By Jen Schwanke, Ed.D.
Half of my career was spent as a middle school teacher and administrator. I caught the middle school “bug” in graduate school, when I took several classes focused solely on best practices in teaching adolescent students. Until that time, I’d had no idea how legitimately unique a middle school child really is.
My professor, Dr. Foster, opened class one day with a little factoid: Aside from infancy, there is no period in a human being’s life in which their brain, body, and emotions are changing so rapidly as they do in adolescence. “It’s wild! Isn’t it?” Dr. Foster said, gesticulating, excited. “And what an honor to teach students at such a vulnerable time! What a difference we can make!”
I still believe that to be true. What an honor.
I’ve met thousands of middle school educators. The vast majority of them feel deeply connected to the journey of a middle school child. They love their students – love their unique, awkward, blooming, extraordinary mindsets. They believe in the work. They specialize in the needs, challenges, highs and lows of existing in this world as a middle school child. So here’s a question:
Are We Selecting the Right Principals for the Middle School Job?
With so many passionate, dedicated middle school teachers, I often wonder why there is a common trend, in both thought and action, associated with the recruitment and identification of middle school principals.
When we are looking for middle school leaders, we often look at high school assistant principals and consider if they might want to “move down” to take on a MS principalship before they “move up” to a high school principalship. This mindset contains multiple problematic assumptions, not least of which is the use of the words “down” or “up,” both of which carry judgments about the importance of middle school and the leadership required to do it well.
To be clear, leaders with high school (and elementary) backgrounds bring extremely valuable skill sets – master scheduling and foundational literacy come to mind. Countless successful middle school principals come from backgrounds that did not begin in middle school. I propose it’s simply worth considering that middle-level training and experience cultivates a specialized “superpower” that complements many leadership skills we need in our middle schools.
To truly support the middle level child – and the teachers and leaders who dedicate their careers to them – districts may want to consider intentionally cultivating a leadership pipeline from within their middle school-trained teaching staff. After all, no one truly understands the middle school child like someone who was trained in it, who has worked in the trenches of it, and who believes in its importance.
The Case for Specialization (and Why)
We all know this, but it bears repeating: A middle schooler isn’t just a “big 5th grader” or a “small 9th grader” – and they don’t want to be considered as such. Middle schoolers want to be separated from the constraints of being in elementary school; they are eager to be considered more independent and capable. At the same time, they know they aren’t ready for high school content or responsibilities.
I have worked with middle schoolers who are dabbling in very adult things, and I have worked with middle schoolers who happily play with childhood toys. While the spectrum of behaviors and maturity is wide, most middle schoolers want the same things: Autonomy, a sense of belonging, and engagement in learning that is less scripted and more exploratory.
A middle school-trained leader knows these things, so they are equipped to lead teachers, parents, and students through tumultuous adolescence with empathy and skill. I often think a colleague I’ll call Tara, an extraordinary middle school principal. Each year she hosts a meeting with sixth grade parents to introduce them to her school’s staff, curriculum, and programming. At the end of the meeting, she tells them, with empathy and understanding,
Being the parent of a middle schooler is not an easy thing to do. I’d like to warn you: Of the three years your child will be with us, it is possible that there will be one really bad year. Friendships will be difficult. School will be hard. Relationships will feel amplified and fraught. Remind yourself, and remind your child, that a bad year is but one stop in a long, rich life.”
Tara is trained in the ways of young adolescent learners and does a wonderful job recognizing, understanding, and communicating the perseverance required to work with their unique challenges. She is an ideal middle school leader who, in addition to managing and leading, provides emotional regulation for her entire community.
The Hierarchy Fallacy
It is from this perspective of the middle school journey that I urge districts to tap middle school educators as potential leaders, not just look “up” to the high school or “down” to the elementary. There are likely middle school experts right there, on your staff, who might make excellent leaders. Identifying internal leaders – and supporting their decision to lead – reassures middle level teachers (and students) that the district values the specialization associated with this unique time in a child’s life.
Anticipating the Need
Most states require a specialized license to become a principal, some of which take a couple years to complete, so it’s helpful to always be looking ahead – encouraging middle school educators to think about – and perhaps enroll in – appropriate certification programs before the need arises. As I say to some teachers, “It’s one thing if a door opens and you don’t want to walk through. It’s another thing if the door opens and you want to walk through – but you don’t even have your shoes on.”
How to Grow Your Own
Here are a few ideas for utilizing the talent and skill within your current middle school staff.
✦ Identify the Natural Leaders: Keep your eye out for teachers who have a “heart for the middle” and an aptitude for leadership. Ask yourself questions such as:
►Do they believe deeply in the middle school child’s potential?
►Do they have a strong work ethic?
►Do they enjoy cultivating student choice and autonomy?
►Do their colleagues like and respect the work they do?
✦ Create Micro-Leadership Opportunities: Create a structure for grade-level leads, department heads, or PLC facilitators specifically focused on middle-level pedagogy.
►Provide job-embedded support for teacher leaders.
►Openly discuss the critical importance of shared leadership.
►Celebrate and highlight the work of in-house leaders.
✦ Mentor and Shadow: Connect aspiring middle-level leaders with veteran principals who champion the middle school philosophy.
►Ask mentors to encourage and develop teacher leaders.
►Provide opportunities for aspiring leaders to feel both the challenge and the success of leadership opportunities.
✦ Develop University or Agency Partnerships: Connect with local or online universities to develop a cohort model for middle school teachers interested in securing their administration licenses.
►Utilize fee waivers, tuition reimbursement, or scholarship programs.
►Offer to provide field experiences within the school day, alleviating the risk of teachers having too much on their plate while securing their licensure.
Some Final Thoughts
Every school and district is unique. For small districts, taking just one of these steps might be enough. For large districts, appointing someone to oversee an official leadership training program might make more sense. Regardless of what approach is taken, the goal is to identify and encourage middle school experts to consider themselves as potential school-level leaders.
Dr. Foster was right when he said it was an honor to work with middle schoolers. Here I am, thirty years after sitting in his class, and now I’m the one gesticulating about middle school teachers, leaders, and the opportunity that comes with middle school work. Specialized leadership leads to more stable, thriving schools. Let’s look inward – not “up” or “down” – to empower the experts who are already there – thriving in the hallways, leading in the classrooms, and truly seeing the middle school child.
Jen Schwanke, Ed.D. brings nearly three decades of experience to the field of education, having served as both a teacher and leader across all levels. She is currently an instructor in educational administration at The Ohio State University and a Deputy Superintendent in Dublin, Ohio.
Jen has published five books with ASCD, including The Teacher’s Principal, and her most recent, Trusted: Trust Pillars, Trust Killers, and the Secret to Successful Schools. She’s a frequent presenter at major educational conferences, including those hosted by ASCD, NAESP, NASSP, AASA, and various state and national organizations. She’s also the author of the popular newsletter, Principal Problems with Dr. Jen, and shares her insights as co-host of the Principal Matters podcast.
