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Permalink Reply by sakina Britt on May 23, 2012 at 9:51am

Hi,

 

I'm presently teaching world languages and ESL/Bilingual. I'm seriously thinking to go for my SDL. How many years of teaching experience do you need to be a good district leader and what's the most valuable things you've learned as a principal the do and don't/ If you had the opportunity to go back what would you change or not? I come from a Business background holding a MBA as well and worked in Italy, France, Spain and NY. Your knowledge and experience is very important to me. Thank you.

 

Sakina

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Permalink Reply by Bill Kealy on May 23, 2012 at 10:44am

I believe that having been in the classroom is a valuable experience for any school leader.  I think that it  is easier to gain credibility with a teaching staff when you have been there yourself.  I can't put a number on the years that are needed , but most certainly acquiring tenure in a district would be the bottom of the scale.  The more experience one can gain the larger his/her "bag of tricks" will be down the road.

The are many valuable things one learns along the road.  Some of them are:

 Maintain high visibility/profile within in your building

 Don't get locked into your office

 Hire the best teaching staff you can; good teachers are  your primary keys to success.

 Surround yourself with positive people.  Listen to their suggestions, but make sure that they are aware that the  final decision rests with you.

When dealing with a difficult situation,a student or a parent, make sure that the issue does not become about you.  At times, the focus can shift from the presenting problem to something else not quite relevant to the issue at hand.

And most importantly, remember to have fun and to try to see the humor in as many things as possible.  Without that, your world will become very dark.

These are some thoughts; I hope they are helpful.

Regards and good luck,

Bill

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Permalink Reply by sakina Britt on May 23, 2012 at 11:16am

Thank you

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Elcie Douce on April 7, 2016 at 12:39am

Hi,
I am currently looking for an administrative position. All the experience that I have of the Master Schedule was the little insight I got during my internship. How can I practice/improve my skills in building a Master Schedule?
Thank you

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