Advice for Principals and Administrators (Opinion)

As this new school year progresses, many administrators have turned a page, leaving one position for another and even one district for another. This may require a certain bravery. If we’re honest with ourselves, starting over can be scary. New faces, new processes, new buildings and new communities can be overwhelming.

On my first day of starting in a new district this summer, I fell face first and flat down into the office hallway in front of everyone else. It felt like it was happening in slow motion. One of the first people I wrote to about this mishap was a former colleague. She helped me get over the sheer humiliation with just a simple text message reply.

In the days that followed, we kept in touch with short texts that checked each other out. I’ve tried to fill in the gaps my departure left in the district where we worked together. Luckily I didn’t have any more embarrassing lapses to tell her about.

As I adjust to this new position, I use the time after the end of the school day to meet up with former colleagues and share experiences. It is not necessary to leave previous employment (if you have benefited from it) when joining a new district.

Restarting as an administrator requires listening. Lots of it. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received came from another former colleague years ago when he retired and I took over his position as principal. He was aware of my impulse to act fast and get straight into things, and instead advised me to “go slow and slow.”

Since moving into this new position, I’ve gone back to that original advice and tried to slow down. That means consciously taking the time to listen, listen, and listen. I turned off the part of my brain that jumps to conclusions. Every morning on my commute to work, I reminded myself that those first few weeks (and beyond) are for learning. I taught myself to stay on track.

And, boy, did I have so much to learn moving from a small county in upstate New York to an urban school district? While I have 28 years of education experience, this is my first year in a city school system with more than 9,000 students. In many ways, I still don’t even know what I don’t know – yet.

When I asked another dear main friend for advice on starting a new job, he had this to say: “My best advice for anyone starting a new job is to try to keep your confidence, but make sure that he completely lets go of the ‘I have this’ mindset.”

A fresh start requires you to lean into the team you’re joining. Each member of the team has their professional background, skills and history to share. Don’t avoid asking questions or asking for help when you need it. Iron sharpens iron, and if you want to do your best, learn from your new peers.

At the start of the school year, an inspirational Assistant Superintendent guided my administrative colleagues and I through a professional development activity centered around leadership advisor Stephen MR Covey’s book The speed of trust. Through this activity we were reminded that trust is both something within you (shown through competence, character and cooperation) and something you expand (through positive contributions to a team).

The actions I am taking now as I begin this new role will be the building blocks for all relationships as a team member.

It’s only been a few months in this new role but I’m grateful for the learning, kindness and guidance I’ve already received in my new position. Thank you to all my new colleagues who have already stopped by and who have stopped by my place.

We cannot do this work alone. It turns out we were never meant to be.

To new beginnings.