One Last Hurdle

25 months ago, I applied for my educational leadership program.

21 months ago, I started classes for my Master's degree.

14 months ago, I applied to be a summer learning team lead (basically a summer learning principal).

13 months ago, I began my summer learning job in a position of actual leadership.

8 months ago, kids started in summer learning, and I got a taste of what being a principal is really like!

2 months ago, I finished my last class and officially graduated with a degree in Educational Leadership.

6 days ago, I completed my final hurdle to getting my Principal's License - passing the PRAXIS test!

As I finished the test, I progressed to the screen that said something like:

Do you want to submit your answers or cancel your scores?

My heart was pounding, my breathing shallow, and I started wondering: 

Was I good enough? Did I have what it takes? Was I crazy to even be trying this? What if I mess it all up? What made me think this was a good idea? 

At every point along this journey, I have had moments of struggling with those same questions, this familiar cycle of self-doubt. What's more, I know that I am not the only one who asks these questions - I believe we all do, children and adults alike. Why is it so easy for us to be hard on ourselves?

With a deep breath, I made my choice, and pressed Submit. Thinking that my mental torture was over, my anxiety was heightened when I came to another screen:

You have chosen to submit your scores. Are you sure?

In every journey, there are times of standing up and stepping out in faith. Sometimes these moments are big and momentous, but at other times, they consist of simply putting one foot in front of the other. Whether big or small, these moments take courage. And sometimes, the courage it takes is only known to the one who is in the moment. It may not look like much to the outside world, but that does not mean that it feels easy on the inside.

As soon as I clicked Yes, submit my scores, my unofficial score popped up - well into the passing range. I smiled through my still shaking hand and pounding heart and thought:

And I considered, even if only ever so briefly, not submitting my scores! Why do I worry so much?

Are our students going through these internal battles? Which moment are they at when they come into our rooms - the one there they are thinking, "Am I good enough?" The moment of decision, when they have to take a leap of faith? The moment of victory? How can we, as teachers, meet them where they are at and reassure their doubts, encourage their risk-taking, and celebrate their wins? Of course, there are many ways to think about where our students are at - academically, socially, and in life - but this experience added a new layer to my thinking about how to help my students take the next step.

After all, the best teachers are always learning, right?

Confessions of a New Administrator: 6 Takeaways from 6 Weeks of Administration

Summer Learning has come and gone, and I'm left reflecting on the experience. It is so hard to come up with an answer when people ask me, "How was being a summer school principal?" I struggle to consolidate the thousands of moments into a neat, tidy answer! So here's my best attempt: 6 takeaways from 6 weeks as a summer school admin.

1. Communication is key!

If there's one thing I got practice in this summer, it was communicating. With kids, with parents, with teachers, and with district personnel! Clear communication was essential to proactively avoid issues and make sure we were all on the same page, plus it helped cut down on fears of rumors or hidden agendas or any of that negativity that can eat away at school culture. One thing I resolved at the beginning of the summer was to keep my staff in the know, and from comments I heard, I think (hope!) I did a fairly good job of that.

Communication also included having to be the messenger for things I did not agree with. Newsflash: this is hard. It's hard to be honest when sharing an unpopular message while not throwing others under the bus. Through being open in the rest of my communication, though, I hope I was able to share these things in an authentic yet respectful way.

2. Prioritizing is life-saving!

On the first day, I'm pretty sure I had a deer-in-the-headlights look all day long as everything was coming at me. I didn't have filters to sift through it all and everything screamed, "URGENT! TOP PRIORITY!" No one can run at that level of stress and anxiety forever - we have to learn to prioritize!

If I were to characterize the biggest change in my practice from the beginning to the end of Summer Learning, I would say that I did a much better job of figuring out what really needed my attention right away and what could wait for a few hours or a few days. I thought a lot about what was urgent vs. what was important and how to make time for the important things that may not be so urgent. I also grew more comfortable with the fact that while one person might think something is hugely important and urgent, my role as the principal was to hold all of the needs in balance, and sometimes that one thing had to wait.

