Being Visible as a School Leader
School principals today need to be good leaders because they are leading an army of innovators, be it in teaching or learning. Being visible to the individuals one is leading is very important, because it inspires and provides a role model. It is also necessary for school leaders to help students in every step of their development and teachers in doing their jobs thoroughly to gain the degree of success the school requires.
Alexa Sorden, principal of Concourse Village Elementary School in the Bronx, describes how she makes time to prioritize relationships with her students and staff. She leaves her administrative work for after school hours and makes sure to spend as much time as possible with them. She reckons that it is this visibility that makes them view her as an instructional leader that they can trust.
This kind of trust-building is a pre-requisite for creating a long-lasting educational relationship rather than a cold one based on assessment and remediation. This can be fostered by the school leader’s own educational experiences and the determination to put every second of her time for the benefit of learners.
Watch the following video to gain a detailed understanding of Sorden’s perspective.
Image source: Google images.
