[0:01] [music] [0:05] [music] [0:27] My journey to becoming a principal is a [0:28] bit unique. [0:29] >> [music] [0:29] >> Um, when I was looking to pursue my [0:31] master's degree, I originally wanted to [0:33] go into special education. My principal [0:35] at the time, um, really encouraged me to [0:38] go into educational leadership because [0:40] he said he saw something in me [music] [0:42] that he really wanted me to pursue [0:44] educational leadership. Um, and I'm [0:46] really glad that I listened to him. I [0:48] think that leadership is something [0:50] unique where it's something that other [0:52] people see that in you. I don't think [0:53] that leadership or [music] principal or [0:56] supervisory roles are something that um [0:59] you should do on your own. I don't think [1:01] that anyone should say, [music] you [1:02] know, I'm a leader and I'm going to do [1:03] this. I think it's really something that [1:05] you see in others and when you [music] [1:07] see signs of leadership in others, you [1:09] should really share that with them. You [1:11] should celebrate that about other [1:13] people. Um he told me that he saw a [1:16] light in me, that he saw leadership [1:18] skills in me, that I was um strong with [1:20] relationships and strong with problem [1:22] solving. Um and I was really glad that I [1:25] listened to him. Um I've been very [1:27] fortunate with my [music] [1:28] um career as a dean of students, as an [1:31] assistant principal and a principal. Um [1:33] and I'm really excited to continue [1:34] [music] my journey um as a leader. [1:38] So my path to the principalship was very [1:40] different [music] I think than some [1:42] principles. Uh I never saw myself when I [1:45] was in high school um wanting to go to [1:48] more school and uh my folks my parents [1:51] and I laugh about this now um that you [1:54] know I was the first to go to college in [1:56] my family. in the first doctorate in my [1:58] family and um I would have probably been [2:00] the least likely if you had asked back [2:02] in 1989 when I was in high school that [2:04] I'd be sitting here today as a principal [2:06] at Willington High School. So my path I [2:08] really owe to um many people along the [2:11] way especially those that were my [2:13] supervisors when I was in the classroom. [2:15] I think they identified um some key [2:17] leadership abilities and helped me hone [2:20] those skills uh to become the leader I [2:23] am today. So, I am I'm very humbled to [2:26] be able to be um the leader here at [2:28] William Tennant High School and um I'm [2:31] very thankful for those that I get to [2:32] work with every day. [2:35] >> So, I decided to become a principal. It [2:37] was a decision I made as early as my [2:39] student teaching experience. Um I've [2:41] always loved working with students, of [2:43] course, that's why I'm in education. Uh [2:45] but in my student teaching experience, I [2:49] worked with a really inspiring [2:50] principal. uh he created an environment [2:53] in the building that was very kind of [2:56] family type of environment and that was [2:58] the kind of principal that I knew that [3:00] one day I would want to be. Um so here I [3:03] am now as my fourth year as principal at [3:06] McDonald Elementary School. [3:09] Um I love education and I love building [3:12] systems and supporting teaching and [3:14] learning in the broadest way possible. [3:16] So uh becoming a principal naturally [3:19] made a lot of sense to me. Um, I love [3:21] the growth we see in students and being [3:23] able to impact that from [music] my [3:25] position alongside great teachers and [3:27] staff uh was a natural fit. [3:36] My favorite thing about being a [3:37] principal [music] is spending time with [3:39] students. One of the greatest things [3:41] about my job is that I get to spend all [3:43] day having fun with middle schoolers. [3:45] [music] So, I'm in classes, I'm in the [3:47] hallways, I'm in the cafeteria, I'm at [3:49] games, I'm at events, and just spending [3:51] time with people. They really despise my [3:54] horrible dad jokes, but it's so much fun [3:57] annoying them and being part of their [3:59] journey through middle school. This time [4:01] is really difficult for a lot of our [4:03] students. Uh, I think for every student [4:05] in middle school, they're it's rough [4:07] times working through who you are and [4:09] becoming who you're going to be. But [4:11] being part of that is really incredible [4:13] to me. Part of that journey with our [4:14] students uh is what makes this job so [4:17] incredible. I like the organizational [4:20] and communicative part of [music] the [4:21] job. Uh I'm a planner by nature and I [4:24] like ensuring that everyone knows what's [4:26] going on and uh and what's expected of [4:29] them. Um, also as a principal, I get to [4:31] interact with everyone, students, [4:33] [music] parents, staff, faculty, uh, the [4:36] community, aids, uh, everyone that's in [4:38] touch with the school and and even just [4:40] on the the outside of it. [music] Uh, I [4:42] get to attend events. I have a lot of [4:44] say what the events are and how we're [4:46] going to, uh, prepare them, uh, and what [4:48] we're going to get out of them. So, I [4:49] really enjoy that part of it as well. [4:51] And I learn so much from from everyone [4:53] that I'm involved with. Uh, I get to [4:55] share this information [music] with [4:57] others as well. I I've seen so many [4:58] outstanding lessons in the classroom uh [5:01] and met so many special people in my [5:03] career. I feel really uh I feel really [5:05] lucky to have have that opportunity. Uh [5:08] I'm able to identify strengths that I [5:11] see in people. I'm able to identify [5:12] their ideas, their best qualities and [5:14] then share this with other people, help [5:16] them to become [music] better teachers, [5:18] help students to have um you know ideas [5:20] of what they'd like to do and and how to [5:22] deal with different situations that [5:23] [music] they find themselves in. Uh, and [5:25] I also pride myself on being very [5:27] practical [music] and pragmatic, and I [5:29] feel like this position lends itself [5:31] well to those qualities. [5:33] >> My favorite part of being a principal is [5:35] interacting with our [music] staff and [5:37] students every day. Um, I get to see all [5:39] the fun things and get involved with all [5:41] the amazing ideas [music] [5:42] that we get to implement here at Davis. [5:44] And it's just an amazing part of the job [5:47] being [music] able to see those um [5:49] things take shape uh to problem solve [5:51] alongside [music] our amazing staff and [5:52] and to make an impact in learning here. [5:55] My favorite part of being a principal is [5:57] the students. [music] Um just seeing [5:59] their smiling faces every day, knowing [6:01] that they're [music] growing each day, [6:03] they're learning each day, and seeing [6:06] how they really thrive. Um, especially [6:10] now that I've been in education a long [6:12] time and running into my former students [6:14] who are now in their 30s. Um, and [6:16] finding out from them what kind of [6:18] impact I've had in their lives, whether [6:20] it's as a teacher, as a principal, it's [6:22] the most rewarding part of the job. [6:24] >> I think the thing that I I appreciate [6:27] and love the most about being the [6:28] principal here at William Tennant High [6:29] School is that every day I come to work, [6:35] it's not pre-planned. Like I I can never [6:37] say to anybody I know what my day is [6:39] going to bring. I can surely look at my [6:41] calendar and say I have a meeting or I'm [6:43] meeting you know with the superintendent [6:45] or I might have a meeting with some [6:47] community people. Um but I can't ever [6:50] share with anybody what my day is really [6:52] going to be like. And um it's very [6:55] unpredictable but at the same time very [6:57] rewarding. And uh I think I think that's [7:00] what keeps me really invested and [7:04] wanting to, you know, get up every day [7:06] and and come in here and um and work as [7:09] hard as I can. [7:12] >> My favorite part about being in this [7:13] role at Centennial is that [music] it is [7:16] new. It's fresh. We have so many great [7:19] opportunities for new beginnings. Coming [7:22] to Willowdale, we started with a brand [7:24] new administration team. We have a brand [7:26] new superintendent at central office [7:27] here in Centennial. Our central office [7:29] is transforming and changing and that's [7:31] a positive. We have to look at it [7:33] [music] through an optimistic lens. It's [7:35] a great opportunity for us to come [7:36] together as a [music] district community [7:38] to make the changes that we want. Um [7:42] some things need to stay if they were [7:43] working and if they're not, we need to [7:45] move forward to for the growth of our [7:47] entire school community. I look at this [7:50] as a fantastic opportunity to come in [7:52] [music] and work together with our [7:54] entire faculty, staff, parents, [7:56] students, um, administration team to [7:59] work collaboratively to make the changes [8:01] that we need to do. [8:09] The advice I would give um any new [8:11] principal is to really get to know [8:13] people, [music] to take the time to just [8:15] ask questions and get to that know them [8:17] not just on a professional level but a a [8:19] personal level. Um who are [music] they? [8:22] What type of family do they have? Do [8:24] they have a dog? Um what are their [8:26] hobbies? Once you get to make that [8:29] connection, whether it's with students, [8:30] [music] parents, colleagues, um it [8:34] really makes it more of a community feel [8:37] in the building. [8:39] >> So over the course of my career, I' I've [8:41] been very fortunate. I've been able to [8:44] um mentor um you know, teachers and [8:48] assistant principles about um their path [8:52] maybe to a principal or to become a [8:54] building leader. And the one advice I [8:57] always give them is that it it takes [9:00] time. U if you really want to do this [9:02] well, I think that you need as much [9:06] experience as possible [9:08] um in education altogether. So whether [9:11] that's as a teacher or as an assistant [9:13] principal. Um but like I say to people [9:16] all the time like I'm learning still [9:17] every day on the job. So the advice that [9:20] I would give people is that you have to [9:22] acknowledge the fact that you're always [9:24] learning and you have to accept the fact [9:26] that you don't know everything and that [9:30] you need to be vulnerable to the fact [9:32] that you don't have all the answers all [9:35] the time. [9:37] I would remind you and reiterate how [9:40] [music] challenging and yet rewarding [9:42] leadership is. Um every day it's problem [9:44] solving. It's supporting people with [9:47] what they need most. um [music] and come [9:49] into solutions that that make sense not [9:51] only for the school but more importantly [9:53] for our students and families. Um the [9:55] the work is hard uh but you know you [9:59] take an empathetic lens and that's [10:00] probably the most important lens we take [10:02] because it's a people [music] business. [10:03] So uh keeping people first in mind and [10:06] making sure that we're solving problems [10:08] in that way [music] for folks um is the [10:11] number one key to being good. [10:14] >> All right. So thinking about advice to [10:16] somebody who wants to become a principal [10:18] or is just getting into this job is [10:20] you've chosen the right job. You've [10:22] chosen the right path. If this is [10:24] something you're passionate about doing, [10:26] the work is nothing. Love what you do [10:28] and you'll love every moment of it. You [10:30] get to do so many different things with [10:32] so many different people and you will [10:34] love every moment of it. So have fun.