three years.
One way to mitigate turnover is to prepare leaders for the road ahead.
In a two-part 2019 series breaking down advice for new principals, Education Week asked four principals — some with more than a decade of experience on the job — to share some insights with their peers just starting out in the profession. Their recommendations ranged from recognizing that “it is impossible to do everything” on the importance of being “emotionally vulnerable with your staff.”
We posed the same thing question to our Twitter followers, asking them to keep their responses to 6 words or less.
Here are their suggestions.
You are only as good as your team
“Relationships, Relationships, Relationships!”
– Jeff B.
“Ask your admin team for guidance!”
– Stephen
“Delegate > micro-manage. Trust your teachers.”
– David d.
“Let the teachers teach – trust the process!”
Keep perspective
Educators encourage new principals to take time to slow down and plan, remember their “why” and recognize that there is always room for growth.
“Listen, observe, REFLECT,…before implementing changes!”
– Renee B.
“Balance – work is always there!”
– Holly G.
“Respect everyone’s time, including your own.”
– Olga R.
“Progress. Everything is important to someone.”
– John C.
“Remember what you believe in.”
– PJ C.
“You don’t need to know everything.”
“Build relationships, lead fearlessly, have fun!”
– Adam S.
