For three years, assistant principal Jordan Steffen was a Spanish teacher, but now, students will reference him as assistant principal.
“I always… enjoyed teaching Spanish. It was kind of my first love—interacting with all of the kids, seeing them grow. Transitioning into administration has been really interesting, because I can see the school from a different perspective, but I can still help students…in a different way. It’s been a good transition, I really enjoyed it,” Steffen said.
Though Steffen’s been assistant principal for less than three months, he has already begun to experience how being an assistant principal is different from being a teacher.
“My most rewarding part is… see[ing] former students of mine, and ask[ing] them how their day is going, and being able to see those students through the perspective of a principal,” Steffen said.
Steffen’s specific student selection is students’ last names Ro to Z. He deals with discipline, administration and building relationships between parents, students and teachers.
“I think it’s really good to move a [teacher] up, because they have that experience of working closer with students… They’re going to be able to understand a situation that both students and teachers go through on a daily basis. [Steffen] is very good at creating personal relationships with students,” junior Sean McDonald said.
Steffan said he applied to become an assistant principal during the 2022-2023 school year after getting his masters in Educational Leadership.
“It’s very different than teaching. One of the challenges is the fact that you’re not in a classroom with your students… It’s a little more challenging to build close relationships as an assistant principal versus a teacher. It seems like [Steffen’s] excited for the challenge, and that enthusiasm rubs off on people like me,” assistant principal Dr. Keith Sanders said.
Steffen said as assistant principal, he hopes to connect with all students and create an approachable environment. His office is located inside the main office, room number 100D.
