The Not-So-Secret Diary of Principal Elaine King
The Not-So-Secret Diary of a Principal
My name is Elaine and I am the Principal of a school in Galway and the owner of the company EK Interview Preparation.
I am a busy mom of 7 amazing children – 6 boys and 1 girl.
I love my job – both the teaching and the leadership role.
I also enjoy working with other teachers and leaders, helping them to achieve their goals and aspirations. Through my work with EK Interview Preparation, I am lucky to meet a variety of aspiring teachers and leaders on a daily basis.
My alarm goes off…
at 5.30am.
Sometimes I get up, but more often than not, I will press the snooze button until 6am.
Most mornings, I do some simple stretches on my mat. It takes a lot of discipline as I’d much rather run downstairs and catch up on the laundry!
At 7am, the calm ends when I rouse my 7 children and then the chaos begins!
My husband takes the 15 and 14 year olds’ with him on route to work and I drop the 2 year old and 1 year old babies to my Mom’s and then head on to school with the 12, 9 and 8 year old!!!
Psst… check out our blog-post on morning routines HERE.
I am responsible for…
As Teaching Principal, I am responsible for the day to day running of our school and I also teach four classes- Junior Infants to 2nd class.
The ‘day to day running’ involves a lot of work…liaising with staff, parents, children, the Board and outside agencies; policies; taking calls and emails; pre-empting problems before they arise, etc.!
As a teacher, I am responsible for my classes and I work hard to keep my plans and lessons interesting and new – this is very important in multi- classes!
Psst… if you want to learn more about the daily life of a principal, check out this diary entry from Teresa, a principal in Cork. Check it out HERE!
My typical day...
I arrive at the school at 8.30 am but more often than not, my Deputy Principal is there ahead of me, with the heat on and the kettle boiled.
I chat to the staff each morning and greet the children as they arrive.
I check my emails and then head to my classroom to fire up the flat screen and check my daily plans.
The day flies by juggling four classes and yard duty. I try to have lunch each day with the other teachers but sometimes I get caught up in the office as it is my only time to speak to my excellent secretary.
After school, I briefly speak to my colleagues and then leave the school about 3.15pm.
The best part of my job is...
is the children! I teach the Junior Classes and they never fail to bring a smile to my face. No matter what is going on in your own personal life, children have the power to brighten your day!
I also love the variety of being a Teaching Principal – I enjoy the Leadership Role and I feel I have the best of both worlds right now.
Psst… check out one of our EPV Summer Course for teachers “Fostering Emotional Resilience & Harmony in the Classroom” HERE.
Find more details about 2021 Summer Courses here!
The most challenging part of my job is…
finding the time to get everything done. When I first became a Principal over 7 years ago, I used to try to tick each thing on my To Do list daily. As time went on, I realised this was a pointless exercise and now I manage my time more effectively using the ‘Urgent/ Not Urgent’ matrix or I delegate to my DP and secretary.
Psst… If you want to learn more about how to prioritise your time, check out this blog-post about effective decision-making HERE!
I am inspired by…
many people- different people for different areas of my life. In my work life, I am inspired by my staff and pupils who work so hard on a daily basis and who gave their all during Lockdown, putting a huge effort into Remote Learning and Teaching. I am greatly inspired by my sister Valerie or Muinteoir Valerie – who works so hard but also takes the time to support and encourage me and others.
After work…
I leave school to pick up my babies and then I start the long evening of music lessons, Gaelic Football Training, Rugby, Irish Dancing, etc. depending on the day! I have six sons and one daughter and their activities keep me on my toes!
We finally arrive home around 6pm or 7pm, have dinner, homework (if not already done somewhere along the way), bedtime and then I start my Principal ‘To do List’ for that day and my work assignments for my company EK Interview Preparation.
I try to end my evening either by reading a good book, watching Netflix (The Bold Type is a new, light favourite!) or scrolling through amazing teacher and principal accounts on Instagram.
The motto I live by…
There are so many amazing mottos that I live by but I always strive to live by ‘Family First’. Another simple word I use a lot is ‘Reset’. When having a tough day, it is so important to pick yourself up and always try again tomorrow- press the Reset button!
A huge thank you to Elaine for sharing her not-so-secret diary – we love the idea of RESET!
Would you like to share your diary or like to suggest a teacher, principal or education professional whose diary you would like to read?!
Contact us at info@rahoo.ie to nominate yourself or someone else – ah go on!
Go on, go on, go on!
Check out the details HERE!
What makes a school trauma-informed?
A trauma informed school understands that there is nothing “wrong” with these kids but rather something has
happened or IS happening to them. A trauma informed school will see the need for trauma care before diagnosis. In
this way a trauma informed school can give the struggling child the gift of a secure base from which they can begin to
explore the world and take risks again.
Webinar 28th November 2022: From Trauma Reactive to Trauma Responsive
Trauma informed schools promote feelings of physical, social and emotional safety in children. A trauma informed school understands and recognises the impact of trauma on children and their learning and responds to these children in a way that promotes growth and healing.
5 Top Tips for a Stress-free Parent Teacher Meeting
Start with a smile and welcome the parents/ guardians to the meeting. Thank them for taking the time to meet with you. Begin by asking the parent(s)/ guardian(s) how they feel their child is getting on at school. This will give you time to settle into the meeting, and understand what perhaps the parent feels needs to be discussed.
Free Resources for Teachers: Parent-Teacher Meeting Template
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Free Resource for Teachers – End of School Year Activities!
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