Dr. Victoria Pettis

Summer Cohort 2006

EOCS 7450

 

Practicum in Leadership 

Shadowing Field Notes, Part 2

 

Wilber Rilkins, CMS Assistant Principal

 

Date: April 9, 2007           Time: 8:00 a.m. To 11:30 a.m.         Duration: 3 Hrs. 30 Min.

 

Notes

(Descriptive, non-evaluative)

 

8:00 a.m. R is at his morning duty station (outside of the cafeteria). He standing talking with Teacher G and School Resource Office (SRO) G. Various students come from buses and greet R before heading into cafeteria. He continues to direct loitering students to go to the cafeteria.

 

8:16 – Communicates on walkie-talkie. Begins walking down the hallway.

 

8:17 – He stops by the media center to ask media specialist for projector for CRCT assembly.

 

8:20 He goes down B-wing to Teacher A’s room. Teacher isn’t there so R turns around and ends up meeting him on the way back.

 

R asks A about PA system and whether he has it ready to go for program. A says that is what he is doing now.

 

8:22 – R sees School Resource Officer G just outside of gym and touches base with him about gym setup and what is needed by the guest speaker.

 

SRO G asks that R stick his head in the gym and look for a girl.

 

R asks: What am I looking for? SRO G says he’ll see.

 

Beckons for girl to come down off the bleacher. Her body reaction is to immediately start trying to cover her breast area with her jacket.

 

 

 

 

8:24 – R asks girl to zip up her jacket. She complies.

 

8:25 – Students ate dismissed from gym to go to homeroom.

 

R follows students, reminding them to walk to the right.

 

8:26 R sees Custodian D and tells her needs 40 chairs for assembly.

 

Tells one female student to be where she’s supposed to be.

 

Tells another student to put the IPOD away or he’ll take it way.

 

8:28 – Dr. W hands him a discipline referral.

 

Makes conversation with several different girls at one time.

 

R asks two 8th grade girls where they are going. (They show R passes from teachers.)

 

R talks to one girl about being too high maintenance (high drama).

 

8:31 – Girl passes by sucking on her thumb. He quips, “What flavor is that cotton candy?” She answers, “Cotton candy,” and continues walking.

 

Custodian D returns with chairs stacked on a rolling cart.

 

R makes the remark as he observes the 7th grade hallway, “This hallway needs to be cleared.”

 

8:34 Girl asks R can she come see him in his office later. He remarks, “We’ll see.”

 

R greets a male student with a handshake.

 

Teacher come up and whispers something to R.

 

8:38 Intercom: Pledge of Allegiance (Principal)

 

R is walking down the 7th grade hallway and looks into one of my colleague’s classrooms. Tells one class loudly that it’s the moment of silence and they should be quiet.

 

He double backs and walks toward the cafeteria. Teacher G comes up to R and asks him to take a look at Student D’s arm. Teacher G says he thinks the student’s should is dislocated. R examines the student and tells him to come with him. We walk to the office and R puts D in a conference room. Tells D he is going to call his grandmother.

 

We are in R’s office.

 

8:42 SRO G stands in the doorway and hands him a paper.

 

R dials a number on the telephone. A message says the person is not available.

 

8:44 R is reading paper from SRO G.

Walkie-talkie: There are parents who want to talk with R.

 

SRO G asks for clarification on chairs. R tells him what he needs and asks that he get with Custodian D to make sure everything gets done.

 

We walk from R’s office to main reception area. R greets a mother and her daughter, who are sitting in chairs, and asks them to follow him. They both get up and follow. He asks permission for me to listen in on conversation since I am shadowing him today. Parent gives permission.

 

8:47 We are in one of the conference rooms. Parent is concerned that one of her daughter’s parapros is harassing her. (Daughter is in the transition academy.) Says harassment has been going on for the past three weeks. Parapro questions child about friends and hot spots for teens such as local library she chooses. Parent argues that she is going over the line. Threatens that if the harassment doesn’t stop, she’ll go over R’s head to the BOE.

 

R actively listens as parent tells her entire complaint. Doesn’t comment until she finishes. Then he repeats what he thought she said. He tells her he won’t use the word “harassment” since it is such a strong word. Says he will definitely talk with the parapro but makes the observation: Both of them have the same motives (caring about the same child); they just have differences in style.

 

R assures the parent, “There’s nothing that can’t be fixed or forgive. They pay me to fix things.”

 

R says to the child to watch who she’s hanging with. Girl smiles.

 

Parent ask R to let her know the results of talking with the parapro. She wants her daughter to be able to focus on CRCT.

 

R says he’ll be glad to call her. He just needs her digits. He gives parent his business card and she writes down her telephone number.

 

Parent reiterates that she wants the harassment to stop.