3. Fight to spend time with the kids!

Why did most of us become teachers? Because we love kids! And that certainly didn't change as I became a principal! It was easy to get caught up in the to-dos needed to make things run smoothly and completely miss out on the moments with students. I had to make it a daily priority (see #2) to get out of the office and spend time in classrooms or meeting kids on their way in or out. It was worth it!

Sometimes it was challenging to feel like this was the best use of my time. That might sound crazy, but if I was in a classroom where a teacher was rocking it and had everything under control, it was easy to think, "What am I doing here? Why do they need me?" The truth is, they didn't need me...but I needed the reality check of what was going on in the classroom, and the kids (and teachers?) really did appreciate seeing a principal who was involved in their learning. They can never have too many positive adult examples around!

4. Conflict is a reality, and that's okay.

Let me be honest for a second here - I don't like conflict. It's hard, it's messy, and I'd rather avoid it. But it's a daily reality in our jobs, and even more so in a position of leadership. There are so many people I was working with, and all of them had different perspectives on any given issue about the school! And most of the time, those perspectives were born out of a really good place of wanting the very best for the students and the school! There are just many views on how to get there.

As the principal, I had to be willing to stand up and make decisions that I knew would disappoint some people. I was the one who talked to parents when they were upset. I got to defend my teachers (it's amazing how much easier it is to step into conflict when you feel responsible and protective of your people). I'm certainly not advocating for creating unnecessary conflict, but I grew much more comfortable in handling things when they came, not taking it personally, and focusing on the issue and the solution rather than getting stuck in the problem.

5. Structures make the world school go 'round.

One of the hardest parts of being a principal is that so much of my job was proactive. When things were going well, it was evidenced by, well, a lack of problems. Usually, that meant that good structures had been developed and set in place so that things just ran themselves! Often, I didn't even notice that the routine was working or that it was making a difference, because it "just happened".

Most mornings, I went out and played violin for the kids as they walked into school, and often, they came in and glanced at me and went straight to breakfast. One morning, I had a lot of paperwork to do and thought, "Oh well, they're hearing the same songs every day anyway, they probably won't even notice if I skip it today." Boy, was I wrong - I heard about it that day! This is a frivolous example, but it struck me because it demonstrated how much the simple routines meant to the kids, even if they didn't show it.

When good systems were set up, people did what they were supposed to, and everything ran smoothly. When a kink in the system appeared, it quickly devolved into chaos! Systems thinking is a skill I need to continue to cultivate, and I saw the importance of it and the impact it can have on large numbers of people this summer.

6. Get comfortable with living with ambiguity!

One of the most immediate differences I noticed, moving from a teaching job to an administrative job, was that I couldn't plan my day. As a teacher, I figured out lesson plans and I had the structure (see #5) of class periods, lunches, and recesses to guide my day. As a principal, all of that was thrown out the window! Although a lot of my thought-work was proactively planning, my day-to-day was reacting to whatever went on! I never knew if it would be an easy day or a hard day - it just depended on what happened. This was quite a shift in thinking!

I also had to get more comfortable with ambiguity in general. So many situations came up that did not have black and white answers! I had to live in the tension of the "where we are aiming" and the "where we are now". I had to balance the needs of different teachers and different students and various subgroups of each, none of which was clear-cut. I also had to be comfortable letting go and letting people find their own way - some more quickly than others. Although it was tricky at times, this was the beauty of leading and learning - the messy, trial-and-error process that results in growth.

Disclaimer: If I were to add #7, it would be that a positive attitude works wonders, especially in a leadership position, because it affects everyone you meet...but that wasn't so much a new learning as something I was able to keep up from my teaching 😃. Find joy in every day!

I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I know these lessons learned will follow me wherever I go, including in my new role in the district. What would you add to this list as top takeaways from beginning in administration?

