5 Tips for New Principals on Improving Your Technical and Managerial Skills

Mastering the Technical Aspects of the New Principalship

Effective school management and leadership requires new principals to:

Manage the school properly (technical skills)
Fit in with both the school and community (social skills)
Demonstrate they know what’s required of them in the role of principal (role awareness)

Below are tips for new principals looking to improve the their mastery of the technical aspects of effective school management and leadership:

Connect with an experienced principal in your district whose willing to coach you or share with you tricks of the trade that will make your daily managerial tasks easier. You may also see if they would be willing to let you ‘shadow’ them as they go about performing their daily management tasks.
Take a guided tour of your school from the people that know it best. Security staff, cafeteria staff and custodial staff can alert you to areas of the school requiring your attention and can help you spot issues before they become a problem.
Take part in a leadership assessment activity sponsored by your national or local principals association (e.g., National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of Elementary School Principals, etc.) This can provide insight into your areas of strength and areas needing further developing.
Talk with teachers, secretaries, students, parents, etc that were at the school prior to your arrival to learn about what they’re expecting from the principal. Teachers and secretaries in particular can inform you of managerial issues that may require your attention moving forward.
Attend conferences and seminars related to the technical aspects of school management and leadership. These may be sponsored by local or national organizations.

Do you have a tip for new principals about the technical aspects of the job? Share it in the comments below!