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Confessions of an Elementary School Principal
Meril Smith
Reviewed by: Sarah Poulette, The US Review of Books
“The challenge was creating memorable experiences at school that would last children a lifetime.”
This engaging memoir of a man who has devoted his life to education has an unlikely start, as Smith was considered “one of the dumb kids” when he attended school. He did not learn to read until the sixth grade and struggled academically throughout high school and college. With the help of a teacher who believed in him, Smith eventually became an elementary school teacher himself and would go on to spend the majority of his career as a principal. His memoir describes his journey to becoming a principal and explains his educational ideology and its impact on his school, students, and community.
The book’s beginning chapters consist mainly of lively and amusing anecdotes about classroom management in Smith’s early years of teaching. Interspersed with his memoirs are guest chapters from the people around him at each stage: teachers who worked with him or for him, school secretaries, and even students and their families. Some of these accounts explain a side of education Smith may not have experienced, such as the stringent dress codes for women teachers in the 1960s or the importance of bilingual education. Others show the book’s events from alternate points of view. For example, Smith’s memorable campaign to increase student literacy rates ended with him sitting on the school’s roof in a tutu, and many guest writers recall different facets of this incident. Most chapters include whimsical illustrations or photographs of the people or locations involved, as well as “life lessons” learned from the experience.
Smith’s educational philosophy can be boiled down to one simple rule: “treat every person with dignity and respect.” But putting that rule into practice proves to be a challenge in several situations. Edenvale Elementary School had countless problems before Smith’s arrival as principal there, including underperforming and underprivileged students, apathetic teachers, and even gang activity on campus. Smith’s skills in advancing schools’ curricula and instruction methods helped the school academically. However, his belief in treating everyone with respect slowly transformed the school and the greater community around it. Scenes of Smith speaking directly to gang members about keeping school safe and neutral, introducing himself around the local neighborhood every weekend, and treating children’s parents who were drug dealers or prostitutes with dignity effectively show how Smith applies his educational philosophy in everyday settings.
Despite demonstrating the author’s clear expertise in school management, Smith’s memoir also shows his humility by including his struggles alongside his successes, such as school budget cuts that leave him bartering with other schools for toilet paper or figuring out how to help students feel safe when mass shootings become more frequent in the media. His reminiscences include relevant historical facts that remind readers that schools are never separate from the world around them, such as the effects of the new influx of Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War. However, the majority of chapters have a light and humorous aspect to them, such as the time the remnants of a pretend archeological dig frightened builders or the sitcom-like moment when Smith proudly promised children scholarships without realizing how many students would eventually take him up on the promise.
Some chapters delve into details of curriculum planning while others offer solely personal life stories. This blend ensures that the author’s book has something for both fellow educators and the average reader. By contrast, the life lessons throughout the book are useful and enjoyable for anyone. More than a simple memoir of a career in education, this is an inspiring story of how one person’s belief in treating others with respect can make a difference in countless lives of children and families.
