New year. New hat. New lessons.

Here we are a little over a month into the 2020-2021 school year. I’m entering my 15th year as an educator and I know I have been quieter than normal. I’ve been wearing a new hat momentarily and been working on finding my footing. The haziness is starting to clear a bit though so here is what I’ve been up to.

Last year before the end of the year, I was offered the opportunity to be principal for Dunlap Grade School during the 1st quarter of the 2020-2021 school year. This position was available so that the current principal could take maternity leave. I remember being completely flattered to even be considered and also thinking this would be a tremendous opportunity. I would be able to gain first hand experience opening up a school so if a principal job presented itself, I would be that much more prepared. I of course said yes.

Enter the pandemic.

I think in my mind I never imagined that would affect how the new school would begin. However, here we are, navigating waters of uncertainty, while trying to maintain a positive outlook that will keep everyone safe. This is without a doubt a school year where I have never seen or experienced stress of this magnitude. While I do think some stems from the unknown as well as the high learning curve that accompanies stepping outside your comfort zone, I still feel this stress is valid, deserved, and real though. It is also of the utmost importance that we continue to show one another grace and understanding as we learn to cope and address concerns that are unique to a pandemic. At the end of the day we are all doing are very best with the information we have at the time.

I am now entering week 8 of being a principal, 6 of these weeks with 215 in person learners in the building and 32 remote learners. There have been highs, lows, and everything in between. It has both felt like 8 years and 5 seconds all at the same time. Despite feeling as if I have 8,000 tabs open in my brain on a consistent basis, I have grown so much as an educator in ways I never even thought that I would! I am learning lessons daily if not minute-ly. 😉 Now that the ground is starting to feel more level beneath my feet here are my top 10 lessons thus far:

Lesson #1
Start and end each day with a song

You set your tone for the day and you chose how to process and let go. I realize of course everyone has their drive to and from work routines, but for me it involves music and signing at the top of my lungs. I start each day with my Drive Spotify playlist. I then choose the most upbeat song to play at full volume on my phone as I walk into the office. The secretaries are often already there and I have found it helps us put a smile on the face in order to conquer whatever comes our way. At the end of the day, I am working on a playlist to help me process, unwind, and let it go. Being someone who wears their heart on their sleeve, I have learned drive home music is crucial in order to unwind and focus on wearing my hats at home.

Lesson #2
Calendars are EVERYTHING!

Organization is key. Luckily I stepped into a building with an administrator who lives and breathes by her calendar. She had set up so many things for me or left notes of who to call to schedule things such as fire and safety drills. I have learned though you must schedule yourself a lunch otherwise it is 3pm and you can’t remember what you ate that day. I also have learned that the staff lives and breathes by that calendar too. If you have to change something, let them know so everyone can be on the same page. Being on the teacher end of calendar invites, I never understood why I would get them so far in advance…lesson 2 in a half learned. When you have the time, you take advantage by trying to get ahead. You never know as a principal when your schedule will change.

Lesson #3
Read, Reply, Delete

Man I thought that making the transition from teacher to instructional coach did a number on my inbox…now I just think oh well wasn’t that cute. It was definitely one of those you think you know…but you have no idea moments. Now my situation is slightly unique in that my district had three instructional coaches and two of them resigned to fulfill new positions outside of our district. The decision was made to not rehire so that left only me. However, I am currently serving in this principal position. Needless to say for awhile it felt as if I would never get a handle on emails. One 2 hour period could often bring in 200 some emails at once. I definitely had to take a moment and remember the best advice I had ever received –> Read, reply, and then delete. If you don’t know the answer reply with you are looking in to it or you will touch base with them at a later time. If you need to save something, move it to a folder. Also you can break the reply all chain…I have faith in you. I feel you need to know though the quest is long and often lonely…but I support you.

Lesson #4
Previous avoidance to orange flavored anything is no longer a thing…

Being a principal means you will step outside of your comfort zone right out of the gate. People want answers and they want them from you.  I have learned the value of silence, listening, and taking notes. It is important to validate the perspectives of others but being solution focused allows for us to support the kids, which is why we are here. You also may do things you said you would never do as an administrator. *gasp* I know. It’s  like that moment when you are a teenager and you swear up and down you will never do that or say that when you have kids…then you do and say those things to your kids. It hurts. You have feelings about it. After these moments, shut your door, take a deep breath, find whatever candy you have (even orange flavored) and eat it. You’ve earned it. Also orange flavored candy isn’t so bad if it’s the only candy you have and you need some candy. It’s all about perspective and letting staff know if they too need an orange flavored candy moment…you are there.

Lesson #5
Speak up!