Confessions of a New Administrator: Week #6 (The End)

It's hard to believe summer learning is now over!

How can I sum up my thoughts and reflections in a quick blog? When I think back to the beginning of the summer, I was in a completely different place. I have learned and grown so much, and I feel so much more comfortable in the role than when I started. I was actually sad for everything to end yesterday - even in six short weeks, we had developed a school routine and culture that won't ever quite be the same again. 

I'm still processing a lot of the experience and will probably blog later with more reflections, but this final week made me think quite a bit about leading vs. managing. I found myself dreading the last day, not only because it would be full of goodbyes, but because I realized I would be busy in some of my not-so-favorite ways.

When I'm a principal, I love leading out by spending time with my staff and students. Interacting in the hallways, being in classrooms, and helping problem-solve issues are some of my favorite activities. Even the work of visioning, thinking through what needs to happen to prepare for the next week, and setting things up is enjoyable - it's a process that is full of optimism and dreams! I also don't mind the discipline part (most of the time), because it is really reaching kids where they are at.

My good morning welcome ritual with the kids

On the last day, I knew I would be doing a lot of managing. We had several programs in the building taking care of their final follow-up. I'm so grateful for these partnerships, but it meant that I was doing a lot of coordinating and making sure all of that went well. Parents were invited to an open house, which was also fun, but included a lot of showing people where to go and making sure kids were signed out if they left with their parents. At the end of the day, there was the packing and double-checking the inventory lists and rooms to make sure everything looked good, and then finishing up final paperwork. I don't want to sound like I dislike the mundane tasks, but I would rather be engaging and enjoying the stuff that makes up education rather than making sure everyone and everything is in the right place at the same time. I know it is important, it's just not as enjoyable!

All packed up and ready to go!

As the last day approached, I was sharing this with a friend (@msventurino), and she said something that stuck with me all day: "Enjoy it with those kiddos. I know you won't have a ton of time to be with them while you're tying up loose ends, and I know you'll make little windows of time." That became my focus - finding little windows of time to really engage in the midst of the management. It certainly helped the day feel better, and I was able to really soak up the relational time (which is what I will miss the most)!

In the end, through all of the leading and managing, it was an amazing experience. I got a sweet note from the parent of a 1st grader that was the best encouragement and affirmation I could ask for to end the day.

"Thank you for opening your school to (student) this summer. I've never seen her so excited or engaged to attend school. This is a testament to your leadership. She loves to remind me that her summer principal has the best name. Thank you for being such an ideal example of leadership and compassion."

Thank you, everyone who made Summer Learning 2017 amazing! Even as we all go off into new adventures, I know that the memories and the lessons learned will stick with me!

Confessions of a New Administrator: Week #5

This week has been the smoothest yet, and full of #eduwins! I'll share a handful of them below:

1. We had constructed a safety plan for a student to help him regulate & stay safe in school. He had a couple of days without any issues, but the real victory came when we had to put the safety plan in place and it worked like a charm!
2. A different student was having a very rough morning, and I was called to the classroom to help support her. After encouraging her that just because a mistake happened in the morning, it didn't mean the whole day had to be bad, she begrudgingly made it back to the group. Later in the day, she was in the office, beaming and turning in a LEARN ticket (our PBIS system)!
3. Another student has spent quite a bit of time in the office and also suspended due to his behavior earlier in the summer, but I haven't seen him this week. I pulled him aside to check in with him, and some of his comments included:
   "School is more fun when I am good."
   "My friend told me, it's like you're a different person, you're nice and more fun to be around."
   "My friend [who he often got into trouble with] and I talked, and we decided that we're going to keep being good next school year."
   
