E L C RIMEN DE A GRESIÓN

Interview Questions

Describe the career path you have followed since entering the work force.

Describe any experience you had teaching that made you reflect on what leaders do. Describe the leadership roles you had while teaching. What were your reflections on these roles?

Describe your first thoughts regarding pursuing a position as an administrator. Who were your role models? How did they influence you?

Describe any encouragement you received from family to pursue a position as an administrator.

Describe any encouragement you received from supervisors to pursue a position as an administrator.

Describe any encouragement you received from friends to pursue a position as an administrator.

Describe any encouragement you received from coworkers to pursue a position as an administrator.

How old were you when you made the first steps toward pursuit of a position in

administration? Describe in detail the steps you took. Describe what you loved and didn’t love as you first experienced administrative life?

Describe your personal life at the time you made those first steps. What, if any, influence did your personal life have on your decisions at that time. For the purpose of this study, personal life would include aspects of your life including family, outside interests, social life

activities, hobbies, and other activities that contribute to your personal sense of fulfillment and/or balance.

From the initial decision time to pursue a position in administration, describe your career trajectory which ultimately led to your first position as an administrator. Please include dates in your description. For instance, if you held a position as an administrative intern, describe when that occurred and for how long.

Were there any changes in your personal life from the time you first started consciously and deliberately pursuing a position in administration? How did you feel about those changes as related to your pursuit of administration?

Describe changes to your personal life upon the attainment of your first position in

administration. How did these changes to your personal life evolve as your experience as an administrator increased?

If you received any promotion or job changes once you became an administrator, describe how those promotions and/or changes impacted your personal life.

What, if any, systems or structures within your school and/or school system helped to alleviate consequences of changes faced in your personal life as a result of your role as an administrator?

What, if any, systems or structures within your school and/or school system exacerbated consequences of changes faced in your personal life as a result of your role as an

administrator?

Did your role as an administrator ever cause you to make any deliberate choices related to your personal life? If so, explain those circumstances and the choices you made.

Did your personal life ever cause you to make any deliberate choices related to your pursuit of career goals as an administrator? If so, explain those circumstances and the choices you made.

For administrators with children:

When deciding to pursue your career in educational administration, describe how your child/children weighed into that decision making process?

Did you recognize any changes in your performance of your professional duties that you can relate to being a mother?

Were there times you recall that you were perceived in a different way as a result of being a mother? Can you describe the circumstances of those times?

How would describe the intersection of your life as a mother and your life as an educational administrator? Were there pros and cons? Please describe them.

If you could change one thing about your life as an administrator who is a mother, what would you change?

What do you know about supports that some businesses and professions provide for mothers? Would these things have made a difference?

Were there times in your professional life when you felt a tension related to performing your duties and fulfilling your duties/responsibilities as a mother? How did you manage that tension?

Describe any school level, district level, or policy structures that either helped or hindered your ability to balance your two roles as educational administrator and mother. An example might be free child care at your site level afterschool and before school programs.

Do you have any regrets or guilt stemming from your time spent simultaneously being a mother and an administrator?

Are there any personal factors that have helped or hindered your ability to balance your two roles as an educational administrator and mother?

What advice would you give to a woman in a similar situation with children and a career in educational administration?

Have there been any aspects of your job that you have been unable to perform as a result of being a mother?

Have there been any opportunities within your career life that you have not pursued because of being a mother?

Have there been any times when your children or other family members have spoken with you about your role as an administrator? Describe those conversations.

Have you ever observed any particular feelings or reactions of your children related to your role as an administrator? Describe.

For administrators without children: Do you plan to have children someday? If yes:

Have you made a deliberate decision to not have children at this time? Describe the factors that have shaped this decision.

Do you have any plans to change your career life when becoming a mother? Describe the changes you have planned.

If you are planning to continue your work as an administrator, do you have any feelings of fear or apprehension about that change? Please describe those feelings.

Have you received any encouragement or discouragement from family related to having children while also working as an administrator? From colleagues? From friends? From supervisors? From staff members who work for you?

If no:

Have your plans to not have children been influenced at all by your career in administration? Please describe that influence and when and how it occurred.

Do you feel that not having children in any way impacts your performance as an educational administrator?

Do you feel that not having children has in any way impacted how you are perceived by your employees?

By the parents of students in your school? By your students?

By your employers?

By members of the community?

By your professional colleagues (ie other principals)?

Have you ever been questioned about your decision to not have children in the workplace? Do you have any regrets at this time about not having children?

Are you fearful of one day having regrets about not having children?

Are there any choices you have made since beginning your career in educational administration that would have possibly been different if you did have children?