The Principal as Protector

Mr. Steve Wood, 2018-19 Edenton-Chowan Schools Principal of the Year

The role of the principal has grown exponentially. While all of the management tasks (bus routes, building repairs, schedules, discipline, text book inventories, etc.) remain, others have multiplied significantly. The premise of "Principal as an Instructional Leader" has always been given lip-service, but the actual expectation of the principal actively engaging in the work of instructional leadership has magnified greatly. Great principals have welcomed this recognition of this most important function of their work.

The challenge is and has been the conflict between the important tasks (classroom visits, Professional Learning Community meetings, meeting with students about their learning, etc.) with the pressing tasks (parents who show up unannounced in the office, health emergencies, overflowing plumbing, etc.) Balancing the time spent on the important work with the time required for pressing needs is an key requirement for any principal.

It is both important and pressing work that among the roles that principals assume is "The Principal as Protector." It is generally expected that a principal will seek to protect and provide for the safety of students and teachers. I believe, though, that this role is bigger than just physical security. It is also daring to stand up for teachers and students in tough conversations that impact the school. It is about raising a fuss to everyone outside of the building when the working conditions of the teachers are impacted without consulting the teachers. It is about ensuring curricular decisions begin with the student in mind and include teachers as important voices in every conversation.

"I make sure that things are done with teachers not to them." - Reform Support Network Guide
The Principal as Protector is an interesting thought as I consider the things that principals seek to protect. It is about protecting instructional time by minimizing interruptions. It is about protecting self-esteem by ensuring classrooms are safe places for students to try new things. It is about protecting inquiry as a means of learning by ensuring that every learner understands that there really are no dumb questions and that questioning is an important strategy in learning. It is about protecting the future potential of students by ensuring that they are prepared for life beyond the school house through a focus on globalization, the availability of technology, and providing an amazing teacher for every student.

The typical visual image of a principal might not be of a knight on a horse, ready to tilt with the world to protect his/her charges inside the building, but perhaps it is appropriate. Every teacher and every student deserves a principal who will stand up for them and assume the very real task of protecting them, their work, and their opportunities to be involved in decisions that impact them.

I originally wrote this article in the blog I kept while serving as the NC State Principal of the Year. It was written when I was asked, "What is the role of a principal?"  www.ncpoy.blogspot.com