Inside the Trenches of the Principal: Week 28

As I was thinking yesterday about what to write on this week’s blog, I was content with explaining how this was probably my toughest week yet as principal. There just seemed to be one rough thing after another at every angle. Then this morning I was posting a quote from my new book on social media and thought how hypocritical it would be to spend an entire post complaining about a bad week when there were so many victories that happened. One of my teacher’s Donor’s Choose projects got funded, a parent called me about how to donate to the school to help with field trips for those less fortunate, I got to teach 2nd and 3rd grades wearing ridiculous suits, just to name a few. These little victories are what I should be concentrating on, not the negative stuff.

It’s lonely at times as principal. You have so many things that you want to tell to people, but can’t. You have so many situations where you are getting blasted by a parent and just have to defend your teachers. And it’s typically those things you can’t share that get bottled up inside, making it harder to find the victories. At the end of the day, though, it’s the recognition of victories that will make me excited to go to work each day, not harping on a negative.

I had a meeting with my beginning teachers recently, and our topic was “getting through this long stretch before spring break.” Any educator will tell you it’s a marathon going from January to April, and if you look at it as a four month stretch, it can be intimidating. I encouraged my young teachers to find something to look forward to each week. Create a lesson, plan an event, or do something fun outside of school that you can anticipate each week to build your excitement up. The kids naturally feed off of it and it makes for a better day for everyone.

I know my “anticipated event” for next week is going to be our first “Educator Playground” during our early release day on Wednesday. I had a sign-up for my teachers and staff to present a 15-minute workshop on a topic of their choosing that others could benefit from. Many are showcasing their experiences from their trip to the Ron Clark Academy or Get Your Teach On. We have others sharing technology or just great teaching practices. I’m extremely excited for this event and I love that I had so many teachers willing to step outside their comfort zone and present!