He looks at home behind his desk. The phone rings and he asks if he can have a minute to take the call from his soccer team. Mr. Halley has spent the last few months adapting to his new role as a vice principal.
"Even though similar to teaching," Halley said, "the differences are significant."
He says that the largest difference is the priorities. When he taught a class it revolved around long and short term planning. Now it mostly is on the fly decisions. "Sometimes it goes a day with no one getting a detention, others there are twenty at once." He said.
Mr. Halley said that the worst part about his new job is the harsh consequences. A detention is one thing but a suspension is another. It affects not only the student but the parents as well. "As a teacher I want everyone to succeed"
The most exceptional thing Mr. Halley credits to himself after years of teaching is the love of his job. "It sounds cliché," He said, "but I love my job now more than ever. When I wake up I want to go to work."
The biggest advantage is his recent classroom experience. Mr. Halley said "I can see things from the perspective as a teacher and an administrator." He thinks being able to see things from all sides helps him come to productive decisions.
When an opening for a vice principal appears the normal procedure is to form a pool of candidates. But the opening Mr. Halley filled occurred during the school year so the process was sped up. "I had just taken my first Principal's qualification course," Halley said, "I'll be taking the second in June." But he may not get a chance to use it. Because the process was rushed, they may do it properly once the year ends. "I may be back in a classroom come September." He said.