Reflection of the Principals Panel Discussion Submitted by Tonya M.

Little The job of principal has become more difficult, and the expectations of the job have become more ambitious. People come into the job of a principal who have all of the innate skills to succeed, but what they dont have very often is the experience that is needed to prepare people to step into the job. NELA has provided us with a second-year internship to give us on-the-job experience and access to role models and mentors to learn first hand the rewards and challenges of being a principal. I think that aspect of the NELA program will enable us to be better prepared to assume the role of leadership. Being a principal, for some, is like being thrown into a body of water without a life jacket. I have heard the horror stories of being handed the keys and a pat on the back. The principal role models we had the pleasure of hearing from, were very honest, approachable and gave us a realistic look into their jobs. The waters may be rough or smooth, but you better be prepared to tread water or swim. One of the most memorable words of advice for me was to hear Wake County Area Superintendent Clinton Robinson say, Make sure you are under a principal that has a track record for growing leaders. I think that it is important to have a principal who is a role model and mentor, because you cannot have a high performing school, if the principal is not a high performing principal enabling others to lead. This concept of distributive leadership was upheld in our Facilitative Leadership training. So this lets me know that I should be strategic when seeking a job because my first years in leadership should continue to enable me to grow my leadership skills.