How to Write a Eulogy for Your Principal - Eulogy Examples & Tips

Standing at a podium to speak about the person who ran your school feels like walking into a spotlight you did not audition for. It is hard, it is important, and you can do it even if your hands shake. This guide gives you the structure words and examples you need to write a eulogy that honors your principal while being honest and human. It is written for students teachers administrators and parents who want to say something real without getting lost in jargon or long lists.

We break this into clear steps. You will learn what to include where to look for stories how to balance grief and celebration and how to deliver the speech so people hear it. We also give multiple ready to use templates and short sample eulogies you can adapt. Wherever we use a term or an acronym we explain it so nothing feels like a guessing game.

What Is a Eulogy

A eulogy is a short speech that honors someone who has died. It is usually given at a funeral memorial or remembrance event. The goal is to remember the person through stories and qualities that mattered. The eulogy is not a biography that lists every job or award. Instead it focuses on the parts of the person that people want to carry forward. When you write for a principal you are honoring a public role and a private person at the same time.

Obituary explained: An obituary is a written public notice of someone’s death. It usually appears in a newspaper or online and gives basic details such as name dates and funeral arrangements. A eulogy is a personal spoken tribute that appears at a gathering.

Who Usually Gives a Eulogy for a Principal

There is no hard rule. Common speakers include a family member a fellow administrator a long time teacher a student or a representative of the school board. Whoever speaks should have permission from the family and from event organizers. If you are asked to speak and you feel unable to do it you can offer to write the speech for someone else to read.

How Long Should the Eulogy Be

Keep it focused. Aim for five to eight minutes for a single speaker. Five minutes often equates to 600 to 700 words read at a calm pace. If several people will speak coordinate times so the total tribute feels balanced. Ask the funeral director or event planner how many speakers are expected and what the time limits are.

Tone Choices and How to Pick One

Your principal had many sides. The tone of the eulogy should fit the person and the community. Here are common tones and when to use them.

• Warm and personal when the principal was beloved and approachable. Use more memories and light humor.
• Solemn and respectful when the loss is fresh or the community wants a quieter ritual. Focus on values character and leadership.
• Uplifting and future facing when the family requests celebration and the school wants to point to legacy and continuity.
• Balanced honest when the principal was complex. Acknowledge flaws while emphasizing growth and what mattered to them.

Permissions and Logistics You Must Check First

Before you write or speak confirm these three essentials.

• Family approval. Always check with the principal’s family to confirm they are comfortable with a public tribute and with the stories you plan to share.
• Event plan. Ask the funeral director school leader or event organizer about timing order of speakers and A V needs. A V means audio visual and refers to microphones projectors and recorded music.
• Accessibility. Confirm that the venue supports those who need seats near the front a ramp or closed captioning. Offer to provide a printed copy of the speech for the program if requested.

How to Start Writing

Writing a eulogy is easier when you follow a simple map. Use this step by step approach.

1. Collect raw material. Ask colleagues students and family for short memories. Look at emails newsletters yearbooks and social media posts for quotes and incidents.
2. Pick the core idea. Decide on one central thread that will hold the speech together. Examples include leadership with calm under pressure mentorship of students a fierce commitment to equity or a love of community rituals like school plays.
3. Choose three stories. Stories make a eulogy memorable. Each story should support the core idea and be short enough to tell in a minute or less.
4. Write an opening a middle and a closing. The opening announces who you are and why you speak. The middle houses the stories and reflections. The closing offers what the audience can take forward such as a short quote a call to action or an invitation to remember.
5. Edit for clarity and length. Read aloud and cut anything that repeats or confuses. Aim to give each story a clear setting a single unexpected detail and a closing line that ties back to the core idea.

What to Include in a Eulogy for a Principal

Here is a checklist you can use as you draft.

• Your relationship to the principal and why you were asked to speak
• Simple biographical facts that matter to the school such as years served achievements and projects
• Three short stories or memories with sensory detail
• One or two personal quotes or favorite sayings of the principal
• How the principal impacted students teachers and the community
• A line that acknowledges grief and permission to feel it
• A closing thought that gives people a way to remember such as a tradition to continue or a phrase to say

Examples of Strong Opening Lines

First lines help the audience settle into what you will say. Here are options depending on tone.

• Warm: I am Ms. Garcia and I had the impossible job of trying to keep up with Principal Rivera for fifteen years.
• Solemn: When Principal Jones walked into the auditorium she made even a crowded room feel like a neighborhood living room.
• Uplifting: If you leave this room today take two minutes to do what Principal Lee did every morning which is to smile at someone you do not know.
• Honest: We did not always agree with Principal Carter but we always knew she cared enough to argue.

Story Templates That Work Every Time

Use this compact formula for each story you tell. It keeps the story tight and meaningful.