Being new at something doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help when you need it. Man just typing that made me nervous because asking for help is really hard for me to do. It’s not because I don’t think others can’t help me but it’s because I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems or give the impression that I can’t handle by business. It is something I really work on as I know trying to do all the things isn’t sustainable. I have found it helps to have a go to person that you can reach out to for advice, guidance, and support. When you have a go to person that means they check in on you too. Sometimes you don’t know what questions to ask but they are there to remind that you aren’t alone.

*Full disclosure* this continues to be something I work on daily and there are times I am better at it than others. Being a principal though has given me more chances to practice, which is key to moving forward.

Lesson #6
Short. Sweet. To the point.

If you know me, you know that summarizing is not my forte. I am dramatic and love to give all of the itsy bitty details so I can set the scene for you. Being a principal though often means you have 5 minutes to talk to a parent, a student, or a staff member and you have to make those 5 minutes count. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. This lets them know that you value their time too. That doesn’t mean that conversations should only be 5 minutes. 🙂 I have definitely learned that sometimes less is more.

*Full disclosure* this is still a HUGE work in progress for me as I feel the need to talk about all of the things…however, being a principal has given me a lot of opportunities to practice this lesson in emails, phone calls, and meetings.

Lesson #7
It’s the little things

Just when you think you have hit the proverbial brick wall…the message you need to hear will show itself. It often comes when you least expect it and it won’t always look the way you think it should. The timing is a lesson within it self, that you can’t always be in control. When the message makes its way to you though, it will be that courage you need to move forward. The reassurance that despite the loud few, the positives are out there and they are trying to be heard. Happiness can be found in the darkest of times…if one only remembers to turn on the light!

Lesson #8
Find a daily peak-end ritual that works for you

While decompressing from the day in song is perfect for the drive home, sometimes the weight of it all comes back or is too much. Over the summer, I read The Burnout Cure: Learning to Love Teaching Again by Chase Mielke. (FANTASTIC READ…every educator should pause reading this and go buy it or check it out from your library) One of my takeaways was creating a peak end ritual. “The peak-end rule states that if your last class or lesson goes well, you leave thinking it was a good day. If you end with chaos , you may go home feeling terrible. Due to the peak-end rule, recency and resolution matter for our memory and satisfaction. A peak-end ritual is a positive end to an otherwise challenging day.”

Journaling would be an example of a peak-end ritual. It allows you to collect things that get you thinking was it a bad day or just a bad 5 minutes. In order to do this I started journaling the same three prompts every day: goals, gratitude, remember. I have done this every day since August 1, 2020. I’m here to tell you it really does work. First the prompts are manageable so journaling feels less like a chore. I purchased an undated journal so skipping a day doesn’t feel like a failure.  (although I now see that as a challenge and haven’t skipped a day yet) Despite what your day brings…there is always something to be grateful for. This little 5 minute habit right before bed keeps me organized, grounded, and allows me to positively reset for the upcoming day. Peak-end rituals don’t have to be journaling that just happened to be the one that worked for me.

Lesson #9
Don’t make long term decisions based on short term situations

Real talk. The first 4 weeks, if someone had asked me, do you want to be a principal…it would have been a real hard pass. While I love the staff and students in my building (not sure how I could have done this without them), the stress of following pandemic protocols as a brand new admin were so high that it felt as if I had been given an impossible task. I couldn’t see the light in that moment leading me to believe that being a principal was like this even in non pandemic times. I tend to be dramatic and sometimes need a moment to let the dust settle.  I have since learned, that the ground does start to even out. Opening a school during a pandemic is unique but I did it. I’m still here. Now the day to day situations that occur don’t seem as impossible. These last two weeks I have been shown what being a principal could look like and that I can do it. Will this be my calling? Perhaps. If it is, I’m ready and if it isn’t, this was an important and memorable part of my journey.

Lesson #10
BE YOU!

This lesson is so important. Whenever you walk into a new role, expectations are there. You feel that pressure to do all of the things done before you perfectly. I have learned that at the end of the day you can still be amazing but you can be amazing being you. Take what you need to find your footing and it is ok if that footing is different from someone else. You can’t be someone you aren’t but you can be someone that everyone needs. You can still be you while acknowledging past awesomeness. Trust yourself and lead from your heart.

Administrators, I see you and you are juggling way more plates than I ever thought possible. You do it in such a way that looks planned, controlled, and flawless. I still have so much to learn but this lens into your world has taught me lessons I will carry with me always! If anything I have learned I can do hard things…in fact I can do super hard things. The principal hat isn’t always glamorous but it is always important in ensuring schools continue to be places that create lifelong learners.