The Stressors of Principals and Their Supervisor Roles For a long time principals have been viewed by those that are outside of the school system as the person who is unflappable and solid. You’re the one students see as the top of the chain. The one they respect and maybe even fear a little. After all, no one wants to be sent to the principal’s office. You’re the one who deals with the teachers’ problems and needs as well as that of the students’ and the leader of a school that sets the foundation on which everything operates.
In the sad reality, principals are also often the doormat getting stepped on or the shield getting battered. Those above them rely on them to lead their school and all those employed there. Parents expect you to make the changes and decisions they want them to. Teachers come to you when they have complaints and issues that they themselves can’t solve.
These responsibilities and expectations are coupled with maintaining an image of professionalism and strength. You work longer hours than many others and carry these responsibilities with them on their time away from work. As a result, the amount of pressure to be perfect is massive. Principals experience an amount of stress that is both substantial and overlooked. Just like any career that causes high levels of stress, this level of pressure begins to display itself physically and affect the health of those in these positions, so much so that 75% admit to experiencing symptoms related to the strain. Insomnia, fatigue, and even depression have been reported among principals, according to J. Allen Queen and Donald Schumacher, M.D. in an article released in Principal Magazine.
The past year of 2020 has only furthered the mounting pressure on their already weary shoulders as politicians argue and parents desperately need their children to be looked after so they can work, all while keeping everyone involved safe. Principals are criticized often and even threatened far more than most would think. This stressful and dangerous atmosphere is so prevalent that an article released by The Conversation at the end of 2015 reported 41% of principals had violent threats made against them. Even more concerning is that the threats were mostly made by parents. This attitude of abuse towards school principals is reflected by the fact that more than a third actually experienced violence, mainly from their students.
Many hold those who work in education to a higher degree than they would others. We’ve seen it before. A teacher or principal is caught in a less than professional situation outside of work and they face some form of consequence because of it. If someone working at the local grocery store or in a restaurant were caught in the same situation no one would be bothered, but because it was someone in education it changes everything. Parents expect those responsible for their children to remain spotless, especially the principal of their children’s school. This creates a sense of constantly being scrutinized. Anyone can imagine how this would weigh on someone’s mind.
It’s not only the parents and students that create stress in a principal’s life. You also work as the middlemen between those with direct contact with students and the administration that makes the major decisions for those students. Principals are supervisors, but you also have their own supervisors to report to. Not only do you need to manage and guide the teachers and other staff in their school, but you also need to satisfy the expectations and directives of their superintendent, assistant superintendent, and school board. While those in these higher positions try to understand the challenges that teachers, school custodians, cafeteria workers, and others working directly with students face, there is often a disconnect that creates a feeling of division that only the principal can bridge.
However, being this figurative bridge often puts them in the position of facing the displeasure of both sides when things aren’t going as they should. In many work environments, there’s a sense of two sides between those who face the public and those who make the major decisions. It’s often perceived that one side simply doesn’t understand the struggles of the other. In a school dynamic, the principal is stuck in the middle. When circumstances are exceptionally challenging like recent world events, principals are faced with this displeasure on all sides while remaining unable to do anything about it. Solving problems is part of their job, so when principals are unable to enact the changes needed it only increases their already stressful situation.
There’s a lot you must deal with and the constant and unforgiving duties prove to be more than many can handle. The turnover rate for school principals is fairly high for a supervisory position. This is surprising for a career that calls to so many people. According to a National Center for Education Statistics in a 2017-2018 study, there are well over 90,000 principals in the US. As populations grow, this number will increase with the need for more schools. When such a dominating and important position struggles to keep people, it’s a sign that more needs to be done to help them. Stephanie Levin, PhD and Kathryn Bradley, MPP, MA write that 35% are at their school for only two years before they move on and about 21% leave after a year in high poverty schools. This is strongly indicative that there’s too much on the shoulders of these important individuals. A career that has such involvement with our growing youth shouldn’t have such a high level of stress. This creates an unstable environment and only leads to problems for everyone involved, including the children who are incredibly influenced at this young age.
However, what’s needed in order to alleviate some of this dissatisfaction is debatable and uncertain. So much is dependent on the specific needs of the county and surrounding areas of the school, as well as the number of students and how many of these students need extra attention. Each school has its own needs. Despite the difficulty of determining the changes required to help principals deal with less stress, there are some ways you can help yourself manage it.
One of the simplest ways principals can help themselves is by staying focused on why they wanted this position in the first place. For most, they see this as the perfect opportunity to help their school and the students attending. They strive to make the improvements they know need to be made and they want a hand in shaping the lives of teachers and children. They often started as teachers themselves, so they know the struggles they face. You can keep this focus by creating a simple mantra you say every day, placing a reminder on your desk or somewhere else frequently visited, or even utilizing it on your phone or computer somehow. It may seem like a naïve notion when there are so many serious obstacles in your way, but this will help to create positivity and remind you of the reasons you put up with so much stress. For many, having the proper inspiration and motivation helps to alleviate the negativity behind situations.
Another thing that can go a long distance in taking some of the weight off the shoulders of principals is delegation. While some duties are solely on the principal to complete, there are some things that can be handled by other trusted staff as long as they know how. Taking the time to teach them how to do these things may seem impossible with the already tight schedule, but doing this will help to give principals more time for things they already have to squeeze in, such as teacher evaluations. Delegating serves more than to just free up more time. It also goes toward strengthening the bond between the principal and their staff. When employees feel that they are more trusted to complete tasks, they learn vital skills and feel more involved. People work better when they feel needed.
Thirdly, and easily one of the most important ones, is to continue participating in things that promote self-growth. Attending seminars and professional development activities allows principals to potentially learn more ways to function in their roles. Even those who have been a principal for years will still find new ways to improve their schedule and operations. This will also renew that drive and that eagerness that most principals start out with.
Maintaining professional relationships with other principals is also important. This will help create a network of people who are in the same position and who can assist in encouraging each other and helping each other to grow and deal with the stress associated with being a school principal. When you stay in contact with those in your situation, you can discover new ways to do things that may work better and solve issues quicker. Utilizing this network can open doors for more opportunities for improving your school and offers resources to meet goals. You may even find that it creates better opportunities for your staff and the students as well.
Principals face a lot in their position. You have a job that is so multi-dimensional that it’s difficult to keep track of everything involved. You have so much responsibility on your shoulders. Developing ways to deal with this stress and taking time to find what works for you is vital to keeping yourself healthy mentally and physically. You need to take care of yourself in order to be the best leader you can for your school.
https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/resources/2/Principal/2006/N-Dp18.pdf
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_219.46.asp
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/education-statistics-facts-about-american-schools/2019/01
