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!
5 Tips for Job Interviews
In the summer of 2019, I applied for jobs as an NQT for the first time. It was daunting and nerve wracking.
Webinar 17th November 2021: “A 4 Step Framework to Lesson Planning”
“A 4 Step Framework to Planning Engaging Lessons” is 1 hour in duration including Q&A opportunities.
The webinar workshop will focus on the rationale and know-how of using the 4-Step Framework for lesson planning – KISS. Teaching and learning strategies for each section of the 4-step famework will be shared and fully explained with examples given.
This practical webinar will share common-sense approach to lesson planning and signpost a clear and consistent structure to plan engaging lessons – without taking over your life!
Webinar 10th November 2021: “Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviour – An Introduction”
“Supporting Students with Challenging Behaviour – An Introduction” is 1 hour in duration including Q&A opportunities.
The webinar workshop will:
provide an introduction to supporting students with challenging behaviour
highlight characteristics of effective behaviour management and how to implement into your teaching practices easily and quickly
Share the problem-solving model and action plan to use when supporting students with challenging behaviour.
Webinar 20th October 2021: “A 10 Step Guide to Effective Differentiation”
“A 10 Step Guide to Effective Differentiation” is 1 hour in duration including Q&A opportunities.
The webinar workshop will focus on 10 habits for effective differentiation in a mainstream classroom. Teaching and learning strategies shared will be fully explained with examples given.
Webinar 13th October 2021: “Marking & Feedback Masterclass”
You are a teacher who is frustrated and overwhelmed with the never-ending job of marking.
You are a teacher who wants to find a balance where marking is effective and efficient – for you and your students.
You are a teacher who wants to gain confidence and competence in providing feedback to students – without adding more hours to your marking workload!
NQT Picnic 11th August 2021
NQT Picnic is a specially designed online event for NQT’s in August 2021.
It is a daunting experience starting your very first teaching position – whether it is subbing or your own post! College seems like a long time ago now and you may be starting to feel a tad nervous.
Following the huge success of NQT Fest in January 2021, we are delighted to share this special event for NQT’s in August 2021 with you!
Tag:Easter, Lesson Ideas
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