A Day in the Life of a Principal: 12,000 Steps
In this principal's account, the day runs from before 7 AM to after 5 PM, with much of it spent moving throughout the school: hallway patrols, playground supervision, lunchroom cleanup, classroom walkthroughs, and crisis support for at-risk students. He tracked his typical Monday step by step, and it added up to roughly 12,000 steps before he got home.
DISCLAIMER: This article has no intent to brag about what we do as principals. The purpose is to illustrate to the public, what most principals do on a daily basis. The job has changed and continues to evolve!
The concept of a principal from years past, sitting at their desk all day, is wildly inaccurate!
You must throw away thoughts of years past and not revert to the concept of a principal from your childhood…that job no longer exists!
The point of this article is meant to raise awareness of the plethora of duties, responsibilities, expectations, and tasks a principal may do in any given day.
So, let's look at a typical day in the life of a principal.
SIDE NOTE: When I state a "typical day," this does not include many of the unplanned events that occur daily in which the principal is expected to problem-solve. Most days are a packed with more events and jobs than listed below. A few days a month, we are in meetings, and it is extremely difficult to get 12,000 steps in!
A Day in the Life of a Principal
If you have not walked in a principal's shoes, here are 12,000 steps to get you mildly associated with the position. I am going to give you my typical Monday…usually the busiest day of the week for me!
The following times are approximate, but my staff and others who know me can tell you exactly where I am at these times of day!
Steps 0-1000 (~7:00 AM - 8:00 AM) of a School Principal
The first steps of the day are minimal in my house: bed, coffee, and bathroom.
As I arrive at work, I walk by the coffee machine and turn it on (my lifeline to sanity).
I head into my office and turn on the computer. While the computer is on, I retrieve my mail from the Principal's Mailbox. I listen to all the voicemails from the previous night. I then read my email and check the electronic calendar for the day. Using those four different communication avenues, I devise a plan and checklist of tasks for the day. I prioritize what absolutely has to be completed today, what can be done after school, and what can be put off and rescheduled for a later date.
I then check the online substitute tracker to see who will be out today.
As I walk out to get my coffee, I travel up and down the hallways unlocking the doors of absent teachers. I check the hallways to see how clean they are before students and staff arrive. I am constantly cleaning as I walk. I drop the stuff off at the lost and found, as it looks similar to Mount Kilimanjaro.
I return to my desk and finish one project that needs to be completed today.
Around 7:45 AM, my administrative assistant arrives. We go through the day's events, and I delegate to her any tasks I need help completing.
Steps 1000-4000 (~8:00 AM - 9:30 AM) of a School Principal
Teachers start arriving at 7:15 AM and continue arriving until 8:00 AM. Any teachers who will be later than 8:00 AM should text me their rationale for the tardiness. The teachers know this is a pet peeve of mine… not communicating about tardiness. There is nothing more embarrassing than bringing a parent down to the classroom when the teacher has not arrived at school yet. If I know they are going to be gone, I can front-load the parent, which shows how well we communicate between the teacher and the principal.
At 8:00 AM, I start walking around doing a check-in with teachers, saying hello and maybe asking a question. This is done to model positive communication and to let teachers know I genuinely care about them as people! In addition, I can take a thermometer check of the whole staff culture…stress, anxiety, happiness, and, hopefully, I am able to hear laughter!
Around 8:15 AM, I head outside the front doors and check in with my crossing guard. I walk the sidewalk and student drop-off area. I start helping supervise the 3rd-6thgrade playground. I am high-fiving and welcoming students to school all along the way. I stop at the edge of the 6th-grade playground to connect with some of my most challenging students.
I continue to welcome, joke with, and smile at all the students on the playground as I walk around. I specifically look for some at-risk students each morning, making sure I talk with them, since I know I will probably be talking with them later, too.
I continue to walk towards the lower playground, for Kindergarten through second grade. I talk, hug, high-five, and even shake hands with several primary students. I usually have 2-5 students who choose to follow me around, telling me stories about last night at home or their third-favorite dinosaur! I love this time!
At 8:24, I start ushering students to line up before the 8:25 AM bell. I continue to herd the students using every positive technique , including funny strategies I can think of…my favorite saying, "You better beat me there, or you have to be principal today…!"
