A Rookie Principal Year to Remember

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BY REBECCA HUBER

As a first-year principal, I learned many hard lessons, but none tired, and frustrated with the unknown. In pushing my agenda, I so poignant as what it truly means to put your staff first. had been neglecting their needs and adding stress onto their already overburdened shoulders. It was time to take a step back and put my When the pandemic hit, and we were all forced to work from home, team first. I wracked my brain about how I could be the best leader possible. Throughout the year, my staff expressed over and over again the Instead of adding one more demand on the teachers, I trashed my need for professional development in implementing social-emotional desire to galvanize the troops and flipped my whole approach. My learning (SEL) standards and meeting the needs of all students. taglines became, “How are you feeling?” and “What do you need I knew this would be the time to inspire, enlighten, and lead the at 9:15am, which was not a requirement, but a place for the staff team to new levels of understanding. to log-on to troubleshoot all the new After much research, I found a series technology we were using, to problem of online courses on the subject that the entire staff could take together. I “Changing my solve, to discuss how classes were going, and, most importantly, to see a envisioned us meeting online for rich discourse about the learning we all approach from: friendly face. Not everybody logged in, and certainly not every day, but there had absorbed and how it was going were a number of staff who did so just to revolutionize our approach to students. I sent out an email about the ‘This is what to remind themselves that they were not alone in their struggles. We talked, courses, inviting others to join me on we laughed, we problem-solved, and the journey and…..crickets. I had one you need,’ to we remembered how strong our bonds brave teacher who enrolled and let me really are. know a few days later that the material was “extremely dry” and that reading ‘What do you need?’ Changing my approach from: “This 50 page articles online was, at best, is what you need,” to “What do you difficult. allowed staff to be need?” allowed staff to be vulnerable and honest. It forged a connection Knowing when it was time to move on, I then went onto the vulnerable more than any of the other actions I took all year. I hope that if in the future, Collaborative for Academic, Social, I lean towards the directive and try to and Emotional Learning (CASEL) website, downloaded some modules, and honest.” force inspiration upon my staff, they will gently remind me of this article and and spent dozens of hours revamping the lessons I learned about putting their and personalizing them for my staff. needs above my own agenda. I sent yet another email, directing the staff to meet each week for mandatory training, knowing that I would be bringing the magical Rebecca Huber just finished her first year as principal of Mound Elementary world of SEL to my staff in a manner that had never been presented School in Miamisburg, Ohio. Huber spent the previous 16 years as a Behavior before. I would be the most inspiring principal ever. Specialist and Special Education Teacher. Valuing the power of positive And then there was reality. In our first Zoom staff meeting, I didn’t growing along with her students and staff. The author may be contacted via email see excited faces, ready to absorb every bit of SEL I could possibly at rhuber@miamisburg.k12.oh.us and via Twitter at @MoundPrincipal. cram down their throats. I saw a haggard staff that was scared, from me right now?” We created a daily on-line hang-out every day relationships above all else, Huber spent this year learning, laughing, and