posters for display around the school. Items were included in the weekly
bulletin. The revised Student Handbook already included a new regula-
tion (approved by parents) about keeping the school clean. Teachers were
asked to have students keep classroom desks and floors trash free.
As Principal Thelen roamed the school during his walkabout, he picked
up any trash he saw. Students out of their rooms with passes would ask,
“Why are you picking up trash? This isn’t the principal’s job.” He replied,
“This is our home for most of the day. It’s our job to keep it clean.” Some
shook their heads and walked on; others started to pick up garbage them-
selves. The school did become cleaner, though there was always some
refuse on the floors. For the rest of his tenure as principal, Mr. Thelen
was seen serving as a role model by picking up trash as he walked around
the school.
Some of the “principles” in this book have a downside, even Always Be
a Role Model. It is difficult to maintain an image, to stay calm, to never
“lose it.” This is particularly true when most of the major problems you
face are caused by adults who should know better, by teachers and other
administrators who exacerbate rather than defuse.
Mr. Pfizer, the principal of a midwestern middle school, had a way to
deal with some of this internal anger. He had a storage room in the back
of his office, separated from the office by two walls and two doors. On
the bad days, he would go to this back room, close the doors, and kick file
cabinets. You will find that doing something like this for only a minute or
so will relieve your tension and help you through the rest of the day.
Being a role model contributes to stress because you cannot always be
yourself, saying what you feel. You bring this stress home, and it takes a
toll on your family life. You will tend not to talk about your workday at
home; sometimes, you just do not want to relive the day again. But not
everything can be kicked into a file cabinet. The underlying anger and dis-
appointment linger in the mind, draining you emotionally and sometimes
leaving very little patience and emotion for your family. Dentists have a
very high divorce rate. Has anyone done a study on the divorce rate of
principals? A principal with an understanding spouse is fortunate.
The preceding examples of being a role model range from the sublime to
the mundane, but together they show that the school leader must be the
Always Be a Role Model 9