As I walk in with the primary students, I continue to say, "Good Morning." I try to put as much energy into the morning welcome to get a sense of how the students are… another thermometer check. I stand at the main entrance, holding the door open for students who are late, until 8:30 AM. As I walk in, I check in with the food service employees who are getting breakfast prepared after the bell. I ask whether they need any student support at breakfast or lunch.
I walk down to the office, quickly drop off my safety vest, and check in with my administrative assistant. Then, I head up the hallway and start my door checks. After the Newtown school shooting, I decided to check every entryway, every day, to make sure the doors are locked. I sometimes have a student with me at this time for a meaningful work job, but not today. I walk all the way up to the 6thgrade wing, check those doors, then the 3rdand 4thgrade doors. I confer with teachers and staff members who are in the hallway or near their doorways.
At 8:40 AM, I head back down to the office and do the morning announcements with the Student Council representatives for the day. After announcements, I check back in with office staff on absent students. The students on my priority list are discussed. Many days, I would leave after announcements to pick up a student for school when they missed the bus or their parents were unable to get them to school. I then grab my lesson plan clipboard and head to classrooms.
I go from teacher to teacher and check their lesson plans for the predetermined criteria. The lesson plans are usually on their desk or up on their computer screen. I do this every Monday. As I travel from classroom to classroom, I also check student engagement and students who are at risk and exhibit unregulated behaviors in the morning. I continue this until 9:30 AM.
Steps 4000-5000 (~9:30 AM - 11:30 AM) of a School Principal
At 9:30 AM, I walk down to the kindergarten classroom, and I teach a small Read Well group with seven students.
At 10:00 AM, I head back to my office. I check phone messages and emails quickly. I usually make a few phone calls and answer a couple of emails.
I check in again with office staff. We talk with volunteers who are packing food boxes for families. We determine today that there are three families picking up food boxes.
After the Parent Engagement Advocate was cut due to budget constraints, we have relied more and more on outside volunteers from a local church, as well as other staff and me, to fill this need.
From 10:00-10:30 AM, I work with students who come to the office and visit classrooms to support students who stay in the classroom.
Then, from 10:30-11:30, I meet with Aware, our private mental health company that is located in our building. On Mondays, we discuss every student's progress in the program; 28 students total with diagnoses. We discuss changes, additions, and updates on academic and behavioral supports for these students.
Steps 5000-9000 (~11:30 AM - 1:15 PM) of a School Principal
Starting at 11:30 AM, I transition into the lunchroom. I help monitor and support kinders.
Every 10 minutes, a new grade level comes into the lunchroom while one grade level transitions outside for recess.
I pick up a rag, a mop, or a broom and help clean the lunchroom just like all other lunchroom staff. I continue to connect with students, help monitor behaviors, and reteach lunchroom expectations.
I continue to walk around the lunchroom, bouncing back and forth, supporting students in the hallway as they transition to their lockers to get their coats and gear for outside recess. I walk up and down the hallway encouraging positive behaviors and praising students who are doing the correct thing.
At 12:50 PM, we start to tear down the lunchroom as it transitions back into the gym. A class is coming at 1:00 PM. We work together to wash all the tables, put them away, sweep and scrub the floor, and make sure everything is put away before 1:00 PM. This is done every day.
At 1:00 PM, I head outside because I know the group of students who need the most support is out there. I support the aides by helping monitor recess. At 1:10 PM, I support the student's transition back into the classroom. I head back to my office by 1:15 PM.
Steps 9000-10000 (~1:15-3:15 PM) of a School Principal
From 1:15-3:15 PM, I check my phone messages, check email again, and determine what conversations I need to have with staff members.
I believe many conversations need to be conducted in person rather than by email.
Another benefit to getting my steps in, as well as creating strong relationships with staff members. I bounce back and forth between my office and classrooms, supporting students and teachers. At 3:10 PM, I meet with families to finish loading their food boxes with dairy and frozen goods from the refrigerator, and lastly I help load them into vehicles.
Steps 10000-12000 (~3:15-5:30 PM) of a School Principal
When I get back to the office, I learn that one of the crossing guards cannot make their shift. I grab my safety vest, a stop sign, and my walkie-talkie, and I head outside. I support parents crossing the street to pick up their students.
As school is dismissed at 3:20 PM, I continue to talk with students and parents until the last student is crossed or picked up around 3:40 PM.