   (I know it's not necessarily that easy, but it was encouraging to hear him realize the benefits of his improved behavior!)
4. Yet another student has had a number of behavioral issues this summer, and I haven't quite been able to figure out the function of her behavior or how to reach her.  She has a contract about being able to go on field trips based on her behavior, and unfortunately, she missed the last one.  She had a great week and was so close to earning her field trip, but once again, I got a call asking for support because she was being defiant. I decided to try something new and actually give her what she wanted (a break from everyone) if she asked appropriately.  After a bit of time, she followed the teacher direction to take at least one step into the room, ask politely for a break, and wait for the teacher's answer before taking her break. That was the first step, but the next question was if she would actually come back to the group after the 5-minute timer went off.  I swung back by the classroom just as it beeped, and...she did it! Yes! She kept her field trip :-).
5. One of the parts of my role that is new to me is doing teacher evaluations. It has been so much fun talking with teachers and hearing about their perspective on the summer. I was especially encouraged by one who shared that she feels like she has grown professionally this summer, especially in being willing to give up control in the classroom and let the kids figure things out themselves. Yes! Even if nothing else happened this summer, I think that moving people along that spectrum from being more teacher-led to student-led would be worth it!

Of course, it wasn't a perfect week. I still had kids get into fights and one teacher walk by a [hidden] wasp's nest and get stung 17 times (she's okay, though). Nevertheless, I've really been able to see the gratification that comes through those times where you feel like you've really reached someone! These are the moments that keep you going through tough times, and I am so grateful for how many we had this week!

Confessions of a New Administrator: Week #4

This summer, I am getting my first hands-on experience at being a building administrator for my site of about 300 1st-5th graders.  I know that summer school is different than the regular school year, but much of the "blitz" I am feeling reminds me of being a first year teacher (and what I expect being a first year administrator may feel like).  One of my personal commitments in blogging is to be honest, open, and transparent (while protecting privacy) about my experiences - and I'm sure that, someday, I will smile looking back at what I was feeling at this time.  Hopefully it can help someone else learn, too!

We have the week of the Fourth of July off, and here's Confession #1: I'm ready for a break!  This has been a wonderful experience and I'm enjoying it, but I will always jump at the chance to rest, relax, spend time with family & friends, and invest in other parts of my life that get put on the back burner when school is in session.

As with any job, I have experienced some of the good, the bad, and the ugly in the past four weeks.  This week has me reflecting on the best and worst parts of my job as an administrator.

The Good

The best part of my job is that I get to see so many great things happening in the school on a regular basis!  I love welcoming students in the morning and being a friendly face at the door.  My favorite practice of late is playing violin or cello to the kids as they walk in, mixing pop/movie music with classical music, and seeing how excited the students are to hear what is coming next (this feeds the music teacher in me)!  I love being a professional problem-solver and figuring out how to make everything run more smoothly for my staff.  The best days are when I get to spend lots of time in classrooms, absorbing the atmosphere and great instruction that is going on.  I love seeing happy and engaged kids, and I love seeing teachers work their magic with the amazing ways they reach students.  I'm filled with pride as I do a walkthrough of the school and take note of the learning, the inquiry, and the care that fills each room.  I love when students call me over to show off their latest creation.  I love making positive phone calls home about how awesome students are, and I love handing out prizes and stickers as a part of our PBIS system and seeing the students' excitement when they are acknowledged for doing the right thing.

I also like working with students who end up in the office for their behavior.  Maybe it sounds strange, because I often end up with kids (or parents, or teachers) when they are at a low point, when things didn't go well.  In these moments, I really feel like I have an opportunity to reach in and make a difference.  I like helping kids think about how their actions affected others, and seeing the connections go off in their brain to hopefully help them make better choices in the future.  Many times, kids who end up in the office are scared and upset - I love making it a supportive place for them that acknowledges that sometimes life is hard, and we need to develop strategies to manage it (there are still clear boundaries and consequences, but they are not handed out in a punitive way).  This is different from the smackdown discipline that is portrayed in the media in the principal's office, and I love changing the narrative about what it means to be sent there.  I love the success stories and when students that I see in the office all the time come back to share what a good day they had.

