Mary Elizabeth Jawabreh

The Shower Became My Locker Room

The shower became my locker room.

Not because I had won a championship, but because there were days I simply needed a place to regroup before stepping back onto the field.

For the past three years as an assistant principal, leadership hasn't looked the way I imagined it would. It hasn't been a perfectly paved road filled with victories and celebrations. It's been a journey of uneven roads, difficult conversations, heartbreaking decisions, and moments when the weight of an entire school felt as though it rested on my shoulders.

There were days I cried in the shower because it was the one place where I could let the emotions fall before putting my game face back on. Then I'd dry my tears, straighten my blazer, and walk back into school determined to be the leader my students, teachers, and families deserved.

Leadership isn't about pretending the game is easy.

It's about choosing to show up anyway.

What I didn't realize when I accepted this role was that leadership isn't a solo sport.

And thank goodness for that.

My Greatest Victory Was Never Mine Alone

One of my favorite things about sports is watching a championship team celebrate. The cameras often focus on the athlete holding the trophy, but if you look closely, you'll notice something even more important.

They're never celebrating alone.

There are teammates behind them.

Coaches beside them.

Families in the stands.

No one wins championships by themselves.

Looking back over these past three years, I can say the same about my leadership journey.

Without my team, I would not be the leader I am today.

I've been blessed with colleagues who challenged me when I needed to grow, encouraged me when I questioned myself, and reminded me to laugh when the work became heavy. They celebrated my successes, offered honest feedback when I needed it most, and quietly carried pieces of the load when mine became too heavy.

They didn't remove the obstacles.

They helped me become strong enough to overcome them.

That's what great teammates do.

The Assist

One of my favorite statistics in sports has never been points scored.

It's assists.

An assist doesn't always make the highlight reel. It doesn't earn the loudest cheers or the post-game interview. Yet without the assist, the basket never happens.

I've come to realize that educational leadership is built on assists.

• The veteran teacher who quietly mentors a first-year teacher.
• The principal who believes in an assistant principal before she believes in herself.
• The colleague who tells you the hard truth because they care about your growth.
• The teacher who notices a struggling student before anyone else does.
• The leader who sends the encouraging text after a difficult parent meeting.

Those are assists.

And the best leaders make them every single day.

As women in educational leadership, relationships are our greatest assist.

Some call them soft skills.

I call them championship skills.

Connection is our competitive advantage.

Coaching Our Rookie Teachers

Every athlete remembers their rookie season.

The excitement.

The uncertainty.

The fear of making mistakes.

Teaching is no different.

Our beginning teachers don't need leaders who have every answer.

They need teammates who remind them they belong.

If we truly want stronger schools, we must intentionally strengthen our beginning teacher programs by creating cultures where mentoring is more than a checklist—it is a commitment.

Orientation lasts a day.

Relationships last a career.

Every beginning teacher deserves someone who says, "I've got you. We're in this together."

Because when new teachers feel connected, they stay.

When they stay, they grow.

When they grow, students thrive.

The Best Teams Challenge One Another

One lesson these past three years have taught me is that the people who love you most as a leader are the ones willing to challenge you.

Growth isn't comfortable.

Championships aren't won through comfort.

They're won through accountability.

I'm grateful for teammates who didn't simply tell me what I wanted to hear. They asked difficult questions. They challenged my thinking. They pushed me to become a better communicator, a better listener, and ultimately, a better leader.

Every female leader deserves people who both support her and stretch her.

Find those people.

Keep them close.

They'll become one of your greatest leadership strengths.

The Final Huddle

When I look back on these past three years, I won't remember every meeting, every email, or every crisis.

I'll remember the people.

The teammates who believed in me.

The mentors who coached me.

The colleagues who reminded me that leadership isn't about carrying the entire team by yourself.

It's about making sure no one carries the weight alone.

As female educational leaders, our greatest superpower isn't our title.

It's our ability to connect people, build trust, and create cultures where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of succeeding.

Let's use that gift to strengthen our schools.

Let's intentionally invest in our beginning teachers.

Let's celebrate the assists just as much as the game-winning shots.

Because when the final buzzer sounds, people rarely remember who scored the most points.

They remember who made them better.

And that...

That is the assist.