Retired Principal Tales

Taking One Day at a Time

Category: Uncategorized

  • Transplant Visit

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    Susie Grace
    in

    My daughter had a check-in with the transplant surgeon today. We had quite a few concerns. Since her infusions started for proliferative transplant disorder, her weight and sugar readings have increased. Her kidney function numbers (GFR) have also been declining with the infusion treatments. This roller coaster ride is really frustrating, as when one thing…

  • A Vacation

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    Susie Grace
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    On our thirtieth anniversary, the husband and I traveled to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. I had never been to Mexico. Upon arrival, the customs line was extremely long and seemed to take forever. We claimed our luggage and then proceeded through the terminal. The timeshare people were on the prowl. After being stuck listening…

  • A Memorable Day

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    Susie Grace
    in

    During my years as principal, I had many teachers or staff members that were expecting. Elementary teachers are in general younger than middle and high school teachers for some reason and are starting their families. Probably three teachers per year were on maternity leave on average in the elementary. Being young, these young expecting teachers…

  • Personalities

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    Susie Grace
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    Being a principal was sometimes challenging due to dealing with different personalities. Knowing how to address each personality was key to being successful. For a comprehensive look at the principalship and how to manage various personalities, I recommend reading Shifting the Monkey by Tod Whitaker. This was THE most helpful book I read during my…

  • Fourth of July

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    Susie Grace
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    I “heard” from someone who watches the news obsessively that some folks were going to boycott the Fourth of July, with no celebrations, parades, picnics, or whatnot. I suppose those organizing the boycott must live elsewhere, because the Fourth of July still stands proudly here in our area. This has not been the Fourth of…

  • Another Mugshot

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    Susie Grace
    in

    Today, I saw another mugshot of a frequent flyer to my office during my tenure as an elementary principal. As much as I want to say it was unexpected, I cannot. His face was the same as it was almost fifteen years ago, except bigger. It is so sad that I have had the intuition…

  • Learning Lessons

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    Susie Grace
    in

    My new pup has many lessons to learn, although she has come a long way from the day she came to live here. Of course, potty training has been a significant focus. Unbelievably, she has picked up on this most critical skill quickly. She only gets up once during the night and alerts me that…

  • “I Do Not Care Club” Retirement Version

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    Susie Grace
    in

    I have been watching TikTok lately. I enjoy the musings of the We Do Not Care Club, where millions of women going through menopause share what they no longer care about. I certainly can relate as a retired principal, mother, and grandma who has already been through that change of life. I literally laugh aloud…

  • The Life Cycle

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    Susie Grace
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    Life is funny and full of surprises. Babies are born and need constant care from their caregivers. They are dependent on others. Gradually, they become adults and grow more independent throughout life. As adults reach their sixties, the life cycle appears to begin to reverse. This may not be true of everyone sixty and older,…

  • To Clutter or Not Clutter is the Question

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    Susie Grace
    in

    As it has been a year since my retirement as an elementary principal, I have thought about decluttering the house. What is important to me will not be important to my kids. They will throw things out, I’m sure, so I may as well go ahead and declutter now. Or not! When I retired, the…