Key Steps in Being an Effective Principal

          In this article in Serendipity in Education, Allyson Apsey says that principals can’t possibly be “masters of best practices and pedagogy in every content area and every subject area.” That’s what makes it so challenging to give helpful feedback on standard teacher observation forms. Apsey wonders if that’s why research consistently finds “that teacher evaluation systems have zero or very little positive impact on student achievement.” 

          But other aspects of principals’ work do make a difference, she says, which is why school leadership is second only to classroom teaching in improving student learning. Apsey lists what she believes are school leaders’ most valuable activities: 

• Visiting classrooms regularly and giving specific, positive feedback – Apsey recommends following up with cause-and-effect statements, for example: “When you had students stand and use gestures to represent the vocabulary words, all of them became engaged again and excitedly participated.” Frequent, informal visits and statements like this build trust – so teachers don’t cringe when the principal walks in, fearing a negative judgment. 
• Talking face to face with teachers about instruction – These conversations are more about guidance and coaching than evaluation, with administrators frequently learning about pedagogy and curriculum from teachers and always discussing what’s working – and what’s not. 
• Shadowing students – Following a student through all or part of the school day is one of the best ways to get insights on teaching and learning, says Apsey. She recommends doing this frequently in all parts of the school, seeing all classrooms through students’ eyes. 
• Sitting in on professional development – “This is not to become the expert in the room,” says Apsey; “this is to show teachers how important investing in professional learning is to you. It is to have a knowledge base that will allow you to have deep conversations with them about the impact of the instruction on student learning.” 
• Orchestrating effective PLCs – Teacher teams looking at student work and evidence of learning are key to improved teaching and learning, says Apsey: “We move from trying to Tier Two our way out of a Tier One problem to genuinely collaborating around the impact of instructional practices.” 
• Always talking about student learning – Teachers are often good at planning together, discussing student behavior, and organizing events, says Apsey. “However, they are not always quick to pull out student work and sort through it together to look for strengths and next instructional steps. They need constant guidance and modeling from leaders to always bring the conversation back to evidence of student learning, and not just quarterly to look at percentages on standardized tests.”
• Having fun every day – “If you are a secondary principal and like to make a fool of yourself trying to shoot hoops for a few minutes with the varsity basketball team, go do that,” says Apsey. “If you are an elementary principal and you love pushing kindergarteners on the swings, go do that. Play fun music and dance with students. Whatever you need to do to remind yourself about the things you love the most about your job each day, be sure to schedule in time to do it.” 

 “Principals: You Don’t Need to Be an Instructional Leader” by Allyson Apsey in Serendipity in Education, February 25, 2023; Apsey is at allyson.apsey@creativeleadership.net

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #975 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.