We had a substitute teacher yesterday who taught here for many years, but retired prior to my principalship. She hasn’t really substitute taught in our high school since my arrival. Shortly after homeroom I saw her and she said, “that young man over there has an ipod on.” My reply, “I know, we allow students to listen to their ipods in the hallways and ask that they remove them in the classroom.” Retired teacher, “and another young man was walking around with a full cup of coffee in my homeroom!” At this I just smiled and nodded my head, but was thinking “yes, I allow that too” as I held my own cup of coffee. It occurred to me that she probably thinks the inmates are running the asylum.
I should have told her that our daily average attendance rate has increased every year during my three years with rates in 2004 of 89.01% as compared to 92.43% in December and in 2004 January of 90.39% as compared to 92.77% this January.
I should have told her that we haven’t had a fight in our school that I can remember, certainly not this school year and that our ISS/OSS numbers have decreased significantly. I should have told her how the climate has changed, we respect our students instead of expecting the worst of them and that this is the reason for our increases. I should have shown her how we’re keeping more students in school for the fifth year instead of losing them to drop outs and how we’re increasing on the Regents results. I should have talked about our honors classes and JCC college credits.
Instead, I turned to talk to a student. And if the student was carrying an ipod or a cup of coffee, at least we were talking. I love this place.
You inspire me. Thanks!
I knew the first time I met you that you would be a wonderful principal! You have compassion and drive. The students respect you, and if they respect you, they will listen to you! You make our school a wonderful place to come to.
“I know, we allow students to listen to their ipods in the hallways and ask that they remove them in the classroom.”
YES! Now this is reasonable. My current school (which I will be leaving in a few months) has, as of this year, banned music players from campus altogether. And of course, students all agree they do not belong in class but ask – “But why can’t we have them during breaks and at lunch?”
We have no reasonable response to that inquiry. Unfortunately, they’ve been told that we have taken their music players away because we want them to socially interact more during break times – which is, of course, a bogus reason and even if it was valid, a bogus method. And because we can’t give students a reasonable response to their question, we lose a sense of trust and the US/THEM gap widens. To top this all off, the students have been told that “maybe in the future we can bring them back but for now, no.”
This tells us that the “reason” for the ban is invalid. If it were valid in the first place, we wouldn’t treat the music players like a reward/punishment mechanism. If the reason were valid, then it would be insane to consider allowing music players.
It’s no wonder our students often think we’re thoughtless hypocrites.
I can’t remember my high school principal and couldn’t even tell you if it was a man or a woman. I am pretty sure we had one. . . . you are leaving your mark and you will be remembered.
Kim,
I can’t tell you how important and wonderful it is for me to have you as a colleague. I so enjoy knowing that there are other admins out there who think about these issues the same way I do.
Thanks,
Chris
Sounds like a place where kids want to be.