2/15/07: 6th Grade Dance (2.5 Hours)

Today, I learned one of the aspects of leadership that occurs outside of the normal school hours. This time, I was observing the 6th grade assistant principal, Wenda Peltz, during the 6th grade dance. This dance occurred after school from 4-6pm. Being the administrator, is definitely a lot more work than just being a chaperone, one of the responsibilities of being a teacher. As an administrator, you are responsible for everything that is going on surrounding the event. I never realized that the administrative duties revolved around: socializing with parents and members of the PTSA, chaperoning, making sure that teachers are chaperoning, cleaning up any messes that have been made, disciplining kids who are misbehaving, organizing how parents will be picking up their children, and waiting until the last student is picked up.
After doing this part of my practicum, it has made me rethink whether I truly want to be an administrator. It was great to see the teachers and kids in a different manner; however, I have realized that it takes a lot of extra time away from your own family. The worst part was having to wait until the last student is picked up (the last student was picked up 1.5 hours late); many parents who pick up their kids late don't even realize the inconvenience it puts on the administrator.