A year of being a school principal

While I was delivering my welcome remarks during the school's foundation day.

I was really very excited the first time I read the email that I got the position of being a school principal.  My heart was really filled with joy that finally I was able to get a job before I leave my work as a Secondary Science teacher in an International School in Indonesia.  I didn't really spoke of the good news to anyone else yet not until the very last minute that I have to leave.

June 21, 2013.  My first day to report at the school were I will work.  I arrived there around 10.15 in the morning, early for my call time of 11 am.  I didn't know what to feel, I was having mix emotions asking myself did I do the right thing of moving back to the Philippines to work in a very far place or not and a feeling of how will they accept me.

I saw the guard, he told me "yes ma'am what do you need?"  I told him "I'm Ms. Racquel, your new principal." he immediately opened the gate for me.  I saw a homey atmosphere, slowly, I felt like I did the right thing.  I met Mr. John Proctor, the acting principal at the time.  He was so elated upon seeing me which puzzled me.  He gave me a quick tour of the school.  There I saw students looking at me as I pass by their classrooms.  Then he took me to his office and had me sign my contract.  I couldn't question him though there were questions I'd like to ask, I was too pre-occupied by the idea that I am now a school principal.

I was enjoying my initial time as a school principal, I enjoyed the admiration from the students and the parents that I am a very young principal.  In my country, everyone is used to having an old, old-fashioned looking principal.  I am an exception.  I'm young and fashionable.  At least that is what people  told me.

Days go bye and the position finally sink in, not to mention the piling of work load.  I have unearthed too many long time illness of the school system:  disorganisation, poor service quality, and a lot more!  I was overwhelmed to the point that I got so short tempered that jeopardised my relationship with my subordinates.

I also had different low moments specially from parents who think they own the school and that they  have all the right to control school management.  This is the worst part of the illness of the school where I am working.  Every parent is a school principal!

Then after a year of being a principal, I reliased that this is not the one I want to do for the rest of my life.  This work is not what will make me happy.  I missed teaching.  being with students is what really makes me happy.  Teaching is what really empowers me as a person and as an educator.

When the school year ended, I took a day out for the very first time and pondered on what transpired for the year.  I reliased that being a principal is just a prestige that I enjoyed for a moment.  I reliased, that being a teacher is what will give me joy for a lifetime.