Principal Mode (08-04-08)

Regardless how much a person loves what they do, every now and then it is nice to gain some perspective by doing something else for a while.

This summer, I feel I have gained a lot of perspective by leaving “leader mode” for “support mode.” Due to the scope of the renovations at the grade school, changes that I led the charge to enact, I decided to jump right in with hammer and screwdriver in hand (when I could locate the darn thing!) and take my orders from our veteran support staff. I let voice mail get the phone, left my computer at home, traded my dress shoes for work sneakers and my ties for t-shirts, and set out to learn a thing or two about school renovation.

The first thing I learned is that I am not nearly as good at carpentry, wiring, plumbing, painting, and cleaning as our staff. This week, I joked with Duane Patterson that as long as I am principal, he will have job security because now that I have tried to do what he does, I know firsthand that I can’t do it half as good as he can.

Regardless, my initial respect for our custodial staff has become true admiration. Those guys are just flat out amazing in their work ethic, and their ability to solve so many problems throughout the day. Nothing ever seems to faze them. When presented with an obstacle, whether it be a concrete wall or a warped board, they just doggedly stay with it until the job is done. No excuses, no complaints. I have learned that hard work and a positive attitude (and sometimes, a bigger hammer) can overcome most of life’s difficulties.

So, for one summer at least, I got the opportunity to step out of a familiar role and try a job for which I am only minimally qualified and very inexperienced. I made some mistakes along the way, but each screw-up expanded my working knowledge. And unlike administrative work, manual tasks allow you to immediately see what you have accomplished. The door opens, the light switches on, the wall is painted, and the water drains. I wish the myriad of decisions I make during a school year always had such tangible results.

All good things come to an end, and with enrollment being this week, it is time for me to switch back into “principal mode.” It is time to put away the shorts and slip on the slacks, switch the tennis shoes for dress shoes, and think about putting on a tie again. On goes the phone and the computer, and now is the time to get through that stack of mail (most of it junk) that has grown in my mailbox over the summer.

I just want to express a big heartfelt thank you to Duane, Dan, Ty, Bob, Jimmy, Ron, Wes, Luke, Kristen, and all the rest who helped out this summer. Our schools look great, and the upcoming school year promises to be much improved, thanks to their inspiring efforts.

After three months, I am finally ready and happy to return to “principal mode.”