My Reflection Of My Role As An Assistant Principal

The role of a principal is a vital function of the school. The manner in which a principal performs determines that success of the school. Being in the position as an assistant principal has allowed me to view this role totally different from I did when I was a teacher. I am grateful to intern, full time trusting that I will gain the most out of this experience. However, there are a number of lessons that I have learned within these first quarter of my internship that will vastly impact my leadership as a new leader.

Dealing with discipline at the middle school level is a top priority for an administrator therefore, I have learned that it is important that I understand the process when working with students. All students have due process,

no matter what the situation is. Due process is a series of formal proceedings that an administrator must move through when working with a student. The interesting point is there is not a book that indicates this process when hired as an administrator. It is expected that you are aware of this process. The current assistant principal that I am working under does an exceedingly profound job of providing due process for all students. Every time he calls a student into his office, I take notes to make sure I identify the steps. He informed me that if this process is not followed subsequently it could result in him losing his job. I have learned that despite wanting to take a shortcut or even ignoring the possible answer to the problem I must undergo each step of the process.
Hence, understanding this process is imperative to my success as a new leader. It is understandable that mistakes are made nevertheless it is my goal to make sure I limit those by following the proper protocol. I have also learned that when I am unsure regarding a step to contact a colleague for support. By contacting another colleague this does not indicate that I am a failure in that area. It indicates that I am willing to ask for support when I need it most,
I have learned that the instruction within the building is driven by data and that the data is what drives the instructions. As the principal, it is imperative that I own up to the matters that are present within the school. One of the biggest areas that principal fails at is accepting responsibility for the data. If data is used effectively in the classroom and within the building there will be evidence of success. At West Millbrook Middle, I learned that it is essential that the data is shared with everyone. When the data is shared with all stakeholders, everyone becomes aware of the information and the implications it has on all students.
Most people think that data only comes from testing and assessments. Unfortunately, this is not true, data comes in all forms and from different areas. In schools data is gathered from student assessments, students, teachers and even parent surveys. When gathering the data from the different areas the results might indicate various negative and positive outcomes, however despite the findings the data should be revealed and owned. It is key to know what the data means and the implications of the results. Therefore when I am presenting the data as a principal it is important that I present the results in different forms.
The majority of the time when data are presented to staff it is in quantitative form. This is concerning because not everyone can understand numbers. Therefore when presenting this information to the staff I must provide it in different forms for understanding. Just like our students understand different ways subsequently do our staff. Hence using tables, charts and graphs are exceedingly great. Also adding color to these methods will allow for easier understanding. This technique not only provides clarity and a different perceptive, but it also allows for the majority of the staff to understand the results.