Experienced career dialogue coding

The early career and experienced career codes were very similar except the experienced career group were able to focus on the support of rural advisors. They were, as a group, much more aware of the impact of formal learning on the role and quite explicit as to why Master’s level learning provided support to a person in the role. Nobody believed a single course with a prescribed curriculum ‘made’ a person a more effective principal.

Page | 178 Principalship is not something you learn from a book. (Jenny)

The participants considered the core component of the role as leading teachers. They discussed responding to different people’s personalities; to issues of competency; to suspension; to being the property developer. Early in their careers, they were often faced with issues in which they lacked knowledge and awareness. In the main, other principals, their colleagues, not books, gave them guidance.

I don’t think you could ever prepare anyone for the role. I mean that. There are certain things you could know. The Principal I worked for (before Mary became a principal) involved me in the budget setting, so that, I was ready for that when we started to do that in Term 3. I had been involved in employment, so I’d done that. My Board report, I hadn’t ever done Board reports, but I’d seen a good model previously, when I was the DP. I suppose those sorts of things that if you’re involved in them, are good on the job

training. (Mary)

5.7.1 Nurture or nature in your early career.

The experienced principal group began by exploring whether leadership could be learned. Although there was a belief that there was considerable learning to do, there was much discussion around being identified and nurtured and having the natural propensity to lead early in their teaching careers.

I think you are born with it to be honest but I also think you can improve on your skills. (Sharon)

You have huge biases towards natural leadership, but leadership can be nurtured, and it can be developed, and moulded. (Harry)

Page | 179 Initiative for me is the key word. Because I had the ability to see some things that needed to be done and did them and that was seen, that was encouraged, and that was nurtured. I see that as leadership ability. I just did those things naturally, but they were recognised by somebody else, and encouraged. (Jenny)

These comments make apparent that participants felt principals’ recognising and developing talent in their teaching staff could improve the process of leadership.

Initial discussion with this group considered how each individual came into principalship. The principals talked about succession planning, building expertise through experience at different schools; being in the right place at the right time and other broader leadership learning experiences. The era of becoming a principal was also a factor. Two of the principals, pre-Tomorrow’s Schools, described the support by the rural advisors as invaluable.

They had a roster and a number of schools that they rotated to, and in our case, it was about 18 or 20 schools. And they just rang up and made appointments and just went around the schools and supported you. When we were appointed, they knew that we were first time Principals. And they had no expectations of us beyond that. You know, they were realistic. (Carla)

They held the group together in terms of a cluster. Like the Chairperson of a group. (Ewen)

The Boards of Education, pre- 1989, were major contributors to the running of a school.

Training for being a principal was really the same as training to be a teacher. It became the expected thing to do. One day I had this grading level, you just applied for this job, and you applied for that. For me the pre-service, the pre- principalship training was non- existent really. (Ewen)

Page | 180 Post Tomorrow’s schools (1989) the principals’ job expanded considerably beyond curriculum

leadership and the skills required became far more comprehensive.

A huge part of my preparation, even though I didn’t know it at the time, was leading community groups. Being the first person to set up a new parent centre, I had a lot of leadership in the community. I think community work was a great preparation for that leadership role. (Jenny)

I just climbed up through bigger and bigger schools. (Carla)

Early on in their first roles, as described by Harry, principals identified understanding the “Impostor Syndrome.” Many participants described not knowing what they were meant to do.

I remember my first morning at ten o’clock; I went out to the secretary and said, “What do I do now?” And I think that’s the last time I ever asked that as a Principal, but I remember after one, or even two hours in the job, I didn’t know what I was doing. (Byron)

I actually became Acting Principal of a school, as Tomorrow’s School’s was coming in. So I was literally thrown in to the deep end; blind leading the blind a little bit. And the training I got was, I was given the keys to the school and, that was it really. (Sharon)

For Sharon this was pivotal in her career. She had arrived in the city to take on a Deputy Principal role, so she was already aspiring to leadership. Then the principal was promoted. She became an acting principal then principal. There was no induction or learning period for her. She admits to having no real idea of what was expected of her other than keep the school going.

Page | 181 Sharon has been a principal now for thirteen years. Some days the job gets her down but it also excites her. The school has grown with her.

They’ve actually encouraged me, paid for me to do what I want, and supported me in giving me time. (Sharon)