Whether it was taking me through a secret stairwell or bringing me on his “chocolate fixes,” Mr. Smith always had a surprise up his sleeve. This week I shadowed Mr. Rodney Smith, assistant principal, during 3rd period and 4th period.

During this short time, I not only discovered new parts around the school, but I also realized what a responsibility it is to be an assistant principal. Mr. Smith is in charge of the following departments, World History, Foreign Language, Science, and Facilities. For one person, this could be a lot of departments, but Mr. Smith handles it very well.

If you are ever with Mr. Smith, find a really good pair of walking shoes to put on. His office is on the third floor, so walking from Student Services to the third floor was quite a workout. Whatever we were doing we were always moving; seldom there came a time when we got to just sit down and talk about things. However, when we did, we talked a lot about the new procedures of Green Level as well as the architecture of it. I got to see the original plans of Green Level as well as a few future plans for the “new” Apex. I asked Mr. Smith about a few of the new procedures; as a student I have obviously only been seeing the “lack of freedom” we have gotten at Green Level. He helped me understand that by the new procedures put in place, the faculty is just ensuring that we are safe, and everything runs smoothly.

Not only did we talk about more logistic type subjects, it also helped me humanize the teachers and principals at this school. I have realized that not all teachers are emotionless robots. Mr. Smith has an adorable daughter named Addy and participates in things that aren’t school related as well.

It was a very eventful afternoon following Mr. Smith around. I don’t know if I would ever consider being an assistant principal, but it was very cool to see from a student’s perspective, what an administrator’s life is like. Whether we were handing out lunch passes or running around the school, Mr. Smith always had an extra trick up his sleeve or something interesting to show me. It was not only interesting but knowledgeable. I got to learn new things about our school and at the same time got to have a little bit of fun. It was a very cool experience, and if anyone else has the chance to do it I highly recommend it!