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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Staying Focused During Difficult Times | Connected Principals

Staying Focused During Difficult Times | Connected Principals:

Staying Focused During Difficult Times

November 19, 2013
By 
The other day, I had someone tell me, “I would never want your job.”
Optical Illusion (student work used by permission)
Optical Illusion (by student Daniel Eckenfels. Used with permission)

On the one hand, that may be true. Sometimes the negatives can be overwhelming.
When it comes to the part of my job involving student discipline, for instance, I have conducted hundreds of suspensions for drug/alcohol violations, fights, and weapon violations.
I have administered literally thousands of other discipline actions for offenses like truancy, harassment, obscene language, driving violations, bus violations, thefts, vandalism,  computer hacking, and just about every other teen misbehavior you can imagine.
I am not alone. All principals manage a myriad of student and personnel issues, complaints, custody disputes, Facebook and texting dramas that involve both students and parents at times. We counsel students wanting to drop out, those grieving over deceased parents, and ones afraid for their safety at school or at home.
Of course, our position also means scheduling our free time around supervising ball games, dances, concerts, contests, banquets, and fundraisers–all of this while trying to stay focused on the main