Teaching Principals: The 'I's Have It!

Much has been written about the positive and negative aspects of teaching in a rural school, but relatively few studies have explored the role of teaching principals (TPs) in small schools. The perception that the principal's role in small schools is just a 'scaled down' version of what is involved in larger schools has been challenged, for example, by Lester (2011). Our research for the Bush Tracks project supports Lester's view that such a perception is a misconception. Since there have been relatively few studies of teaching principals, the identification and exploration of issues related to rural teaching and leadership is an under-developed area of research. In observations of and interviews with TPs for the Bush Tracks projects, members of this group have been able to add to the list of factors previously reported in the literature. They have also been able to delineate how reported 'minuses' can be viewed more optimistically as 'pluses', and how particular challenges can lead to positive outcomes.