On a shelf in her office, Noelle Hall, new principal at Kleberg Elementary School, keeps a white ceramic bowl with marbles.

Every Friday, the marbles clink as Hall plucks one out. With a marble pressed between her fingers, she reflects on the week that just passed. It is a small ritual that invites her to analyze the small moments that often go unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of the week—and one which reminds her why she carries on with this kind of work.

“I really try to focus on the positive things of the week,” she said. “Sometimes you forget to do that.”

A first-generation college student, Hall grew up in Midland and began her professional life at the March of Dimes. Though her nonprofit work was meaningful, she missed the chance to form lasting relationships with people in the community. Her mother, a strong supporter of their local school district, encouraged her to try substitute teaching. Hall did, then became a teacher.

Hall taught in Midland for two years and loved it so much that she persuaded her husband to join her. Both ended up teaching at Dallas ISD, where they’ve been for 11 years. Hall taught math at Sam Tasby and L.V. Stockard middle schools before serving as an instructional facilitator and, most recently, academic administrator at H. Grady Spruce High School. Her husband currently teaches reading at W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy.

“I just fell in love,” she said. “Just getting to watch the students as they grow over the year.”

Her path eventually brought Hall to school leadership. While working as an instructional facilitator, she was inspired by Region V Executive Director Bryan Bott and the deep connection he cultivated with Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy during his tenure as its principal. Hall said she wanted to return to a campus and do the same.

When Hall visited Kleberg, she said it felt familiar from the start, a place where she could belong. Its surroundings reminded her of Midland with its goats, horses, and rural feel.

Now that she’s been on campus for a few months, Hall hopes to create a stronger sense of pride. She said Kleberg had gone without much school merchandise or cheerleading, and she wants students to build a stronger “Kleberg Cowboys” culture.

“My number one priority is to build a strong sense of culture,” she said. “I want students to be excited that they go to Kleberg.”

Academic progress is another priority. Kleberg is rated D from the Texas Education Agency, after earning a B two years ago. Hall wants students to understand their own learning goals and track their progress through strategies like daily lab time, which gives students additional, targeted instruction in small groups.

“I believe that when students get more involved in knowing the process, knowing the tests they’re taking, and understanding what we’re doing, they can say, ‘Okay, this is my goal. This is how I’m going to go forward,’” she said.

Hall said this belief in students can be attributed to her experience as a math teacher. Students often arrive convinced they’re bad at math. With personalized attention and engaging lessons, she said, their attitudes can change.

“Every single student, no matter language barrier or any other gaps they come with, they can learn from you as long as you build a strong relationship with them,” she said.

Being present for students, staff, and families is one way Hall is trying to promote community ties. She spends time in classrooms, hallways and at lunch, and keeps an open-door policy for staff. To make families feel welcome on campus, Hall is planning to start a prekindergarten picnic to give parents a chance to have lunch with their children and meet other members of the school community.

There are changes ahead for the school building as well. The 2020 Bond Program is expected to add a new wing with a vestibule to replace the campus’s roughly 22 portable classrooms.

When the current school year is over, Hall hopes to have built new traditions and helped teachers consider leadership roles of their own. She also wants students to leave each day curious about what they learned. A student sharing something new, she said, can brighten her whole week.

“You don’t have to be perfect to be great. You just have to make sure you put everything into place and you follow through,” she said.