The Bad (which is not 100% bad all of the time...I'd rather call it The Hard Stuff)

It's not all sunshine and roses, though - there are hard parts of my job too!  One of the worst parts of my job is having to deliver bad news.  If a student makes a poor choice, I have to call the parents and tell them, and that hurts.  In the situations that are hard to handle, were no one knows what to do, I end up having to make the decision (even though I don't know what to do either)!  The stakes are higher, the responsibility is greater, and the ripple effects have the potential to reach farther than when I was a classroom teacher...and I feel that weight!  As a leader, part of my job is to protect the school, staff, & students.  That means that sometimes I take the brunt of someone's displeasure or anger so that someone else doesn't have to.  I am happy to take it for my team, but it's not always fun in the moment.

We don't like to talk about it, but I've learned about threat assessments, suicide assessments, connections with law enforcement, connections with housing & human services agencies, etc.  This is the reality - these things come up regularly.  Some of my kids' stories are heart-breaking, and I hold that when I interact with them.  I hear from families who are struggling and I just wish there was more I could do to support them.  I also see situations when kids have to bear the brunt of their parents' decisions, and it makes me sad for them.

The other situations that make me sad are those where I feel like I can't quite reach a kid.  As nice as it would sometimes be to have a simple formula for everything, kids are people who get to make their own choices, too.  There are times where I can't get a kid to open up and share what's going on, when I can't get a student to acknowledge that they did something that affected others, or when I think we've had a successful resolution only to find that kid back in my office a day (or an hour!) later.  I want to solve every problem that comes my way, but the truth is, sometimes kids just respond better to other people or need supports that are different than what I can provide.  This doesn't mean I stop trying, but I also have to acknowledge that I'm not Superwoman and be willing to seek other options to figure out what is best for a kid...not just best for my ego.

The Ugly

I'm just going to sum this one up by saying school/district politics.  They exist everywhere, and the "higher up" you go in leadership, the bigger picture you have of what's going on, who is jockeying for power, and the different moving pieces related to federal, state, and district funding & regulations.  The most frustrating part is when I am mandated to carry out something that I do not personally believe is best for kids or for the school in general (these mandates come in big and small varieties).  There are times I stand up and fight it, there are times I have to implement it, and there are times I choose to just let things settle and only deal with it if it becomes an issue.  No matter what I do, I will face criticism from somewhere...often from those who only see a part of the overall picture.  I've never loved politics, and figuring out how to be ethical, strategic, compliant, and kid-centered has been a challenge when those priorities are sometimes at odds with each other!

In the end...

...I love what I'm doing, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!  Some of my daily good, bad, & ugly is similar to when I was a teacher, just on a larger scale, but some of it is completely different than what I have experienced in the past.  I'm looking forward to taking a week off to recharge, but then jumping back into the fray to finish out our summer program!

Confessions of a New Administrator: Week #3

This summer, I am getting my first hands-on experience at being a building administrator for my site of about 300 1st-5th graders.  I know that summer school is different than the regular school year, but much of the "blitz" I am feeling reminds me of being a first year teacher (and what I expect being a first year administrator may feel like).  One of my personal commitments in blogging is to be honest, open, and transparent (while protecting privacy) about my experiences - and I'm sure that, someday, I will smile looking back at what I was feeling at this time.  Hopefully it can help someone else learn, too!

