Читать книгу The Assistant Principal 50 - Baruti K. Kafele - Страница 15

Let's close this chapter by discussing your attitude as an AP. For those of you who are familiar with my work as a writer or presenter, you know that I have written and spoken extensively about the "attitude of the leader." When I write and speak about leadership practices, I typically start with the "attitude of the leader" because one's attitude in the pursuit of any endeavor is the essential starting place. An attitude of negativity, pessimism, doubt, or despair will not yield optimal results. Attitude is key. Attitude is vital toward attaining and sustaining maximum results.

A vital component toward sustaining a positive attitude during your assistant principalship is establishing a clearly defined purpose for leading. I am referring to your why and I am asking you, "What is your why?", "Have you established a why?", "Are you grounded in your why?", and "In your capacity as assistant principal, are you walking in your why?" As I have been saying for a couple of decades, the assistant principalship is a very confusing position, as evidenced by the wide variety of ways that assistant principals are utilized nationally. Because, as I state, the assistant principalship is the most misunderstood and underutilized position in education, it is the one position wherein one's purpose can become murky when transitioning from teacher to AP to principal.

As a classroom teacher, my why—which was rooted in the empowerment of African American and Latino boys—was clear. When I became a principal, I maintained my why throughout my years as the leader of four schools. It was during my assistant principalship that I lost my why. I completely lost my purpose because of a perceived inability to walk in it (noting my use of the word "perceived"). I am saying here that, in hindsight, I could have done things in such a way that would have enabled me to simultaneously effectively assist the principal and walk in my why. I here strongly suggest that if you are in a situation comparable to the one in which I found myself—that is, you were walking in your why as a classroom teacher (the leader of your classroom) but lost your autonomy as AP—that you never, ever allow yourself to lose sight of your why. It is the foundation of your assistant principalship and likely the reason you sought an administrative position. Although you might be using your assistant principalship as a stepping-stone to the principalship, as an AP, you must know that your students and the staff you supervise need you to be a strong AP and that will, in part, require that you walk in your why. Toward that end, you may have to examine how you are currently utilizing and managing your time; you and the other administrative leaders may need to take an honest look at the overall climate and culture of your school and determine whether it can be transformed; or you may need to examine other variables that may be preventing you from sustaining your why.

Each morning as you prepare mentally and emotionally for leadership, be sure to ask yourself, "Why do I lead?"and "Will I walk in my why today?" At the end of the day, ask yourself, "Why do I lead?" and "Did I walk in my why today?" If you don't answer the second question affirmatively at either point in the day, you've got to look deeply within yourself to determine why you didn't and what adjustments you will need to make so that the following day will be better. Your why, even as an AP, matters exponentially!