Being a Student Centered Principal

Being student centered has always been at my center core as an educational leader. Our latest SAVMP blog was about being that Student Centered Principal and working through a change matrix. Due to being in my first year at my current school we are slowly making some very positive students centered changes. I have a few thoughts of my own on how we can make some faster change towards becoming a more student centered model.

1. Student Leadership (SCA, Green Alliance, other student leadership models)

Be the change you want to see. Students leadership excites me. Our student body has some incredible ideas on how to make a difference in the world. Most recently we hosted a TEDxYouth Talk and the ideas coming from our youth were right on. It was exciting for me to see parents, grandparents, teachers and fellow students in the audience wanting to support these ideas. I believe in growing these future leaders and guiding them around their thinking and leading of others. We plan to begin a Green Group and start working on STEM initiatives within the group. These ideas are student driven and I can’t wait to follow!

2. Identifying our Student Interest

This year we began a Makers Space program. If you follow Andrew Carle on twitter (@tieandjeans) he is the brilliant teacher behind the course. Students learn code, blend algorithms and work backwards to figure out how to program various robotics. The course has taken off and it has been a brilliant opportunity for student to use their clever imagination to figure out the controls of these devices. Andrew begins the course by telling his students, “There is no answer to what we will do.” Students are asking for us to offer different levels of this course and they opt out of study hall so they may go to Makers. Andrew is all about kids first.

3. Schedule

Is our schedule made due to the needs of our teachers? or the kids? This is my next step in ensuring we put our students first. I will be working on this over spring break.

We need to be there for our students. As a principal we always think Teachers, Parents, and Students. Not always in that order. I like to think Students first. They are our clients.