School secretary jobs

When I first walked into my office as the assistant principal of a middle school with 800 kids, it had been seven years since I had held that position. It was a difficult adjustment for me to make from teaching third grade to working in the main office since, for the eight years before to that, I had only been responsible for the 20–30 children who were enrolled in my classroom. I moved from a world where I taught, assessed, graded, and counted lunches to a world where school improvement plans, state evaluations, district initiatives, and statistics on free and reduced-price lunches were my new reality (to name just a few). If it weren't for Teri, my secretary, I never would have been able to make this change in a manner that was beneficial to me. She is an incredible human being, and as long as I live, I will hold her in a place that is uniquely hers in my heart. Teri put in a lot of effort every day, and she always had the mentality that she wanted to make sure that both the school and I were doing as well as we possibly could, and that is a big reason why I am where I am now and why I have been successful.

Teri left our school system for good two years ago and has since retired. Despite the fact that I am pleased for her, I feel that we have lost a significant member of our family. The five years that I was fortunate enough to have Teri at my side gave me the opportunity to learn what qualities are necessary in a principal's secretary in order to assist in maintaining a continuous development and accomplishment mentality.

I have distilled all of the remarkable characteristics that my secretary had into three primary "roots." In my opinion, these are the characteristics that are most essential for the development of a principal's leadership and the growth of the school as a whole.

The First Source: Compassion and Care

When a person calls the school or comes into the main office, the secretary is the first person they see and speak to. The genuine litmus test of the culture and atmosphere of the school, as well as a reflection of the principal's vision, values, and leadership, is the school secretary. This is the case from the perspective of your stakeholders. As the administrator of this school, it is my responsibility to demonstrate compassion and concern for each and every student, parent, educator, and member of the community that attends our institution. It is my responsibility to ensure that each individual believes they are the most important person in the world at any given moment. The same may be said about the secretaries at the school.

That was what made Teri such an incredible person. She never gave any of the students the impression that they were being a burden to her, whether they came in with a question, wanted to use the phone, or had a bloody nose. Instead, she paid attention to them as she should have and shown that she was there to assist them in any way she could. Teri always went out of her way to let parents, visitors, and our staff know that they were a part of our community and that it was an honor for her to support and assist them in any way she could. This was true for all of the people that interacted with her.

Teri was always there for me, checking to make sure that I had what I had to be successful. In addition to demonstrating empathy and caring to the school, Teri did this for me. Teri never skipped a day of checking in with me to see how I was doing and providing me with some form of moral support, whether it was by inquiring as to whether there was anything she could do to alleviate some of my responsibilities or by putting out fires that she could handle without my assistance. She felt that it was her responsibility to look out for the welfare of others.

The second source is steadfastness and resourcefulness.

Over the last decade, what it means to be a leader in a school has undergone significant transformation. The function of a principal has shifted from that of a management of the institution to that of the "lead learner" of the institution. Because of this adjustment, the principal will now be spending the most of their time at a different location. If a school leader wants to have the most influence possible, they need to spend less time in their office and more time in the classrooms, halls, and cafeterias of the school. This will allow them to make the most of the time they do spend there. Because of this shift in environment, administrative secretaries will have less interactions with their supervisors, which means they will need to be more inventive in order to fulfill their duties.

As I said earlier, Teri was fantastic at putting out fires and stepping in to help when they broke out, which freed me up to focus on the things that were really important. She would always step in and do her bit to ensure that situations that could be solved without requiring my immediate attention were handled properly. These concerns may range from irate kids and parents to stuck copiers. Due to her reliability and ability to find solutions to problems, I felt confident in trusting her judgment whenever they occurred.

She would always come into my office at the end of the day with a list of these "little fires" to let me know which ones still need my attention, and then she would ask about if there was anything in particular that I believed should have been handled in a different manner. Teri's goal was to always be the best at what she did, and she was always searching for direction and input to ensure that her actions were in line with the vision that the school's leadership had for the institution. She had a constant desire to both learn and take the lead. This kind of thinking is what propelled her to the top of her field.

Shared vision and faith in those in leadership make up the third root.

It is possible for a school secretary to be compassionate and caring, reliable and resourceful; nevertheless, if the school does not have a common vision, none of these qualities will matter. Someone who not only collaborates with the school principal but also supports the job that the principal performs and the vision they have for the school is necessary. If you and your partner do not have the same mentality and the same vision, neither of you will ever be able to realize your full potential.

I was fortunate to have Teri for many different reasons, but the most important one was that she believed in me and the vision I had for the school. Having her as a coworker was a blessing. Teri was someone who was always there with an open mind and was willing to go through any fire or storm; she always thought that we were heading in the right path. She was aware that the actions I was doing were not what was best for me, but rather what was best for the institution. She was always eager to do anything for me because she understood that I would do anything for anybody, and since she knew this, she was always willing to help me.

When the going gets rough at school, you need to have someone on your side who will represent you and fight for you. This is an absolute must if you want to be a school leader. Teri's abilities and the job that she conducted were never in question for me at any point. It was such a blessing to have someone who not only supported me but also had the qualities essential for our children, parents, staff, and the community of our school to develop in the manner in which it did.

The transition to any new role is difficult; but, even the most difficult adjustments may be made with less stress if you have a partner who believes in you and supports your goals. I have so much gratitude for Teri, and despite the fact that she is not in my life on a day-to-day basis anymore, the self-assurance and development I accomplished during the time we spent together continue to drive me today.

The position of the school secretary is both the most challenging and the most crucial one in the school. Without them, the institution will not be able to perform at its most optimal levels. No matter how large or how tiny their actions are, they always have an effect. I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say how much we appreciate all you do!