A Day in the Life of a Principal Using PD to Support Growth

When I think back on my years as a principal, the truth is simple: no two days ever looked the same. You walk in with a plan for your day, but within five minutes, that plan is gone. Something always pulls you in a different direction.

That unpredictability is part of the job. You learn quickly that everything goes back to the building’s principal, and you’re responsible for whatever walks through your door.  

That’s why professional development (PD) was never just an event for me, but it was one of the most important ways to support teachers, address patterns I was seeing, and ultimately help students succeed. In the middle of constant unpredictability, sustained professional development and ongoing support for my teachers made it possible to keep long-term goals in focus alongside immediate needs.

Morning: Putting Out Fires While Keeping an Eye on Growth

Most mornings started before the bell ever rang. I’d barely step into the building before something needed my attention. An issue in the drop-off line, something happening in the hallways, a parent waiting for me, or a teacher with a concern.

That was normal.

As a principal, you are immediately assessing what is unfolding in front of you, whether it is important and urgent, important but not urgent, or something that can wait. I applied that same logic when I was in the classroom, and I used it all day long as a leader.  

Even in the chaos, I was always watching for patterns. If I had ten students in my office that week for the same issue, that wasn’t just a discipline problem; it told me something needed to be addressed instructionally or procedurally.

That meant something in our system needed support, and PD was usually the lever.

Midday: Turning Daily Realities Into PD Decisions

By midday, the building usually settled into a rhythm. Students had eaten, teachers were in their classes, and things calmed down just enough for me to shift into coaching mode.

Coaching didn’t just happen during formal evaluations. It happened when I walked in classrooms, in hallway conversations, during planning periods, or after a tough class period. To know what teachers needed, I had to know my teachers. Not just their instructional strengths, but how they operated day to day:

• Who walked in a few minutes late to faculty meetings
• Who stayed quiet during PD but asked thoughtful questions later?
• Who kept sending me referrals during the same class period?

All of that was data that pointed directly to support needs, either in a more formal PD setting, or professional coaching situation

One teacher stands out in my mind: a government teacher everyone loved. His classroom management was great, and so was his relationships with his students, but his assessment data didn’t match what I expected. When we sat down and mapped out his curriculum, we realized he had skipped almost a quarter of the standards. He had been pacing by the textbook instead of the curriculum. When he saw his year laid out visually, it clicked. That conversation changed things for him.

And yes, sometimes teachers resisted coaching or any kind of professional development. I remember an English teacher who attended PD only to get her hours. I asked if I could give her students a five-question assessment based strictly on the standards she said she had taught. Most of them failed it. She didn’t say a word, but she signed up for training she’d never tried before. Sometimes growth begins with a moment of clarity.

Those moments also showed me why teachers often misunderstand the nature and purpose of professional growth situations. Many assume PD is one-size-fits-all, usually because they’ve sat through sessions that felt generic or disconnected from their daily reality.  

Others believe PD is only for teachers who aren’t skilled or effective, when in truth, some of the strongest teachers I coached were the ones who embraced learning opportunities.  

And teachers sometimes think you can’t measure the outcomes of PD, but you can. You see it in classroom routines, assessment data, engagement, confidence, and even the way teachers talk about their instruction.

That’s why PD can’t be the same for everyone. Teachers have different strengths, needs, and levels of experience.

‍Using PD is all about meeting teachers where they’re at… just like we do with students.

Afternoon: Regroup, Recenter, Prepare

Afternoons were transitional. Students headed to athletics or electives, teachers settled in, and the building exhaled a bit.

This was my chance to:

• follow up on situations from the morning
• check in on teachers who needed support
• review the down list for grades
• look at referral trends
• and start planning the next staff meeting

If I didn’t see a shift soon after some PD or coaching, that told me something. Either the PD wasn’t effective, or my communication wasn’t clear enough. Feedback needed to be specific, PD needed to be targeted, and support needed to be consistent.

Consistency is everything. An inconsistent leader creates anxiety, and teachers can’t grow in that environment.

I worked hard to be steady and to follow through. If I said I was going to do something, I did it. My teachers trusted me because my expectations didn’t change based on my mood. And I never asked them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. I participated in PD with them, right on the floor beside them if needed.  

Why Teachers Learn Best From Each Other

One of the most meaningful growth tools I used as a principal was peer mentoring. Teachers learn so much by watching each other teach. I often invited a teacher into another classroom, or encouraged a colleague to open their door, so others could see effective routines, questioning strategies, or instructional pacing in real time.

Those moments weren’t evaluative; they were simply supportive. Peer mentoring allowed teachers to observe, ask questions, and reflect without pressure. When teachers see great teaching happening next door, it makes growth feel attainable.

Evening: The Quiet Work No One Sees

When the buses pulled away and the hallways quieted, my day still wasn’t over. I sat at my desk, went through emails, and prepared for the next day.

I’ve always been someone who writes things down with pen and paper. Leadership moves fast, and if you don’t capture things, you’ll forget them.

Some nights I went straight into football games, band concerts, or parent nights. Other nights I stayed late helping custodial staff or walking the building to make sure everything was locked up. None of it was glamorous, but all of it was part of leading a school.

That final hour grounded me. It reminded me why staff support mattered so much, because when teachers grow, students grow.  

And students were always my “why.”

Giving Teachers Choice Matters

I never believed in putting every teacher in the same training and hoping it worked for everyone. Teachers have different strengths and different needs, and PD should honor that. That’s why we built PD menus: options teachers could choose from based on their interests, their goals, or areas they wanted to strengthen.

Choice matters. When teachers feel autonomy in their own learning, they engage more deeply. And when PD aligns with both campus needs and individual strengths, it becomes something teachers look forward to, not something they endure.

Lessons I’d Give Any New Principal

If I were sitting with a brand-new principal designing PD, here’s what I’d tell them:

• You don’t have to know everything, and you definitely shouldn’t pretend you do. Teachers will see through that immediately.
• Ask questions.
• Get teacher input.
• Let people help shape the PD.
• Be open about what you don’t know.
• And never forget: your consistency, or inconsistency, shapes the entire culture of your campus.

And remember, professional growth plans aren’t meant to be punishments. They’re there to support teachers and help them improve.

Leaders Shaped How I Lead

I didn’t become the leader I was by accident. I learned from people who modeled what steady, student-centered leadership looks like. One principal I worked under taught me the importance of slowing down, thinking before responding, staying composed, and being intentional with my words. That calm, steady presence shaped the way I handled difficult moments.

And I learned from leaders who weren’t afraid to get in the trenches. If teachers were trying something new, those leaders were right beside them, doing the same work and showing that we were truly a team. That shaped my core belief: never ask teachers to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.

Why This Still Drives Me Today

Even now in my role at Education Advanced, that same philosophy guides everything I do. When I show districts how tools like Evaluation or Pathways can save their leaders time, I’m showing them something that would have helped me as a principal.

Because whether I was coaching teachers in a hallway or helping districts streamline their systems today, my belief has never changed: Students deserve the best opportunities we can give them, and that starts with empowering the educators closest to them.

That was the heart of my work as a principal. It’s still the heart of my work today.