Do NOT Go to the Principal’s Office

Bethany Hill, the principal at Central Elementary School in Cabot, Ark., shuns a formal office in favor of spending all her time roving classrooms, hallways, the playground, and the cafeteria, where she can be as close as possible to her teachers and students all day. Outfitted with a walkie talkie, an iPhone, a backpack, a fanny pack, and a cup of coffee, she’s on the move most of the day in her school observing teachers and students. In her first two years as principal, Hill had an office, but says she feels much happier and more effective at her job without one. “It’s real easy to get caught up in the managerial parts of being a building leader,” Hill says. “…I shouldn’t be sitting behind closed doors talking to people all day long.”