This had me thinking about the Principals
that I worked for and what they were like. I decided to think about what traits
they all had that made me glad I worked for them.
Honesty – They were upfront with the decisions they
made. I may not have agreed with them but they didn’t play one teacher against
another. I was able to go ask the Principal for permission for something and
got a truthful answer, not a vague postponement.
Trust - I knew if I went to the Principal with a
confidential situation that it would stay confidential. I knew that the
Principal would watch my back and I would watch his. He would make sure that I
was doing things correctly and I would make sure that I would do my job so no
parent had a legitimate cause to complain.
Team Player – They allowed teachers to give input and
really listened to this input before making a decision. I have also had some
Principals that just made it seem like they listened but didn’t place any
importance on what was being said. These Principals didn’t act like a monarch
and we were the servants.
Empowerment – They allowed teachers to do their job and
didn’t try to micromanage teachers. Teachers were expected to fulfill their
responsibilities without excuses. Teachers were given shared duties and no
small cliché reigned in the operation of the school.
Professionalism – They treated teachers as adults and professionals. If we needed to leave campus for something
important, we were allowed to do so as long as we notified the administration
that we were leaving. We were also expected not to be late to class, ever. I’ve
had Principals that treated us like second-class citizens, which made for a
hostile work environment.
What characteristics do you think are vital
for a good Principal? Please share.
