HS Principal

I recently attended a performance of our high school musical, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” As the high school principal, attendance at such events is mandatory, but as I leafed through the program I reflected on the notion that it didn’t feel like an obligation: I genuinely wanted to be there and was excited about the upcoming performance. I was not disappointed. It was a great show, was an excellent representation of weeks of hard work, and everyone went home happy and satisfied (I assume).

In the after glow of good feelings I started thinking about the kinds of comments one generally hears from folks not connected to such an event. It is important to first think about the latter part of that statement: generally these events are attended only by people “obligated” to attend: parents of the actors, friends of the parents of the actors, friends of the actors, administrators, etc. You know what I mean. The assumption by outsiders is that high school musicals, plays, concerts, etc. are not of “professional” quality and therefore not worthy of their patronage. I have to admit that I have probably felt this way as well. I am guilty of making that assumption.

I am not going to pretend or try to promote attendance at high school events. They cannot compete with Hollywood, professional theater, etc., nor are they meant to. They are, like everything we do in education, part of the process of learning and being educated. What I felt struck by after the performance was the same feeling I used to get as a teacher when I came across a well-written essay, a profound point expounded in and exam, an amazing insight scribbled in a student journal…I was in the presence of growth, discovery, and learning. I was watching student learning…it was there on stage being presented to me in real time. I had never realized that before and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I am definitely going to have to give this more thought and get back to you. I have stumbled upon something important in my own understanding about education and am definitely interested in hearing what others think about this.