After Week #3, I am looking around and realizing that this new role I have is starting to feel...almost normal?  How can that be?  I don't think my days are any less hectic, but I am learning to adapt to my new role!  Even after just a few weeks, here are some of the changes I am noticing in myself:

• I am much more comfortable switching gears - instantly!
  I may peacefully be doing paperwork in the office, in my "organizing" mode, and have an unhappy parent walk in, necessitating a switch into "mediator" mode.  Or I may be working with a student who was sent to the office, in "discipline/support" mode, and hear a call on the radio that a student ran off, forcing a momentary change into "searching" mode.  I may be enjoying a lesson in the classroom, going into my more comfortable "teaching" mode, and then have a visitor show up and transition into "outreach" mode.  I've learned not to get too attached to what I'm doing at any one time, and to be ready for something drastically different in the next moment!
• I am much more comfortable NOT knowing.
  Wait, the principal's supposed to have all of the answers, right?  Wrong.  Often, I come into a situation in the middle of the story and I have to jump in and proceed without knowing all of the background.  This happens with students, parents, and staff.  I tend to be a person who likes to gather the details and then make a plan, but that is just not feasible in many situations.  I'm learning to move forward with confidence, even without knowing exactly what is happening all of the time.
• I am much more willing to trust my gut.
  With so many different situations coming my way, how do I decide how to handle them all?  If situations are easy, my teachers handle them on their own...by the time they get to me, they have usually escalated.  Related to the NOT knowing, I usually haven't seen these kids through the whole day to determine their triggers or really understand why they are behaving in a certain way, but I still have to do something about it.  I have really been trusting my gut instincts about what supports might help these kids, and more often than not, it has worked out well!  This goes beyond discipline, too...especially in a 5 or 6 week program, I don't have the time to develop long-term relationships (at least for now).  In all of my interactions with students and adults, I am really trusting my gut to tell me what is needed in each situation!
• I am getting better about not living in fear.
  I know this is an ongoing lesson for me - it is so easy for insecurities and fear to rise up and dominate my day.  Being in a position where I am expected to step up and move past that has forced me to really step up and move past that!  When a parent comes storming into the office, upset, it bothers me less than it used to - I can take a deep breath, smile, greet that parent, and trust that we can work toward resolution (or at least a place were we can be civil with each other)!  When someone makes a suggestion, rather than immediately wondering if they think I'm doing a bad job, I can smile, thank them for the suggestion, and appreciate that we are all trying to make this school the best that it can be.  When I have to make a hard decision, rather than wallowing back and forth and worrying about the consequences, I can take a minute to think about it, look at the facts, and then decide and move on.  I'm not perfect at this, but I have really noticed that these interactions do not stick with me in the way they used to - I spend less time worrying about the future and more time focusing on the present! 

I love being an administrator and watching the magic that happens in the school environment - support staff being incredibly efficient and flexible, teachers bringing out the best in their students, students being so excited about learning.  But another cool part of this journey has been for me to take a moment and reflect on how it has changed me.  Sometimes it feels like we give so much to our work and relationships, and it's good to remember that they give back too!

Confessions of a New Administrator: Week #2

This summer, I am getting my first hands-on experience at being a building administrator for my site of about 300 1st-5th graders.  I know that summer school is different than the regular school year, but much of the "blitz" I am feeling reminds me of being a first year teacher (and what I expect being a first year administrator may feel like).  One of my personal commitments in blogging is to be honest, open, and transparent (while protecting privacy) about my experiences - and I'm sure that, someday, I will smile looking back at what I was feeling at this time.  Hopefully it can help someone else learn, too!

Week #2 of summer school brought the most important thing: STUDENTS!  

They started last Monday and we had a full day, complete with tie-dye and presentations from the local library.  My days have been moving at a fast and furious pace, but the weekend has been helpful for me to reflect!

14 loads of tie-dye later...

I won't lie, Monday was hard.  

