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INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT
Interview Assignment
Tracey Youell
Liberty University EDUC 745
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INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT
Interviewee: Mr. Paul Lawrence
Interviewer: Tracey Youell
What is your current position? My current position is Principal at Kilgore Gifted
Center.
How long haveyou been in administration/leadership? I have been in a leadership
position for 15 years. I was an Assistant Principal for 5 years and then I moved on to become the
Director of Information Technology Literacy for 3 years and I have been a Principal now for the
past 7 years.
What areyour roles and responsibilities? As principal it is my duty to manage the day-
to-day operations of all aspects of our school.+ This includes personnel, curriculum, building,
athletics, communications and stakeholder relationships.
As aleader, what is your outlook or theory on analyzing and addressing problems
within your school? I try not to make snap judgments or decisions. I have found that if you take
your time and talk to the right people, you can usually arrive at the best decisions.
Upon encountering aconcern, what is your initial step to analyze the issue? I always
try to talk to as many people as possible to get a full sense of the situation.
How would you describe yourself as the leader of the building? I mainly try to present
myself as a confident and knowledgeable person. I make sure that I collaborate with my staff and
be understanding of their concerns and make sure I address them accordingly.
As a leader, how do you handle confrontation of staff members or staff not getting
along? In the beginning of the school year, I hold a staff meeting to go over expectations of the
staff and how any concerns should be addressed. If they are not handled in a professional
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INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT
manner, then I intervene to hold a meeting with all concerned members to find a solution to
rectify the situation that all parties can agree to.
When addressing concerns or issues with parents, how do you handle it as the leader
within your building? I can understand as I am both a parent and an administrator. As a leader,
I approach issues with parents just as I would want from my kids’ principal. I first listen to get
an understanding of their concern. I also show empathy to their issue and definitely not place
blame on anyone. I respect the parents’ concerns and try to analyze the situation in order to
reach an agreeable resolution.
Interviewee Information
Mr. Paul Lawrence is currently the principal of a 3-8 Gifted Center. He has been in his
current position at this center for 7 years. Mr. Lawrence has had an extensive background that
has led him to his current role as Principal. He has spent time in positions as Director of
Information Literacy, Assistant Principal and now Principal. I feel like Mr. Lawrence was a
credible resource for this interview. He has held various positions in leadership, both
educational and tech integration. As a director, assistant principal and principal, Mr. Lawrence
has found himself in the position of having to analyze and problem-solve for over 15 years.
Conclusion
After concluding the interview, learning more about how to address concerns and issues
have become a little clearer. Being in the position of leadership, knowing how to have patience,
not make judgements or decisions. Being able to analyze and problem solve keeps an
organization running smoothly.
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INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT
