SHELBY – There’s a new dynamic duo roaming the halls of Shelby Middle School.
When school officially starts on Aug. 21, so do the duties of newly-minted Shelby Middle School Principal Barb Green and Assistant Principal Andrew McFarland. Green was named the new principal after Jeff Eichorn’s departure at the June 26 Board of Education meeting; McFarland was named Green’s replacement as assistant principal on July 6.
For Green, becoming principal of Shelby Middle School was a natural next step in her 20-year teaching career. She has taught in Shelby City Schools since 2004, first at Central Elementary then at the middle school before moving into administration three years ago.
“I fell in love with middle school kids because I had started out with second grade, but I loved the middle school,” Green said. “All along I knew I wanted to take the route of working in administration to see if I could impact more kids and make connections with families and teachers.”
McFarland had a similar transition, albeit in a shorter time span. He first began his teaching career eight years ago in world history and American government within Plymouth-Shiloh Local Schools district, then became the district’s athletic director three years ago.
“I have friends that graduated from Shelby and we played sports against Shelby, and I knew there was a strong athletic tradition just from being a high school athlete,” McFarland said of his move to the Shelby district. “When I got into education, I would still hear a lot of positive things happening here and how close-knit and supportive the community is here, and I wanted to be involved in that.”
As such, it will be McFarland’s first time working exclusively with middle-school students, and specifically his first time in a disciplinary role. It’s an adjustment he looks forward to, hoping to become a catalyst for positive change in the middle school.
“I’m honestly looking forward to working with this age group and curious to find out the differences, because we know there are many,” McFarland said. “I want to try to have a positive impact in kids’ lives, so maybe reaching them at a younger age – because every age is different when you’re growing up – and being able to make that connection will help them for later on down the road.”
One of the goals for both Green and McFarland in their inaugural year as principal and vice principal is to continue to create a community of learners. That means building a school culture where everyone from grades fifth through eighth feels part of the same team, whether that be collaborative assemblies and programs or recognizing students for showing their Whippet pride.
For Green, that also means making personal connections with all 500 students in the Shelby Middle School building, plus staying current with teachers in the classroom.
“The administration and the teachers have always been on the cutting edge; we go to workshops and learn about new ideas and implement them,” Green said. “Administrators have always done a good job with keeping us in the loop on what’s new, and I appreciate that because I’ve always been someone who wants to continue to learn.”
These connections will also help Green achieve her ultimate goal: making every student feel supported during the formidable middle school years.
“I hope that the kids, when they think of Mrs. Green, think that she was there fighting for me, no matter what it was,” Green said. “Knowing they’re an integral part of our school and they’re supported in any direction they go. I think academics will come naturally when kids feel they are supported.”
McFarland echoed those sentiments, adding that he wanted to be a part of creating a positive experience for Shelby Middle School students.
“So many people get obsessed with test scores and academics and things like that, but I’m from the school of thought that it really is so much more than that,” he said. “It’s about all the little things that are a part of education, and developing those positive habits to go on and be successful in anything that you do.”
Many hours have been spent at the middle school going through paperwork and files, learning new procedures, and for McFarland, meeting new people. Besides tying up a few loose ends, Green said she was “pumped” and ready go to for the first day of school.
“I kind of feel like I say to Andrew, it will just come to you when the kids walk in that door,” she said with a laugh. “Some of it can’t be taught, a lot of education is learning as you go.”
