“Be on time. Do your work. And, be nice to others.” Elkhart High School may have a different “Big 3” posted in each classroom; however, this is the Big 3 that Executive Principal Phil Shults uses as his guideline for absolutely everything he does…wherever he is.
This new school year brought with it a new Executive Principal, Mr. Phil Shults. But, not all of the students have gotten their chance to build their own perspective on him. While some students shared their skepticism of having a new principal (replacing Mr. Cary Anderson), others talked about how nice of a guy Shults truly is.
The truth be told, Shults was not even interested in being in the education field in his earlier years, let alone being a principal. But, he needed a job and somewhere to stay, resulting in his taking up a job as a summer camp counselor at a nonprofit. Later, Shults decided to officially become a math and physics teacher, which he stuck with for three years, returning to the nonprofit for the summers. Finally, before moving to Indiana in 2005 to teach math, he actually quit teaching for a ten years to work at the nonprofit full time.
Once he finally invested in this career path, however, Shults became a dean of students for four years, and shortly after, an assistant principal for another four years. Then began his journey as a principal. Mostly working at high schools, it was a surprise when the school’s superintendent asked him to take a position as a middle school principal; but, he couldn’t say no to the superintendent.
Earlier this year, in June, Shults moved to Elkhart, to become the Executive Principal at EHS. The good news is that Principal Shults has no intention to make any big changes to the operations any time soon. “It’s not always good to come in and immediately make changes and recommend projects,” Shults states. “You can’t make recommendations until you’ve lived it…until you’ve seen it…until you’ve understood it. And,” he passionately continues, “there is so much history in Elkhart–so much history!–that, still, I’m absorbing!”
Contemplating the one word Shults would choose to describe himself, he selects this: “Energetic.” Explaining, Shults says, “I want people to see energy.” Toward that effort, he keeps a smile on his face and tries to show it in his eyes. Others can clearly see it, too. Shults bounces from room to room throughout the day, smiling throughout the hallways. “I believe that what you radiate impacts other people…and I truly believe that!” Shults begins. “I mean, what you radiate impacts other people, and they will see it in your face. They’ll see it the way you walk; they’ll see it the way you talk. In every motion that you take,” he adds, “people are looking at the nonverbal.”
Shults even states the most vital part of his job is to be supportive of the people around him, taking the longest of all his daily tasks, just to make them feel safe. School, he insists, is a place students and staff want to come every day to both teach and learn.
Shults also has much to say on the Indiana law prohibiting phones in places of learning. “The world’s most distracting device is in the hands of teenagers during the time in which we want them to learn,” he argues. A fact that some students may be surprised to discover is that, according to Shults, phones are not allowed in places of learning by law, “unless teacher approved” for educational purposes only. The allowing of PCD’s during lunch and while traveling between schools is an EHS-only rule–meaning that the rule is subject to change if deemed necessary.
Principal Shults has also taken up an interest in after-school clubs, including ones like Dungeons and Dragons club, Rocketry club, and even Speech and Debate club. A few students have been heard complaining about having to complete the new survey every time they get into their club after school, but Shults has a method behind his madness.
Although there may be some safety concerns behind it, the main reason is because he wants it to help give parents a bit of a glimpse into how active and vibrant the school actually is after the 3:45 p.m. dismissal bell rings. Moreover, after-school clubs help students become more excited about going to school no matter the time of day–feeling safe and excited for the opportunity to see their friends. Therefore, the survey for student participation is a tangible way to get a head count for clubs, especially compared to sports, where all Shults has to do is ask the coaches of the teams.
While students have their after-school activities, Shults also has his own. Marathon running, trail running, guitar playing, gardening, puzzle solving with his wife, and simply walking his two dogs are just a few of his many hobbies and passions. Although he discontinued marathon running back in 2018, his final marathon finish was a record time of 3:29:17 for a 26.2-mile run. No matter how one crunches those numbers, it remains impressive!
Always on the run, Shults wants every minute of every day to count. “Be on time. Do your work. And, be nice to others.” He insists that a person can’t select just one or two and expect to achieve success. Using the three-legged stool philosophy, Shults concludes that a missing leg renders the stool ineffectual. The analogy applies to humans, as well.
Therefore, to be successful, follow his blueprint for life: “Be on time. Do your work. And, make sure to be nice to others.”
