A principal is the navigator of a school. They are the one who provides leadership, direction, and coordination within the school and directs teachers and students to follow the right path. Their duties involve developing a structured curriculum and maintaining effective educational programs within school premises. The programs should take care of the needs of both teachers and students. However, principals’ role is not just limited to giving shape to the curriculum; in addition, they have to wear multiple hats to ensure smooth operations of their schools.
Today, we will be discussing the qualities that a principal must possess to become the best version of themselves.
Showing trust in teachers
To become a good leader, individuals must show their trust in the people they are working with. The same goes for principals. They should trust their teachers and protect their interests at every cost. A principal should support every decision that is sure to show positive effects on the growth and development of students. Moreover, they should give enough room for experimentation. As the realms of education are changing, teachers are coming up with different ideas to make their classes more engaging. Some of these techniques have shown a positive effect on the learning aspects of students. For instance, the use of audio and video aids keeps students interested and motivates them to study with higher concentration. Principals should support their teachers and give them the leeway to do trial and error to improve students’ performance.
Staying connected
It happens that principals lose their connection with students once they start looking after the school’s administration. This creates a gap between students and principals. However, to bridge this gap, a principal should try to spend at least three hours guest lecturing students. They can use the classes to understand the thinking order of students. Connecting with students will also help principals understand their personalities. This understanding will help them guide their pupils better. Moreover, they can also help students move in a direction that can utilize their maximum potential. Staying connected with students will also help a principal gain the respect of teachers and children.
Supporting and building up educators
A good principal must focus on building the strengths of their staff. They should know what their teachers like to do. Also, they must provide learning resources so teachers can upgrade themselves professionally. Moreover, if principals see weakness in performance, they should try to understand the reasons for such drops. They should help teachers find ways to tackle their weaknesses and work on eliminating distractions.
Having teachers’ back
Many times, parents have certain problems with teachers. In such situations, they want to contact a principal directly to solve the problem. If parents have a problem, principals should encourage them to discuss the issues with teachers before coming to them. Moreover, school headmasters should hold an open discussion with teachers and understand the point of concern of every stakeholder before making a decision.
Fairness
A principal should not get involved in favoritism. They should equally treat every student and teacher. It means there should not be any biases when making any decision.
Holding the line of discipline
Discipline is one of the critical ingredients needed to run an institution efficiently. Without following protocols, educational standards cannot be maintained. A principal should set school-wide standards and ensure everyone is following the rules.
Respecting everyone’s time
A principal should understand the value of time and give importance to the time of every individual. For instance, they should not block teachers’ calendars to discuss trivial issues. Instead, time should be dedicated to developing course structure and forming student and teacher-friendly policies.
Ensuring accessibility
A principal's duty involves supervising teachers, and to perform this duty, they should closely monitor the work of different teachers. They should improve their accessibility so more students and teachers can reach out to them in times of crisis.
Having high expectations for all
A great principal should set a high bar when it comes to providing a positive learning environment to students. They should support every initiative that works for the benefit of students and teachers.
A good principal should work on building an environment where students are motivated to develop self-discipline. In addition to streamlining the processes and academic activities, they should focus on creating an environment of growth and development.
Suggested Read: How to Manage a School Efficiently
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