 

R directs to student: Take care of business. Be where you’re supposed to be.

 

We walk the parent and student out of the conference room and back to main reception area.

 

9:07 – R stops by Principal K’s office, sticks his head in, and tells him he has another set of parents to talk to. They talk for a few seconds about other furniture needed for assembly.

 

9:08 – R goes from principal’s office back to main reception area to greet next set of parent, who have come to talk to him.

 

We escort them to the same conference room vacated by the mother and her transition academy daughter.

 

R asks parents’ permission for me to sit in on conference. Permission is granted.

9:09 Once we sit down, the mother flips out a discipline referral. Parents are upset that their 7th grade boy E was sent to ISS for an incident that happened in the gym before school started. Supposedly their son was touched inappropriately and reacted by using profanity.

 

The parents want to know from the teacher on duty exactly what their son said.

 R informs them that he was absent on the day this happened but the punishment (authorized by the principal) is definitely well within range.

 

Parents want to know why they weren’t notified.

 

R informs them the discipline referral is their notification.

 

Father asks what happened to son now.

 

R informs him nothing. He has served his one-day suspension.

 

Father is concerned about kids picking on son. Doesn’t want this harassment to start hurting son’s self-esteem.

 

R says this is first time he has even heard of their son’s name and that he cannot help a student if he doesn’t come to him.

 

Mother asks if son is telling the truth, how much of what happened is investigated. Are things weighted in terms of punishment?

 

R responds if the principal dealt with it, he definitely weighted everything.

 

Both parents are concerned that E is devastated over what happened.

 

R responds that he is okay with E feeling devastated so it won’t happen again.

 

Mom wants to know E’s behavior here at school.

 

R says he will talk to the teacher and E.

 

Mom reports that E says a student kept touching his breast area but begged her to not report it to administrators because he believed it would make things worse.

 

R responds that that’s a typical line of a teenager, but parents should come to the school as often as they need to check on their children.

 

9:31 Conferences ends with parents talking with R about E’s sister, who is in high school. They also talk about the world of teenagers are so different than adults’. We escort them out of the conference room in the office and head to the gym.

 

9:33 R introduces himself and me to the guest speaker for today’s assembly. Speaks briefly to media parapro F and speaker about what else is needed for success of program. The speaker has his Power Point up on the SmartBoard and he has music playing. Speaker gives R a copy of his introduction to read.

 

R jokingly asks if I would do the introduction. I agree. (He is just joking.)

 

9:35 – Two 7th grade girls arrive with microphone stands and ask where to put. R tells them they are not needed. They leave.

 

SRO G arrives and touches base with R about what else is needed.

 

9:36 We walk from the gym to the office. R asks student B why her eyes are red. (She’s been crying.) Girl remains silent but smiles at me.

 

9:38 R stops by principal’s office. Principal is on the phone. (I remain in the hallway.)

 

9:43 – R closed the door and remain inside principal’s office.

 

9:44 R comes out of principal’s office and walks to conference room where student with injured shoulder has been sitting. He asks student to give him his grandmother’s number so he can inform her about the shoulder injury and his plans to transport the boy to the hospital.

We return to R’s office, which is next door.

 

He says to me: Parents don’t understand. If I was a mean SOB, I’d call the police and charge her with neglect.

 

He starts dialing D’s grandmother’s cell number. There is no answer.

 

9:49 A student sitting outside of R’s office asks if he can go to the bathroom. R says yes.

 

R is working on his computer. I begin asking him about the computers available to him as an administrator. He informs me he has both a desktop (formerly the principal’s) and a laptop (the same one had as a teacher).

 

I ask him what he is doing.

 

R responds that he is looking up student information – particularly phone number --on D.

 

I go next door and ask for D’s home number, write it down on my steno pad, and inform R.

 

9:52 – R calls D’s home and says he is going to take D to the hospital.

 

9:53 D stands in the doorway.

 

While on phone, R asks: Which hospital do you go to?

 

D shrugs.

 

R: Ever been?

 

D: No.

 

R: We’re going to St. Mary’s.

 

R: Nobody knows where your grandmother is. Who was I talking to?

 

Custodian D comes to the door and interrupts conversation. She complains that a parent was on C-wing and was rude to her because she asked her to check in at the office. Demands of R what he is going to do about it.

 

R repeatedly assures her the she is doing what she was told to do but he cannot make parent act appropriately.

 

R has copy of D’s personal information. He is filling in the blanks.

 

9:59 Gets up and goes across hallway to tell SRO G that he is taking D to the hospital (which is across the street from the school).

 

We all walk to his car. I offer to sit in the back seat but he instructs D to sit there.

 

10:00 R puts D’s seatbelt on him.

 

I ask R why he is putting D in the back instead of the front. He responds that the back is the safest place in the car.

