Brief Report of Interviews of

Ms. Principal, Ms. Assistant Principal and Ms. Language Arts Coordinator

By: Susan Walker

 

          The interviews conducted were very different and distinctive.  Ms. Principal and Ms. Assistant Principal work together in the same elementary school, whereas Ms. Language Arts Coordinator works for the school system. The three professional vary in their jobs and years of experience.

          Ms. Principal has been a principal for ten years. She has an open door philosophy and was very easy to interview.  She clarified observed attendance procedures that she has put in place.  She provided information about Adequate Yearly Progress and why it is important to establish procedure, such as the attendance procedures to ensure it is met.  She stressed that this is the age of accountability and as the leader of a school it is crucial to get in the habit of documenting and stay on top of all responsibilities.  She stressed that it is important to find trustworthy individuals and delegate when possible. The day was filled with not stop activities such as central office meetings, calling parents, lunchroom duty and dealing teacher concerns and student discipline.  She handled everything with professionalism and integrity.

          Ms. Assistant Principal helped me select a day that would give me a realistic view of her job.  On the day I shadowed her, we attended an Assistant Principal of Instruction countywide meeting, observed teacher and looked at student data.  During these activities, she returned calls and dealt with teacher concerns.  The interview was very comfortable and informative.  She was easy to talk and seem sincere in you responses.  She has thirty years of experiences in education and five of them are in leadership.  During the interview, she explained what she looked for when she observes teachers.  She encourage me to keep in mind one thought as I begin to observe teacher, which is would I want my child in that class.  She stressed it is important to be honest, tactic and professional and above all keep the best interest of children in mind.  During the interview, we were interrupted a few times by teachers and other school personnel.  She reminded me this normal for an administrator.  She reminded it is important to deal with these timely, because they may seem petty, but the concerns are important to that person.  Data analysis is a big part of her job.  During the interview, it was oblivious seem uses results to make informed decisions.

          Ms. Language Arts Coordinator was always willing to stop throughout the shadowing to take time to explain what was going on. During this shadowing experience, we observed teachers, model lessons, and talked to the principal of the teachers. Then during the interview she would explain in detail her job and how and why she makes decisions. She explained that observing teachers and giving constructive feedback is a big part of her job.  It is important always be professional, but improving student learning be the focal point.  It is important to keep and open line of communicate by not being critical by helpful. When talking with the principal, always be truthful and offer suggestions that will help the principal support the teacher.  She spends much time studying so that become very knowledgeable on topics that she will later model for teachers.  Ms. Language Arts Coordinator has been in education for thirty years and is often hired as consultant by several school systems in Georgia. She seemed to possess so much wisdom.  She clearly knows professional and is an expert in the area elementary language arts.

          My shadow experiences were positive and beneficial.  I concluded that life, as a leader is demanding and multifaceted.  It is important to have tolerance and professionalism when dealing with people.  Interpreting data and actively listening to all sides helps one make informed decisions. A good administrator is life-long learner and never stops growing professional.

 

Click on the name below to see field notes.

 

Ms. Principal

 

Ms. Assistant Principal

 

Ms. Language Arts Coordinator

 

 

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