It was so exciting to have 300 kiddos walk in, but there were of course several first-day wrinkles to smooth out, such as making sure kids were in the right place, answering parent questions about transportation and teachers and forms and everything else, and ensuring our guests who were running the tie-dye and library stations had everything they needed.  None of that was a big deal, but then we had a couple of large-scale incidents (the kind that require a lot of paperwork and calling in outside agencies for follow-up) that really threw me off.  My thought process:
"Uh oh, this is not good, this is a big deal.
Everyone is looking at me.
Oh, wait, this is my job to figure out what to do. 
I don't know how to handle this! 
But I'd better figure it out!"
Between these incidents and other smaller-scale discipline issues, I was worn out by the end of the day.  I realized that I had spent a lot of time stuck in a "what a principal should be like" mindset and didn't spend a lot of time being myself.  As a result, I didn't feel very good about the way I handled discipline or how I connected with people.  I went home feeling discouraged and wondering how people actually handle this job on a daily basis.

And then came the turning point of my week.  

I had sent an email out to my staff, thanking them for a great first day (and including updates & changes to make things flow more smoothly the rest of the week), and one of my teachers wrote an encouraging email back.  I didn't realize how much I needed that affirmation until I saw it!  Her words just gave me a little spark of confidence and a reminder that, despite the chaos and issues of the day, there were many things that went well.

Never underestimate the power of encouragement...it goes a long way!

The rest of the week went so much more smoothly!  

I returned on Tuesday with a renewed sense of identity, and promised myself that I would handle discipline in a way that felt like me, not some fake sense of what it "should" be.  And you know what?  The kids responded much more positively!  They can really sense it when you are not confident!  We were able to put some positive supports in place for students who needed a little more, and I was able to spend a lot more time in classrooms, which is exactly the way I wanted it.  There were still plenty of bumps in the road, but I felt much more confident in my ability to handle them.  By Thursday, most of our logistical challenges were worked out so we could just focus on the kids and the learning!

And even though I have been exhausted and my head has been spinning, trying to keep track of everything that I'm supposed to remember throughout the day, I've loved it.  I love working at that fast pace and I love being able to support both kids & adults when they just need a little extra.  As a principal, I feel like I handle the big problems and the little problems (my teachers handle the in-between ones)!  When things escalate past the classroom level, they get to me and I get to deal with them - these are the big problems.  The small, silly things that just take time, like getting a new roll of tape or sorting out T-shirts also become my job so teachers can just pick up and go.  I am learning a lot about how to support a diverse group of people and prioritize the many things that come to me in a day.

What will next week bring?

Well, for one, we have our first field trip tomorrow (for all students), which will be another great adventure to be sure!  I can't wait to see our students continue to learn and grow as we dive further into the program!  For a peek into our last week, see the pictures below:

1st grade tested the strength of different kinds of paper
and recorded their observations!

2nd grade built mazes for hexbots and tested their designs!

3rd grade had to build a bridge to get the car across the river
using spaghetti and marshmallows!

4th grade designed, built,
 and launched their own rockets!

5th grade worked on collaboration & teamwork by going
through the design process to plan a picnic!

Here's to another week of Summer Learning fun!

Adventures in Leadership: Pulling the Pieces Together

As I prepare for the beginning of summer school (Monday for admin, Wednesday for teachers), I have spent a lot of time thinking & planning this week.  Information is coming at me from all angles!  Along with the expected communication about students, IEPs, 504s, Health Care Plans, enrollment, staffing, curriculum, field trips, scheduling, food services, security plans, shopping, supplies, transportation, evaluations, etc, I have also been in communication with...

• Parents (answering all sorts of questions)
• Outside organizations (many of whom will partner with us this summer in one way or another)
• Businesses (who are willing to donate to us)
• Candidates (I am still short four staff members...)

Needless to say, there are a lot of emails flying around!  It hasn't felt particularly overwhelming to me, but as I have started to put together an agenda for our one and only staff meeting that will take place next Wednesday, I'm realizing just how much information there is - and it's been hard to put all of those puzzle pieces together!

• What does the staff need to know?
• What would I want to know if I were in their shoes?
• How much information is too much? I don't want it to be overwhelming!
• What about team-building - how can this not just be a laundry list of details?
• How can I tie this all together in a way that makes sense and helps the meeting flow well?
• What about all of the puzzle pieces that we don't know yet?