 

I ask R quietly: How will the hospital treat this child without insurance?

 

He responds that it’s the law that hospitals must treat patients regardless of their ability to pay.

 

10:05 We arrive at the hospital’s emergency room entrance. R unbelts D’s seatbelt. He helps D out of the car and then talks to the attendant about parking his car.

 

R comes back to open car door and ask: What did I do with my sheet of paper? (He locates it on the front seat.)

 

10:06 We’re at the triage window. The nurse begins asking D questions about injury and filling out paperwork as he answers.

 

10:07 R talks to the nurse and gives her information.

 

I note information about hospital policy to treat patients who cannot pay.

 

10:11 R calls school and is talking with Secretary B.

 

D and I have been called over to a cubicle to answer questions and fill out more paperwork.

 

10:15 Male asks D if he is up-to-date on all his immunizations. D does not answer.

 

R holds the phone and answers: Yes, m’am.

 

R resumes his telephone conversation.

 

We move from cubicle to behind triage window. Nurse puts an arm sling onto D.

 

10:16 R moves out of room to talk privately to Secretary C.

 

10:18 D grunts as nurse makes the arm sling secure.

 

10:20 D and I are led by the nurse back to cubicle where the same male (M) is waiting to continue paperwork. R is still on the phone. He seems troubled.

 

M to me: Who can we call in case of emergency? Are you with him?

 

Me: I’m a teacher.

 

R ends his telephone conversation. He rejoins us.

 

10:21 R’s cell rings. He answers it and describes D’s condition.

 

10:22 – Seems like R is having an uncomfortable conversation. Says the “irate.”

 

10:25 R is still on the phone

 

Man asks D for his student ID. D does not answer.

 

I tell M that information should be on sheet of paper R gave him. D and I are directed to sit in the chairs in the waiting area.

 

10:26 R ends his telephone conversation and joins us.

 

I ask R if this is his first-time experience with taking a student to the hospital. He says no. He has brought other students here with a variety of ailments: broken hands, dislocated hips, asthma attacks or anxiety attacks, flu-like symptoms, etc.

 

I ask him how he determines when he should transport vs. calling an ambulance. He said it’s easier to transport unless the student has fallen. If there’s any danger of head or spinal injury, he doesn’t move them. He has had cases when the ambulance has had to come.

 

R tells me there’s no educational leadership course that will teach you how to care about a kid. Being an administrator makes you courageous enough to do things you don’t want to do. He says D’s grandmother wants to “nut up” all because he took him to the hospital.

 

10:30 M calls R to private room. I stay with D. I initiate a conversation with D about how his injury happened and how he slept. D reveals that he accidentally fell on a playground on Easter Sunday. He complained to his grandmother who did not take him seriously. He slept on his back and found himself in pain when he awoke this morning and tried to get out of bed. His grandmother sent him to school anyway.

 

10:32 D tells me he is hungry.

 

I ask him if he ate before he came to school.

 

D says he ate a corndog for breakfast in the cafeteria this morning.

 

10:35 D asks me if I know where the bathroom is. I get us and direct him to the men’s.

 

10:37 D comes from the bathroom and walks over to a snack machine and stands trying to decide what he wants.

 

10:39 R returns. We walk over to D who is purchases himself a candybar and Dorito’s. R goes to the bathroom.

 

10:40 D and I return to our chairs. He begins eating. R returns and begins watching the TV.

 

10:41 R returns with Fruit Snacks, which he is eating. He sits next to D. They talk about D being so hungry and whether his grandmother fixes him breakfast.

 

Re begins asking him questions about the injury, whether he rested last night, and whether he cried out in pain when he fell.

 

10:45 R and D talk about D’s attending Easter services at D’s church, D being hungry, what D likes to eat, what R thinks is wrong with D’s shoulder, and possible options the doctor will want to take.

 

10:50 R mentions that he will have to miss school assembly because he is here.

 

R and D chitchat about various subjects: food, D’s hair, and TV commercials.

 

They start thumping and playing with each other.

 

10:52 D gets up and goes back to snack machine.

 

R remarks that D will want him to buy him some food.

 

R advises me: The secret to success of administrator is to learn how to hire competent staff.

 

10:59 We are all asked brought to room 234 – back behind the triage area. A different nurse practitioner (with scrubs on) begins asking D questions and examining him. She asks him to disrobe and put on a gown so they can take X-rays.

 

11:00 I come out of the room. They close the door.

 

11:01 – Door opens and the NP comes out, leaving the door open. D has on a hospital gown and is eating his Dorito’s. Then he complains that he is thirsty. R tells him he should have thought about that before he began eating.

