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If you are a principal within the first three years of your career and interested in advice and suggestions from principals around the country, then you should apply to be the Mentor Center's beneficiary for the 2008-2009 school year.

To apply, send an e-mail to Vanessa St. Gerard at vstgerard@naesp.org. In the message, write a few sentences about your school and why you would like to participate. Applications are due by May 31.

Discuss this month's issue and see past responses below.

NAESP members can get immediate assistance from experienced principals by using NAESP's Principals Help Line. Members can go online and post their questions and receive answers from on-call principals via e-mail. Take advantage of this opportunity now and get the advice of seasoned colleagues by going to www.naesp.org/palshelpline/pals.jsp.

The juggling act of being a principal has been at its highest level this past month. Looking at building plans, registering students for next year, providing staff development, analyzing standardized test results, writing grants, evaluating staff, and preparing for summer school is only the beginning of a never-ending list of responsibilities. Quite often I look at my task list and I can't decide what to tackle first.

In my first article this year, I wrote about the importance of my staff learning to trust me and to believe my sincerity when saying my door is always open whenever they are in need. I want to continue to build on this, but to do it with some organization. When a parent, teacher, instructional assistant, or anyone else comes to my door, it has become difficult to refocus on a task I was in the middle of completing.

Depending on the situation, not everything requires an urgent response. But not everyone realizes this. When an issue is not at the top of my list, I don't want a person to think it's not important to me. I will eventually get to it, but there are times when something will take priority over another thing. Getting ready to meet a deadline with the architect will take priority over making class lists for next year. Meeting a grant deadline will take priority over completing a staff evaluation. It doesn't mean that one is more important than the other, but deadlines are deadlines. Some opportunities only come around once.

Most days I am the first to arrive and the last to leave school. I find the best time for me to complete a task is when no one is there to interrupt. Even doing this does not give me enough hours in the day to get it all done. I was told that one can never get it all done. If that's the case, I sure would like to become more efficient at getting more done. I want to learn how experienced principals prioritize without excuses.

Offer your thoughts on this month's issue below.