With all of this flowing through my mind, I think I've come up with a workable plan.  The meeting will still include a lot of logistics, but I am also working on developing systems of communication and a staff "hub" where information is stored so everyone knows where to find it later!  And I am bound and determined to make time for at least one team-building activity, even though it feels like we don't have time for it.  If we say to put relationships first with the kids, why should it be any different with the adults?  As we move into the summer, I'm sure I'll fall flat on my face a couple of times, but hopefully everyone will be gracious as I learn!

My closing thought: Being a principal is like putting a puzzle together, trying to take lots of disjointed pieces of information & different perspectives and put it together (even with a few pieces missing) to form a great environment for everyone!

Adventures in Leadership: Beginning Reflections

Most of my blog is written to chronicle my adventures as a traveling music teacher.  Lately, though, I have been taking on a new role - that of an educational leader.  This summer, I will be the site leader (basically acting principal) for an elementary school in my district.  Since January, the other leaders & I have been meeting to plan, prepare, and interview staff for our summer school.  In no particular order, here are some of my reflections about the process:

• The chance to dream is fun!
  So often, I get stuck in my day-to-day at school.  Although we have certain guidelines we must abide by, it has been energizing to realize that I can influence the culture of my building in a big way.  I have spent many hours imagining how I can make the best, most supportive environment possible for students & staff.  I know that it's easier said than done, but I have enjoyed thinking through what makes a great school culture.
• Having a support system is essential.  Since there are several sites for summer learning in our district, there are several leaders who are working closely together during this planning phase.  We have grown closer together as a team, and I am thankful to work with these amazing people who genuinely care about what's best for kids and are unafraid to work hard for it every day!  As many of us are going through the process of getting our admin license and job hunting, it is also meaningful to have cheerleaders and the support of others who are in the same boat.
• Try as we might, we can't fix everything. 
  Leaders have limitations, too!  As much as I want to make things perfect, there are certain things about our program that frustrate me that I have no power to change.  This has helped me give grace to my leaders - even in a position with more authority, there are things that are given to us that we can't do anything about.
• Communication is everything!
  Okay, maybe not everything, but a leader's words often hold more weight than others', both in building people up and also if used negatively.  This has encouraged me to really watch my mouth and do less complaining and less worrying (at least out loud).  On the contrary, it has pushed me to be more positive and more encouraging to those around me.  It has also made me think about how transparent I am with students, parents, and other staff members about my decisions, and how to communicate important information in a way that feels comfortable and non-threatening to others.
• Aim high, but don't get lost in guilt.
  I have a goal for this summer to be in every classroom every day.  I have a goal to do some kind of intentional positive notes, emails, or phone calls home (not sure of the specifics yet).  I have a goal to get to know all of my students' names and greet them when they me to school every morning.  Will I reach all of these goals?  Probably not 100% of the time.  Situations could come up that eat up my time and prevent me from being as involved with all of the students as I would like to be.  When I shared these goals with a colleague, she encouraged me to back off on my expectations.  I thought about it, but decided that there was no reason for me to lower my goals - as long as I don't beat myself up if I can't reach them all of the time!  I really believe in the value of the ideas I've laid out, so I may as well start each day with the intention of accomplishing these goals.
• I can lead out of my strengths and in my style.
  As an aspiring educational leader, it is easy for me to look at what others are doing well and try to imitate that.  While I believe we can learn much from others, I need to filter everything through my personality, beliefs, strengths, and style of leadership - otherwise it just ends up seeming fake!  Through this position, I have had others share some strengths they see in me that I don't even notice or think about.  This has helped me see that I am at my best when I am real, and when I forge my own path rather than follow somebody else's.

I have really enjoyed the position so far, and I can't wait to officially meet my staff for the first time in a week!  I will continue to reflect on this new adventure here - thanks for following along with me!

What advice would you give to a new principal or educational leader?