 

11:04 R and D chitchat and joke about various subjects: how D once fell off a truck, D paying for his chips and candybar, D being goofy, etc. (R is looking through real estate book.)

 

11:10 D to R: You want to buy me a drink?

 

11:12 D asks R for time. D tells R it’s lunchtime and that his class would be eating lunch right now.

 

R remarks it doesn’t matter because he’s not there. He’s here at the hospital.

 

11:13 NP reenters and starts asking questions of D of injury. R interjects information.

 

D mimics shooting basketball.

 

NP uses a stethoscope to examine D’s ears and eyes. She starts touching areas of D’s upper torso (including neck and shoulder), asking him where it hurts.

 

NP unbuttons D’s robe, takes D’s arm out of sling, and starts asking D to put his injured arm into different positions. D cannot put his arm behind his back without wincing in pain.

 

NP starts to leave and begins telling D and R what will happen next (X-rays) and what she suspects might be wrong with him (soft tissue injury).

 

D and R begin joking around with each other. D attempts to put on his shirt. R tells him to sit down.

 

11:21 R helps D put back on his sling.

 

R informs me that I will have to walk back to CMS, because he will stay with D.

 

I ask R: I wonder how was the program?

 

R informs me principal paid him $500 to speak one hour. Comments: It better have been wonderful.

 

11:25 I tell both R and D that I am about to leave. I advise D to be good and do what the doctor’s say.

 

R and D chitchat about various topics: the doctor popping his shoulder back into place, D getting lunch, D being hungry, D getting X-rays, etc.

 

11:30 I leave.

 

****End of shadow experience*****

Reflections

(Insights, questions)

 

The students really respect this administrator. He definitely has a built a relationship with them.

 

Cafeteria duty is definitely a duty I will not escape by going into administration!

 

 

 

 

 

Using radios/walkie-talkies will be something I will have to get used to.

 

 

He sure gets his exercise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sensed a little tension between two male egos.

 

 

School assemblies are always nerve-racking.

 

 

What are they looking for? Who are they looking for? How will he know what to look for? Why didn’t the SRO pull the girl out himself if she did something wrong? Why did he have to give this problem to R?

 

I peek my head in the door of the gym. There 200-300 students crammed in the gym. I have NO idea what R is looking for.

 

I have never seen the girl before.

 

She must be inappropriately dressed.

 

 

 

 

It is eye-opening to see dismissal from an administrator’s point of view.

 

 

 

 

Don’t underestimate your custodians. They need to be respected and valued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Already? The day has hardly begun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have to have relationships with students in order to be able to joke with them in this way.

 

 

You’ve got to take care of great custodians like Custodian D! She is wonderful and works so hard! Too hard.

 

 

 

 

I wonder: What does she wants to talk about?

 

I wonder: What is she whispering to him?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The teacher should have told them that.

 

 

 

 

Ugh! That shoulder looks ill-formed. He looks like the Hunchback of Notre Dame on one side! What happened?

 

 

 

I wonder: Is student in pain?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An administrator is pulled from every direction!

 

 

 

 

The use of technology in its various forms – computer, walkie-talkie, fax, shredder, telephone, etc. – is the tools of communication for an administrator to do his/her job.

 

 

 

 

You have to learn how to handle parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Administrators must learn how to become active listeners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good motto for an assistant principal.

 

 

 

Gotta establish relationships with kids.

 

 

Have to follow through.

 

 

Be a woman/man of your word: Keep your promises or don’t make them.

 

 

 

Let parents vent as much as they need to so they feel like they’ve been heard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Touch base on principal. Always have his/her back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t offer excuses but give parents the facts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why weren’t they called? Don’t all discipline referrals require parent notification?

 

 

 

 

 

That’s what wrong with this generation of kids. We are too concerned with self-esteem instead of providing them with reality checks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BIG part of my job is knowing how teenagers work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gotta know how to meet and greet all kinds of people!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not afraid of reading introductions since this comes from my church background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder: What are they talking about?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t think R would be an SOB to report this parent to DFACS. This grandmother ought to be ashamed of herself for sending this child to school injured like this.

 

 

 

Wasting time. Are the assignments this child could be doing while he waits for R?

 

 

 

I hope to have a desktop and my laptop as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

An administrator has information at his/her fingertips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Probably doesn’t have regular health care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not so sure about this. Isn’t there liability? Shouldn’t an ambulance be called?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t know that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assemblies add to the craziness of an administrator’s schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes parents have a distorted view of a situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With decisions comes accountability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many students come to school without being fed. Lunch food is sometimes the only good food they get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometime you have to sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s right. You can’t delegate authority unless you have competent people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walk??!! Okay, it’s only across the street, so it’s not a long way.

 

 

 

Guest speakers are expensive!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was not a typical shadow experience. I learned so much.