At 3:40 PM, I put my stop sign back and head out to support bus students who are still waiting to be picked up. Between 3:40 and 3:50 PM, the bus finally shows up. Finally, the bus aide and I support the students boarding the bus.
From 3:50-4:30 PM, I head back into the school and go talk with staff about things I was unable to do earlier.
By 4:45 PM, a majority of the teachers have left. The night engineer and the after-school day care program, HANDS, are the only people left in the building.
At 4:45 PM, a HANDS employee brings a student to me for behavioral support. Even though this is a private company within our school, I still feel I can support the program's success by teaming with the employees, especially with our toughest behaviorally challenged students. I work with the student for 20 minutes until his mom comes to pick him up from my office.
From 5:00-5:30 PM, I can work independently on the tasks I was unable to complete during the school day. Much of my paperwork that could be pushed back is completed during this time.
At 5:30 PM, I decide what work or project I am going to take home and complete with my dog and wife by my side. I understand that each night I could stay the whole night at school and work, but for my mental health and staying semi-balanced, I must go home. Some principals may not work when they get home, but since my wife will be correcting papers from her teaching position, I tend to bring some work home, too!
Learn more about How to Become a Principal.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What time does a principal's day usually start?
Mine starts before 7 AM, well before the building opens. Mail, voicemail, email, and the substitute tracker are all checked before teachers arrive at 7:15, because that's what lets me walk the halls and greet staff instead of catching up at my desk once the day is already underway.
What do principals actually do all day?
Less desk work than people assume. A single Monday for me includes hallway and playground supervision, morning announcements, lesson plan checks, a small reading group I teach myself, a weekly meeting on 28 students with diagnosed needs, lunchroom cleanup, crossing guard duty, and packing food boxes for families. The job is closer to constant motion than paperwork.
How long is this principal's typical workday?
My day runs from before 7 AM to at least 5:30 PM, and some of what doesn't get finished comes home with me. That's before counting the evening events and weekend responsibilities that don't show up in a single day's step count.
Do principals really rack up thousands of steps a day?
On a normal Monday, yes - close to 12,000 for me, almost all of it walking the building rather than sitting at a desk. Heavier meeting days cut into that total, which is its own sign of how much of the job happens on foot.
What's the hardest part of a principal's day to plan for?
The parts that aren't on the schedule. A typical day still leaves room for a crossing guard calling in, a HANDS employee needing behavior support, or a family showing up for a food box at 3:10 PM. Those are the moments when a principal is actually expected to problem-solve, and no calendar can capture them in advance.
- The day starts before the building opens - Mail, voicemail, email, and the substitute list all get sorted before staff arrives at 7:15 AM.
- Much of this principal's Monday happens on the move - Hallway checks, playground supervision, and lunchroom cleanup add up to roughly 12,000 steps in his account of a typical day.
- Structured meetings compete with hands-on mentoring - A full hour goes to reviewing 28 students with diagnosed needs alongside the school's mental health partner, every single week.
- Budget cuts shift work onto the principal - With the Parent Engagement Advocate position eliminated, volunteers, staff, and the principal now cover food-box packing themselves.
- Desk work waits until everyone else leaves - Real uninterrupted paperwork time often doesn't start until after 5 PM.
If a day like this sounds like the pace you're built for, the training that gets you there is worth a closer look. The principal certification and educational leadership programs listed here can help prepare aspiring principals for administrative coursework and, where applicable, licensure exams. Certification and licensure requirements vary by state: required degrees, experience, preparation programs, exams, and the licensing body can all differ, so candidates should verify requirements with their state education agency or licensing authority.
As a 5th grade teacher, in 2010 Jon won the Presidential Award for Elementary Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). As a principal, his school won the 2012 Blue Ribbon Award. In 2018, he won the National Distinguished Principal Award (NDP). In 2019 he won the National No Kid Hungry Breakfast Hero Award.
Jon is the author of three guides published on teacher.org: An Educator's Guide to Combat Bullying & Bully Prevention; Teacher Evaluation: A Transition Guide to Exemplary Performance; and You are the Wild Card: Infusing Fun Back into Curriculum. He has authored a children's picture book that was released January 2019 titled Benjamin’s Visit to Principal Reads Office…again! (available at www.archwaypublishing.com)
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