Principal

The last few Friday nights, I've been going to a local bar to watch our school counselor play guitar. He is rather good and I enjoy the place. It has nice food, it nicely decorated and quiet so I can relax after a week of school.

Last night I went there and a fellow teacher showed up for a little while. This teacher has been teaching in Asia since 1983, in Japan, South Korea, Thailand and I think Vietnam, so he has his experiences in many different areas. He actually taught at a DOD school in Japan for a long time and is currently collecting retirement through them along with teaching at ASB. I enjoy speaking with him because he has so much experience, even though he does not teach math, I feel there is so much I can learn from him and so much advice he can give me.

Well, last night we got on the subject of the school's principal. The teacher said that a teacher could work all his career and not find a principal as good as the one we have. I was happy to hear that, because he is the first principal that I am working for full time. The principal definitely makes things a lot easier than they could be and is a major buffer between the rest of the school administration and the teachers. I think he fights for a lot of things for the teacher and makes our lives much easier than they could be.

As happy as I am to have this principal for my first year, I am worried about who will come in next year. This principal is in his second year at ASB and he knew going in that it was only going to be a two year deal for him, which if fine and he can do that if he wants. I worry about the principal for next year and I worry about the principals I will have for the future, when I return back home.

Some of the principals that I have dealt with in schools back in the states have been less than spectacular in my opinion. Hopefully, my first principal is not the best one I will ever have and they will all be down hill from here. Just another way that I feel I may be spoiled teaching over here in Thailand and the adjustment to teaching back home will be a challenge.

Aaron