A Day in the Life of a School Principal

A principal’s daily responsibilities vary, from engaging with families and the community to providing instructional leadership and managing staff. We asked Jean Villarreal, an outstanding assistant principal who became certified through our Principal Certification Network, to share an insider’s view into a school principal’s day. Here’s what she said.

Question: Can you describe a typical day for you as a principal?

Morning

I arrive at 6:45 AM. Sometimes, teachers arrive early and stop by to say good morning, ask questions, or get advice about their concerns. These concerns can range from time off for a doctor’s appointment to supporting student behavior or how to address something with parents.

I also check the absentee list and help the principal determine who will be available to cover classrooms if a substitute teacher does not pick up a teacher’s absence. Some days, parents arrive at 7:15 to ask questions or want to talk with a principal about teacher concerns.

At 7:15, students arrive, and we all attend to our morning duties. As parents drop off students, sometimes they will approach you to discuss concerns or questions about a policy. Sometimes, you are the dog catcher and must chase the neighborhood dogs away to prevent them from entering the school grounds. On easy days, after arrival duty, you walk the campus to ensure all the doors are locked. On difficult days, we must go on lockdown because of a local situation. 

At about 8:15, I usually receive several parents to discuss concerns or answer questions. This can take some time, depending on the parent and concern. I support teachers with student behavior throughout the day. I complete lunch duty every day. Typically, my duty is about 1-2 hours. If it’s a testing day, I will be in the cafeteria “until the cows come home!” 

Afternoon

During the remainder of the day, I catch up on administrative duties, such as scheduling LPACs, completing 504s and ARDs, and making truancy calls. I organize my day by placing items of priority to complete first. I also have to keep up with monthly items, such as Title 1 documentation that needs to be uploaded or the parent/teacher and campus newsletters.

Learn how to become a school principal through the Principal Certification Network!

I also help the counselor translate when a student doesn’t speak English. These are just a few things that fill my day. However, one must be prepared for anything to happen, such as a behavior investigation that could take most of your time. That’s why I have learned to organize my day. Spread things out throughout the week so you can stay on task with walkthroughs and your other administrative duties. Otherwise, things will get away from you, and you will be stuck trying to complete everything at once.

I am also responsible for anything the principal needs me to do. I always ask for the item’s priority level so I know how to fit it into my schedule. If he needs something immediately, I drop everything and focus only on this item. If he says I need it by x number of days, I prioritize it with everything else. One tricky thing this year was not being able to eat lunch. I had to bring something to eat while I worked, stood, etc.

Question: What key responsibilities do you handle daily as a principal, and how do you prioritize them?

LPAC is a big priority because more than half of our student population is in the bilingual program. The state requires ten days to test any student who transferred from another district in TX at all grade levels (PreK-5), and then we have to hold an LPAC, which requires scheduling with approved and trained individuals within three weeks of enrollment.

Therefore, I plan all of my LPACs on Thursdays and Fridays. I also support the ARD committee as the administrator during the meeting. They schedule their meetings around my LPAC meetings. So, on Thursdays and Fridays, I am in meetings all day. I don’t have time to do anything else, so I must prioritize my week.

Another responsibility is to support teachers with behavior. This can happen on any day and at any time. I have to conduct a thorough investigation for any behavior issue that arises. Depending on the circumstances, a behavior investigation can take 2-4 hours.

Other items I handle daily are truancy calls for students who exceed the minimum allotted absences set by the state. I also schedule my teachers into my daily schedule so I can rotate among them throughout the month and see each at least 2-3 times monthly for walkthroughs. I have to be present in the cafeteria every day from start to finish for lunch. The purpose of this duty is to ensure everyone is following the policy of what time to arrive, dismiss from the table, and pick up the students. If a teacher arrives early or late, it affects everyone else’s schedule. 

Question: How do you balance administrative tasks with being present and accessible to students and staff throughout the day?

Organizing my time is the best way to be accessible and present. Also, having lunch duty allows me to be accessible to students. They often talked to me about anything that helped them carry on their day. 

I also let teachers know that my door is always open. I need to make myself accessible when they call because they have tried multiple things with a student, and the student continues to be defiant or disrespectful in the classroom. Taking that time to go to their classroom and pull that student to investigate the situation is helpful.

I’ve also received calls asking if I can just take the student for a bit because they just need a break from the individual. Having that line of communication and respect to support each other lets your teachers know you are accessible. If I can’t pick up a student, I will give the teacher a time frame. For example, I have a parent in my office, but I can come by in 20 minutes. Will that help? Usually, they will say yes or work something out with another team member if they can’t wait. After those 20 minutes, I always make a point to go in and check on them. That helps my teachers respect and rely on me when necessary. 

Question: What parts of your day are most rewarding, and how do they impact the overall school environment?

The days I find most rewarding are when a teacher invites me to observe their class to show me their excellent work. I enjoy lunch duty even though it eats up my day, and I could be doing other things. Those minutes with a student help me understand their needs, making them feel like they can turn to me whenever they need help or support.

It also helps to open lines of communication with their parents because when a student goes home and talks about me with their parent, that parent wants to get to know me, so they will visit me to thank me for talking with their child. If they have a concern that they don’t know who to talk to, now they have someone because their child said this person is good; she listens. That helps to shape our school culture.