“No Joke!” - Reflections of a first year principal

Our inaugural NC Ed Leaders Blog post comes from Leslie Kinard, principal at Thomasville High School. Leslie, who just finished up her first year at THS, was named an "ASCD Emerging Leader" in 2017. Leslie has a very active blog of her own and is also a great follow on Twitter, so be sure to connect with her on social media. Leslie's post is a reflection on her first year as a high school principal and it will resonate with anyone who has been a school leader at any level. That first year can be so challenging... but it will be so rewarding as well! I hope you enjoy Leslie's post; it is a great way to kickoff our NC Ed Leaders Summer Blog Series!

As I sit reflecting in a random Starbucks preparing to write this post, I am filled with humility, honor, and awe. Thinking back over the first year of my principalship, I can say with both humor and candor that this year was “No Joke!” I won’t write a post of cliché phrases about how glorious the first year of the principalship can be. I will be transparent and honest with you and tell you that it has been one of the most challenging things that I’ve done in my career. I will give you that piece of honesty muddled with the inherent positivity that is my own personal leadership style. Through the challenge, it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I don’t know that it gets easier, because part of me feels like to do it right, we are always reinventing ourselves and figuring out how to do the job better. That commitment to growth (for the sake of kids) is work - it’s HARD WORK. In thinking about that work, I’m left with three fundamental takeaways that have anchored me this year.

1. Be fearless. On a large picture in my office is written, “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” When I purchased it, I had no idea how important that idea would become to my work and personal mission. I found that in the first year, I had to stay anchored to the things that I loved about the work I get to do each day. I had to continuously come back to my “why” and continue to reconnect throughout the year. For me, it was the students and the idea that we get to change history with every life we touch. Coming back to that and finding ways to live out my “why” gave me not only the motivation to keep pushing, but helped me keep searching for ways to innovate.

2. Do it anyway. I felt like there was a duality to leadership. There were times when I was misunderstood. There were times when I felt unappreciated. There were times when I felt like I was on an island, but there were also times where I felt such a huge sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, and pride. As I moved through successes and challenges in this first year of leadership, I recognized the importance of having a strong core of beliefs that center around what’s good for kids. There were times when situations, advice, and others challenged those beliefs. I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and find a way to lead through the challenge.  I found that courage to lead in putting students first in every decision and trying to lead with positivity, fairness, love, and most importantly grace. Being able to forgive and move past difficulty when the people in my life and work made a mistake, but also extending myself the same consideration. 

3. Have some fun. This role requires extraordinary amounts of time. I just figured if I was going to spend that much time working towards something, I might as well have some fun doing it. Part of my leadership style is deeply rooted in finding ways to connect. Whether it’s through hand written notes to staff, playing music in the cafeteria, hosting a variety of student events, or adding spirit weeks for staff and some for students. I was determined to have as much fun as possible creating a school culture where students feel successful and staff too!

I could write countless posts about the takeaways from year one of the principalship. I learned a lot, but I also learned more about myself as a person and a leader. I accept the challenge and reward of being a school principal and I am grateful to all the leaders who have poured into my life this year and have helped me and my school rocket towards success. Our preliminary data shows increases in student achievement and huge decreases in discipline. I am excited to approach year two, but I know that my ultimate success was and will be because of the great people who help inspire me through their work in the classroom and beyond.

If you are a new principal or a veteran, I invite you to comment and share a takeaway from last year with us, so that we can continue to grow together!

Leslie Kinard is the principal of Thomasville High School in Thomasville, North Carolina.