Julie Chen Back To Junior High

Students from William H. Carr Junior High School 194 in Queens, N.Y, which just happens to be co-anchor Julie Chen's alma mater were on The Early Show plaza to support her.

Not everyone has the chance to go back to junior high school. Not everyone wants to. But just a few weeks ago, she met some of these students, when she went back to junior high as part of the PENCIL (Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning) program in New York City. Only this time, Chen was the principal for a day.

The following is her report:

Today, I'm back, but in a different role.

"This is your office for today," Principal Anne-Marie Iannizzi said, putting a nameplate with my name on her desk, "So I'd like to change nameplates."

I like that.

She agreed to hand me the reins for the day, or in this case, her keys and walkie-talkie, which means authority.

So with walkie-talkie at hand, I got to work: "Good morning, JHS 194 teachers, staff, students. This is Julie Chen of CBS News. Is everyone listening? By the way, we have an extra camera crew in one of the classrooms, so if anyone's rolling their eyes or making faces or chewing gum or talking, names will be taken down. Because as you know, I am your principal for a day."

After a quick meeting with the PTA and then with my assistant principals ("Mrs. Toy, you're late for our meeting and we're all waiting for you" I said using once more the walkie-talkie) it was time to hit the halls.

Before a class full of eager students, I asked what they were learning.

A boy named Lucas answered, though there were many hands up willing to be picked. "We're learning about the earthquake in Southeast Asia," he said.

From science class to art class, I saw the students hard at work. For me, the three lunch periods were the hardest.

It's up to you to gain control and to begin: Sshhh. Can you please settle down? Ssshhh thank you.

But it's amazing the attention you command when you capture the kids' imagination.

My words of advice: "If you can figure out at this age what you excel at or what makes you happy, you just have to follow it. You guys, whatever you guys put your mind to you can do it."

One-on-one, it's easier to get the message across: that good study habits pay off down the road.

Here is an exchange I had with one student:

Do you do well?

Student: "Yes."

Could you do better?

Student: "Yes."

Do you want to do better?

Student: "Yes."

Well, then, you're in control of that, aren't you?

A lot of people just think of principals as someone who walks around the hallways with a walkie-talkie and a set of keys, having this intimidating presence. But what is involved with being a principal?

"I think you have to be very energetic," Iannizzi says, "I think you have to understand the teen-age mind. It's an awesome task because every minute something is changing and in junior high school, it's even more exciting because you never know from minute to minute what's going to happen in school."

Principal Iannizzi regularly logs 12-hour days. The rewards, she says, are well worth the effort.

She says, "You have the opportunity to make a difference in kids' lives and I think that's why we go into the career of being principals and educators."

In just one day, I saw that there are no limits to a principal's reach.

Soon it was time to make another announcement: "Students, at this time, we begin our dismissal. Study hard, kids, and don't forget to have fun while you're doing it. Thank you, everyone, and have a great afternoon."

Thanks to Principal Iannizzi and all of the great students at junior high 194. Study hard kids. Don't make me come back and give detention.

On the plaza, Dave Price pointed to Chen's old yearbook from 1984. In it there is a page where students are supposed to predict where they'd be 10 years later. Chen's prediction? TV anchorwoman, New York City.