3 Things I Wish I Knew When I Became an Assistant Principal

No leadership book or training fully prepares you for the moment you step into administration for the first time, especially in a school setting. Transitioning from teacher to Assistant Principal is one of the biggest shifts in education leadership, and it comes with lessons you often learn the hard way. Looking back, these are three lessons I wish I had known on day one.

1. Protect Your Time for What Matters Most

As an AP, your day will try to pull you in 100 different directions. Urgent emails, parent calls, discipline issues, and last-minute meetings can quickly take over. What I didn’t realize at first was that the most important thing I could do was protect time for classrooms and teachers. Being visible in instruction, not just reactive to crises, makes all the difference in building credibility and impact.

2. Feedback is More Than Correcting Mistakes

Early in my career, I thought feedback meant telling people what they needed to fix. Over time, I learned that real feedback is about growth. It’s not always pointing out what went wrong, it’s about helping teachers see other options, consider new approaches, and reflect on ways they can improve. The best leaders use feedback as a tool to empower, not to discourage.

3. You Can’t Do It Alone

Perhaps the hardest lesson: leadership is not a solo journey. My success depended on the trust I built with teachers, staff, and families. Listening first and leading second created a stronger foundation than any initiative or system. Collaboration isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s what makes leadership sustainable.

If you’re a new leader stepping into administration, remember that the learning curve is steep but rewarding. Protect your time for what matters, use feedback to inspire growth, and lean on relationships to carry you forward.

At MENTOR, our mission is to empower, educate, and elevate leaders by sharing real-world experiences like these. Because leadership isn’t just about titles, it’s about people.

👉 What do you wish you knew before stepping into leadership? Share your thoughts in the comments or connect with us to continue the conversation.