1. Set the scene. Two or three words to place us such as "Senior prom night" or "First day of school"
2. Action. What did the principal do
3. Detail. One sensory image such as the smell of coffee the creak of a stage or a brightly patterned tie
4. Meaning. One line that ties the action to the core idea

Example

Senior awards assembly. Principal Morales slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot onto the stage to lead the students in a silly chant. The chant was ridiculous and the kids loved it. It showed that she believed in joy even in awkward adult spaces.

How to Use Humor Respectfully

Humor can humanize the principal and give people a momentary lift. Use it gently and never make a joke that would embarrass the family. Here are safe options.

• Self deprecating humor such as I am the person who always sends the long emails so if this one gets long I have a defense
• Light anecdotes that show the principal’s quirks like an obsession with organizing the supply closet
• Quoted lines the principal used often such as Keep calm and file the paperwork

Avoid sarcasm cruel comparisons or humor that relies on private details the family would not want public.

Sample Eulogy Scenarios and Templates

Below are ready to adapt samples. Use them as skeletons. Plug in names details and small stories that fit your principal.

Sample 1: The Beloved Mentor

Opening: Hello I am Tyler Nguyen and I taught English at Lincoln High while Principal Adams led the school for twelve years. I am here because the students asked a teacher to speak.

Bio: Principal Adams served as a teacher and then as principal at Lincoln for almost a decade. She started our after school tutoring program and pushed for an arts partnership with the city.

Story 1: The scene was a college night. A nervous senior sat in my office and wanted to drop out of the college application process. Principal Adams sat with us for an hour and wrote the student a note that read I believe in you even when you do not. That student is now at state college.

Story 2: On days when the schedule fell apart Principal Adams walked through the halls with coffee in a chipped mug. She would stop and ask staff if their day was manageable and then fix what she could. The smell of her coffee will remind me of calm that made room for doing hard work.

Reflection: She taught us that leadership is small acts done again and again. Her legacy is the students who still feel brave enough to try.

Closing: If you want to honor her today take a minute and write one line on the card being passed around about how she showed up for you. Keep that line safe and share it whenever you see a student who needs one person to believe.

Sample 2: The Tough But Fair Principal

Opening: My name is Jasmine Cole and I was on the school board while Principal Morgan was at Pinecrest. We had hard conversations and we always ended with more trust than we began with.

Bio: Principal Morgan served twenty years and was known for discipline that came from care. He built the mentoring program for students who needed structure more than praise.

Story 1: At a championship game when the refs made a call that upset the team Principal Morgan sat on the bench in full silence. After the last whistle he walked into the locker room and reminded the players that character is what you do when no one is watching. The team carried that lesson off the field.

Story 2: Once a teacher lost her voice before class. Principal Morgan stepped in and taught a lesson on algebra like he had been doing it his whole life. He did not seek credit he made sure the kids learned.

Reflection: He taught us that fairness often looks strict but always aims at creating independence. That will be his gift to our school.

Closing: In memory of Principal Morgan the school will reopen the mentoring program this fall. If you want to be involved sign the sheet at the front desk.

Sample 3: The Principal Who Loved the Little Things

Opening: I am Amina Patel and I used to bring muffins to staff meetings because Principal Blake refused to let us skip breakfast.

Bio: Principal Blake cared about details. He refilled the paper trays checked the lost and found and celebrated the quiet wins he thought were invisible.

Story: One winter the heating failed on a Monday. Principal Blake walked the hallways with a box of hand warmers and a box of hot cocoa. No press release no speeches just comfort. That is small grief care and it mattered to people who felt cold and forgotten.

Reflection: It is the small kindnesses that add up. The school feels warmer because of him.

Closing: Please take one hand warmer on your way out and pass one to someone who needs it this week.

How to Incorporate Quotes and Readings

Quotes can anchor a eulogy. Choose something the principal said often or a short poem line that matches their style. Keep readings brief and attribute them. If you use a copyrighted poem read only a short excerpt or obtain permission when required.

Examples of brief readings

• From Maya Angelou: We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. Use only a short excerpt and say who the author is.
• A line the principal used such as Keep your eyes on the work. Say this was her favorite line and what it meant in practice.

Handling Sensitive Topics

Sometimes you must address controversies illness or conflict. You do not have to provide a defense or a full history. Acknowledge complexity in one short line and then steer to the qualities the community can carry forward.

Example

Principal Reed faced hard choices in her last years. We will remember her courage in making those choices and the care she tried to protect. Today we hold both our gratitude and our grief.

Practical Language You Can Use

Below are phrases you can borrow directly. They are simple and clear.

• Principal [Name] believed in second chances.
• She showed us how to stand up without making noise about it.
• He turned small acts into a culture of care.
• We will miss her laugh in the hallway and her habit of saying Good job even for small wins.
• If you want to honor him do the work he loved and say hello to the students you pass in the hall.

Delivery Tips for Nerves and Clarity

Public speaking while grieving is hard. These tips help you say the words without collapsing.

