Menu

FOCUS

Principals rediscover their joy and purpose through coaching

By Kay Psencik
Categories: Coaching, Leadership, School leadership
April 2022
Principals are feeling the stress of these tumultuous times. According to a recent report sponsored by The Wallace Foundation, principals report that, for the last two years, they have spent most of their time on COVID-19 responses, teacher absences and retention, and designing online instruction (Clifford & Coggshall, 2021). They also feel the urgent need to catch students up academically and provide emotional support for students, staff, and parents. Amid all these challenges, principals want to regain their purpose and return their schools to the core values of educating every student to high standards. They see professional learning as a way to address acceleration, biases in the school, use of curriculum materials, assessments of student learning, and instructional practices and to strengthen a culture of

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Log In
   

References

Clifford, M.A. & Coggshall, J.G. (2021). Evolution of the principalship: Leaders explain how the profession is changing through a most difficult year. American Institutes for Research & NAESP. www.naesp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LWNNEvolutionofPrincipalship.pdf

Learning Forward. (2014). The Principal Story learning guide. The Wallace Foundation & Learning Forward. learningforward.org/toolkits/the-principal-story-learning-guide/

Resources for Learning. (2015). Twin Tiers Principals’ Coalition project summary. Unpublished report.

Kay Psencik (kay.psencik@learningforward.org) is a senior consultant at Learning Forward.


Kay Psencik
+ posts

Kay Psencik served students and educators for over 30 years in Texas public schools as a teacher and school administrator. She has supervised, supported, and coached principals for over 40 years.


Categories: Coaching, Leadership, School leadership

Search
The Learning Professional


Published Date

CURRENT ISSUE


Recent Issues

WHAT STUDENTS NEED NOW
December 2025

For all students to thrive, we need to understand who they are and what...

LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR LEADERS
October 2025

Leaders need opportunities to connect, learn, and grow with peers just as...

MAXIMIZING RESOURCES
August 2025

This issue offers advice about making the most of professional learning...

MEASURING LEARNING
June 2025

To know if your professional learning is successful, measure educators’...

×

Register your interest

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.