It's the Principal: Q&A with Atwood Elementary's Angela Szczepanski

To honor all the principals who are also our pals, the U.S. Senate has declared the month of October to be National Principals Month.

In Macomb Township alone, this includes more than 50 principals and assistant principals who oversee the area's public and private schools.

While each principal may have his or her own leadership technique, all have a vision of progress and goal of success for their school community. Patch recently asked Angela Szczepanski, principal of , to share her thoughts on these topics and others.

Macomb Patch: How do you define the role of principal? 

Angela Szczepanski: I feel my role as a principal is to be a leader for students, parents, and staff. I assist students and parents through sometimes difficult situations as well as share in celebrations and successes. I work with staff as an instructional leader—keeping them informed of changes in curriculum and providing professional development as we progress towards our school improvement goals. As a principal, I get the opportunity to work with people daily and provide a safe, positive, and enjoyable learning environment for all members of our school community.

Macomb Patch: What sort of impact do you hope to have on Atwood Elementary School's community?

Szczepanski: I hope to impact my school community by building a strong sense of community within the school itself. I want to see parents active and involved with our school and with our parent group, Atwood Parent Advisory Council, or APAC. I want our school to continue to grow and continue to meet the rising educational standards presented before us. It is my goal for our school community to say they are proud to be a part of Atwood Elementary School.

Macomb Patch: What is your favorite thing about your job?

Szczepanski: My favorite thing about my job is not just one thing. I love working with people. I go to work each day and know that I will be presented with challenges and successes, no matter how big or small. I love working with such a dedicated staff who willingly go the extra mile for their students and truly value and understand kids and help celebrate their achievements.

Macomb Patch: What is the greatest advantage and disadvantage in education today?

Szczepanski: I think the biggest advantage and disadvantage to schools right now is one in the same—technology. As an educator, I am a strong proponent for the use of technology in the classroom. We are fortunate to have sound systems, documents cameras, mounted projectors, and so much more in each classroom.

Our students can have virtual field trips, investigate and research, and develop new ideas all through the use technology. Teachers are able to track and record data for their students to monitor progress and clearly see where students need assistance. As far as disadvantages, our students are immersed in technology and live in a world of instant entertainment. This is difficult to compete with when teaching in the classroom. Not all lessons are taught through the use of technology.  

We teach our students to read with books, and write with pencils. When students are assessed at the State level with the MEAP, they have to use the paper and pencil method which isn’t as exciting or engaging as a project based assessment. We immerse our kids in good literature and have them check out books from our school library, as well as teach the students to write in all different genres. All of these things have great value and importance, but do not always have the “instant gratification” that students have grown accustomed to in the ever changing world of technology.

Macomb Patch: The million-dollar question, if someone gave you $1 million for your school, how would you use it? 

Szczepanski: The million-dollar question … This is a tough one. I would want to spend the money wisely, in a way that would increase student achievement and be sure that what I start would be able to be sustained in the future. A few ideas come to mind: Increase the types of technology we have access to in our classrooms, such as tablets, e-readers, or netbooks for students.  Another idea could be to  provide additional enrichments for students including field trips to museums, plays, or historical landmarks around the country. There are many possibilities, but whatever the decision, I would ensure that the money helped provide a meaningful learning experience for the students of Atwood School.