thegoodprincipal
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I Chose the School Over the Relationship
His spare key is still in the little bowl beside my front door. I keep meaning to move it. Every morning I pick up my car keys from the same bowl and leave his there. You can call me Christian. I’m 38, and I’m a school principal. Please keep my real name out of this,…
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He Wasn’t Wrong. Neither Was I.
I’d almost find this easier to talk about if one of us had behaved badly. But the conversation was calm. I explained what I thought had happened. She explained what she thought had happened. I listened, and I believe she did too. We still couldn’t agree. And I’ve been thinking about it more than some…
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I Wanted To Be Liked
When I became a principal, I remembered every complaint I’d ever made about the ones I’d worked under. I was going to listen. Be approachable. Explain things properly. All the things we used to say we wanted while sitting around the staffroom. I still want to be that person. But I’ve said yes to things…
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I Said No. She Took It Personally.
I keep going back over the conversation, trying to work out where it changed. I knew she wouldn’t like my answer. I was ready to explain it, give her some time, maybe talk again later. Then she said something that made me realize we weren’t having the same conversation anymore. I was explaining a decision.…
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I Like Her. That’s the Problem.
There’s someone on my staff I find difficult to deal with, and I feel awful admitting that. She doesn’t even have to do anything sometimes. I see her name in my inbox and I’m already bracing myself. I know that isn’t fair. Whatever she’s bringing to me deserves to be heard. But lately, I’ve been…
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Who Gets the Rest of Me?
I’m writing this from the sofa. My bag is still by the door, and someone in the next room is telling me something I should probably be listening to. That sounds awful when I write it down. I’ve been reading the stories here for a while. Tonight I wanted to share mine, even if I…
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For Once, Nobody Knew
I have a good afternoon to tell you about, which feels like a strange reason to write to a page called Office Confessions. But I’ve been wanting to explain why it felt so good, and I’m not sure the people around me would understand. You can call me Elena. I’m a school principal, though that’s…
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I Forgot I Had Hobbies
A colleague sent me one of your stories with a message that just said, “Have you read this?” I hadn’t. I’ve read quite a few since, usually without commenting. This time I have something of my own to admit. Rachel isn’t my real name. I’m an elementary school principal. A teacher asked me what I…
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The Person After 5 PM
I found this website one evening when I was looking for something completely different. I don’t remember what I was searching for now. I do remember reading one of the confessions and thinking, I wouldn’t know who to say that to either. So I’m trying here. Please use Caroline if you share this. I’m a…
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Just Call Me by My Name
I nearly scrolled past your Facebook post. Then I read a line that sounded a little too familiar and clicked through to the website. A few stories later, I started thinking about something I hadn’t told anyone. It felt too small to bring up. Still does, honestly. You can call me Martin. I’m a school…