• Practice out loud. Read the eulogy three times slowly before the event and once at the venue if possible.
• Mark breaths on the page with a small symbol such as an asterisk so you know where to pause.
• Use a printed card rather than small paper. You will want a full line of text per line so your eyes stay steady.
• Bring water. Take a sip before you begin and between sections if needed.
• If you break down it is okay. Pause take a breath and say I need a moment. The room will give it to you.
• Use a microphone. If you are unsure about distance to the mic practice with the sound tech so the volume feels natural.

How to End the Eulogy

The ending should give people a way to move forward. Offer a short instruction or a moment of silence. You can invite the audience to stand for a song to hold a moment of applause or to share memories at a reception. Keep this part practical and brief.

Examples of closers

• Let us take a moment of silence to remember the warmth she gave us.
• Join us after the service in the gym for coffee and to share a memory with the family.
• In place of flowers the family asked that donations go to the scholarship fund Principal Ellis started.

Short Eulogy Templates You Can Adapt

Template A: For Students

Hello my name is [Name] and I am a senior at [School]. Principal [Last Name] was the person who made first day less scary and graduation night more joyful. She started the tutoring program that helped me find confidence in math. One moment I will never forget is when she came to our club meeting with a stack of movie tickets after I gave a shaky presentation. She believed that encouragement can look like practical tickets or a note left on your desk. We will miss her energy. Please join my classmates and me at the memorial garden after this service to plant a tree in her memory.

Template B: For Teachers

Good morning I am [Name] and I taught science at [School] for eight years. Principal [Last Name] was the leader who made room for teachers to try new things. When budgets shrank she found creative ways to keep labs running. Once she taught a class dissection because the substitute did not show up. She taught by example and we are better teachers because of her. Her legacy lives in the kids who got hands on time because she refused to let funding be an excuse. In her memory our department will host a community STEM night next month and you are all invited.

Template C: For Administrators

I am [Name] and I worked with Principal [Last Name] on the district leadership team. She brought both firmness and heart to decision making. I remember a policy meeting where she pressed for student voices and changed the proposal because a single essay convinced her we were missing something important. That was her style, listen then fix. Today we honor her service and carry forward the practice of listening first.

What To Avoid Saying

These are common traps that weaken a eulogy.

• Long lists of dates and awards without context
• Inside jokes that exclude most of the audience
• Political rants or critiques of policy that do not focus on the person
• Lengthy debates about cause of death unless the family asked you to explain
• Comparisons that elevate one group over another in a way that divides

Checklist Before You Speak

1. Confirm the final version with the family if appropriate
2. Have a backup reader in case you cannot go on stage
3. Bring two printed copies of your speech one for the officiant and one for yourself
4. Arrive early to test the microphone and to greet family members if they want
5. Wear something that respects the school culture and the family

Sample Short Eulogies You Can Use As Is

Short eulogy 1, warm

Hello I am Ricardo. Principal Hudson had the rare ability to make every kid feel like they belonged. She would learn names in a week and remember favorite books. Today we grieve and we also pass forward the habit she taught us which is to say hello and mean it.

Short eulogy 2, solemn

My name is Dr. Patel. For twenty five years Principal Owens led this school with steady clarity. He believed in standards and kindness in equal measure. We will honor his life by keeping our promise to each other that every student matters.

Short eulogy 3, uplifting

I am Sofia. Principal Brooks laughed loudly and loved louder. Let us take a breath and then smile at one memory we have of him. That memory will stay in our pockets like a good coin. Pass it on.

FAQ

What if I get emotional and cannot finish

It happens. Pause and take a breath. You can ask for a moment and continue or you can ask another speaker to finish. Many people prefer authenticity over performance so a brief pause is okay. If you want a backup plan have a printed copy of the speech left with the officiant to read aloud if needed.

Should students mention disciplinary stories

Only if the story shows growth or reveals an important lesson. Avoid stories that embarrass individuals or expose private struggles. Focus on how the principal guided learning and dignity rather than on punitive acts.

Can I read from my phone

You can but it is safer to use a printed page. Phones can ring drop notifications or go dark if battery dies. A printed copy looks more respectful and is easier to mark for pauses.

How do I balance personal memories with the public role

Start with a personal memory that humanizes the principal then connect it to the public impact such as a program policy or a tradition they started. This shows how private character shaped public life.

What if the principal had family who are not at the service

Acknowledge absent family without over explaining. You can say We note that family could not be with us today and we hold them in our hearts. Offer the family the words you will say if they want a copy.

Action Plan You Can Use Right Now

1. Gather three short memories from colleagues students or family members
2. Decide the single idea you want the audience to remember about the principal
3. Write a one sentence opening one paragraph with three stories and a one sentence closing
4. Read the draft aloud twice and cut anything that repeats
5. Print two copies and practice once at the venue if possible