Nine Career Defining Questions for APs & Deans

Where do you want your AP/Dean role to take you? Reflect on these questions to determine what experiences you need to get you there.

These questions from Principal magazine provide not only opportunity for self-reflection but also for processing in your mentoring partnership.

1. What have you noticed about your school culture? What do you want to do differently to impact the culture and instructional leadership? Reflect on whether you can do this in your current role or if this is a nudge toward the principalship.
2. What are your career goals? Do you see yourself as a career AP or dean or as an aspiring principal? If you see yourself as a future principal, what experiences do you need to round out your skill set and knowledge base? What does your conversation with your principal look like so that you can plan for these experiences in the coming school year?
3. What are you doing well? What are your strengths? Think about observing classrooms, mentoring teachers, building relationships, creating positive behavior supports and interventions, engaging with parents, leading professional learning, coaching teachers, and any other aspects of strong leadership. Ask your principal (and your mentor!!) for input as well.
4. Where do you need to improve? Again, ask your principal for feedback and then ask for help in developing a plan to get you the experiences you need to develop that skill and knowledge.
5. In what areas do you want more experience? Build these opportunities into your Individual Administrator Professional Development Plan. 
6. Are you getting the work done? What results are you producing? Where have you had impact? What projects have you led and what’s happening with them?
7. What do you enjoy most about your role? When do you find yourself smiling? Satisfied? What are you doing in those moments? 
8. Are you dissatisfied with any aspects of the job? Are you happy? How do you know this is the job for you? Sometimes, imagining yourself in a different role can either remind you of why you’re in the right seat on the bus or cause you to make a change.
9. Is your leadership role part of your “purpose-driven life”? Does this work light you up? When you're passionate about your work, it feels natural. You want to grow and be better every day. 

As you reflect honestly with yourself about these questions, you can gain clarity regarding what you need next on your leadership journey. Your mentor can serve as a valuable processing partner!

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