Several weeks ago (towards the beginning of school) I saw a photo of myself climbing out the school skid steer wearing my official "superintendent attire"--shirt (with cuff links), tie, dress pants and dress shoes. I guess that sums up my answer for those people who wonder what I do all day; the simple answer is: whatever needs to be done. Teachers have the advantage to "plan"; they literally have lesson plans to give them a guide (of sorts) to follow for the week. I remember teaching (I haven't been away from it that long) some days you stick to the plan and the days rolls by right on schedule. Other days, the plan is gone by 8:35 and you are looking to regroup and take an alternative course of action. Both options offer great learning opportunities for the students; some are more personal than curricular but a learning experience none the less. The point being, you get to plan.
An administrator's work life is full of the unexpected and the expected. I like to think I start everyday with a 'to-do' list and the 'to-do' list can either grow or shrink depending on the day. Some days feel super productive; I may cross off several items from the list. There are different forms to fill out, evaluations to complete, personnel to supervise, material to review, budgets to examine, etc, etc. We also have various meetings to prepare for, in-services to plan and coordinate, building and grounds to survey, and expense lists to prioritize. When a person heads home and can look at the 'to-do' list and see several items crossed off you feel good about your day and know you accomplished something.
There seems to be plenty of "management" activities for us to complete on a daily basis, but we also have plenty of "other" things to do that don't seem like management and are not always planned. (The event from Harrisburg a week ago was a stark reminder.) I think in general school administrators complete many of the tasks that we don't want to have teachers worry about or tasks that will take them away from the classroom. We run skid-steers, drive bus, clean up illnesses, fix drinking fountains/doors/bleachers, substitute (I once was sent to the Junior Kindergarten room, this HS History teacher was a bit out of his element), we help with health screenings and numerous items throughout the day. The unexpected (both good and bad) is part of the allure of the position; there is something motivational about the unknown and how prepared you are to handle it. Don't get me wrong, the smooth sailing, 'to-do' list completing, pleasant weather days are eagerly accepted and often sought after. At the same time the unknown elements keep us engaged and helpful for both students and staff. Those events often remind us of why we accepted the education calling in the first place--to help kids.
No matter if the day is good for the 'to-do' list or shaken due to the unexpected; any day we get to help kids learn and grow is a good day. I often remind myself to not judge my day by the length of 'to-do' list but by the length of the accomplished list. We get lots of things accomplished that seem small in the grand scheme of things, but every management issue and surprise event that we can handle and allow our staff and kids to have a good day is productive for everyone. Plus, who doesn't love driving a skid steer--cuff links or coveralls, it doesn't care what you are wearing.
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