I’ve just started my 30th year in education and 13th as a principal and I sometimes feel I’ve seen just about everything. My schools have navigated changing dress codes, new expectations around student behavior, and countless efforts to strengthen school culture. Experience has taught me to anticipate how students will respond—or at least I thought it did!
This year, in just the first month of school, my students have already surprised me. Not because they suddenly agree with every decision we make. They have surprised me because, in situations where I expected pushback, they have instead demonstrated enthusiasm and maturity. And in one example, they showed me their desire for meaningful involvement in our school.
Consider cellphones. My state, Virginia, has implemented a new bell-to-bell policy, which prohibits the use and possession of cellphones and accessories during the school day. While cellphones had already been banned for class and hallway time, it was a new policy for lunch in the cafeteria.
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I’ll be honest: I expected the worst! I thought staff would have numerous confrontations with students about phones. After all, this generation of students has lived a life where cellphones have been part of their world since birth. What I found was gratitude.
One senior, Jeremiah, told me that he’s glad the law exists. “I’m too distracted by my phone,” he told me. “I’m a rule follower. If I’m not allowed to have it, then I won’t. When I see my classmates not using their phones, it motivates me not to, either.” Wow! Surprise number one!
My seniors offered another surprise before classes even began, when a record-breaking 300 students showed up to school early to celebrate a school tradition, Senior Sunrise, on the stadium field. The conversations I had with them have stuck with me ever since.
“Everything you experience is your last event,” I remember telling one group of students at the event. “Think about it. You’ll never have another first day of high school again. That doesn’t mean you should be sad; instead, you should see each day as the gift that it is. A year from now, you’ll be in college, the military, or in the workforce, but you won’t be in high school. Breathe that in and appreciate each day for what it is.”
I know that conversation was a moment of growth for all of us, for me as much as them. I made a note about the feelings I had that morning that I’ll reflect on when writing this year’s graduation speech. What was most impressive was the simplicity of it all: They wanted to be at school, and I wanted to experience it with them, celebrating a milestone, recognizing that their final year was beginning, and embracing their school community. Sometimes, belonging looks like showing up before the sun does. Surprise number two!
I’ve seen similar enthusiasm at our principal feedback forum, where my students have a monthly opportunity to talk directly with me about their experiences at school. I wondered whether students would want another commitment on their already busy schedules. Instead, they wanted in. Consider Kayhan, the founder of the group and a senior with whom I’ve had energetic conversations nearly every day so far this new school year. As we discuss the projects and goals we want the forum to accomplish, I can tell that he genuinely cares about our school culture and wants to make a difference.
By the end of the very first week, he had helped me draft the goals for the group to discuss. Kayhan’s energy fills my tank for wanting to make this year the very best I can for him and his classmates. What a great third surprise!
After three decades in education, I still believe experience matters. But experience is limiting if yesterday’s learners determine what we expect from today’s students. Every class is different. Every school year develops its own personality. And every generation deserves the opportunity to surprise us. This year’s students have reminded me that they want adults who listen, traditions that connect them, and opportunities to help shape their school.
Most importantly, they have reminded me that even after 30 years, a principal should still be willing to say: Thank you for exceeding my expectations!
