I Asked AI to Analyze How I Use AI as a Principal

    

I've been thinking a lot about how students should use AI. Then it hit me: I've been using AI myself for two years now, first with ChatGPT and more recently with Claude. So I decided to get curious about my own usage patterns.

Try This Yourself:

I gave Claude this two-part prompt:

1. "Research a typical job description for a middle school principal"
2. "Based on that job description, analyze our chats to see where, how and what percentage do I use you to help meet my responsibilities as a leader and principal"

The results were eye-opening.

Instructional Leadership (40%)

• Supervising and evaluating teachers with consistency and evidence
• Analyzing student achievement data to identify patterns and drive instruction
• Designing professional development that builds capacity

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement (30%)

• Writing clear, actionable weekly updates for staff
• Making complex educational ideas accessible
• Creating parent communications that inform without overwhelming

Operational Management (15%)

• Solving scheduling challenges and resource allocation
• Building systems that streamline processes
• Creating tools that make daily operations smoother

Student Support & School Climate (10%)

• Supporting individual student needs
• Developing metacognitive reflection tools
• Managing safety and behavior systems

Strategic Planning & Vision (5%)

• Developing frameworks for AI integration
• Planning district-wide initiatives
• Building long-term action plans

What struck me most was realizing AI helps me do the cognitive work—the analysis, the clarification, the pattern recognition—more efficiently. That efficiency gives me time back. Time to be in classrooms and hallways instead of tied to my office. Time to have actual conversations with staff rather than being buried in spreadsheets. Time to be present with my family instead of bringing work home every night.

I'm not claiming AI makes me a better principal. But it does help me find better balance between the work that requires my brain and the work that requires my presence.

Your Turn:

If you use AI regularly in your work, try this analysis with your own role. What would you discover? Where are you using AI most? What does that reveal about the actual demands of your job versus what the job description says?