As the psyche of our students (and schools) continues to evolve post-pandemic, the role of the Assistant Principal is changing. Here are some fascinating insights from an experienced AP who has developed some unique techniques for dealing with issues we all face.
Note: This includes several ideas that all educational leaders can use!
Sports analogies are often overdone in P-12 education … especially in southern states where many principals started their careers as coaches.
But this article provides an interesting new slant (even for those who don’t really understand sports) about why it’s important for the principal to take the lead in literacy. And that mindset can be vital because “developing a culture of literacy in school and the community would improve access, opportunity, and equity for all students.”
As we’ve pointed out many times before, the decisions we make as educational leaders can truly impact student learning and outcomes … and that can change lives.
Most people realize that stress has a negative impact not only on our mental health, but also on our effectiveness and productivity. Principal and teacher burnout are very real problems!
In the last post, we looked one method for reducing stress by shrinking our priorities to focus on those that meet five specific criteria. In this post, we’ll explore several additional suggestions to help alleviate stress.
As this article points out, “School leaders are in one of the most precarious balancing acts in the history of public education. They must keep educators focused on providing high-quality learning … despite mandatory COVID testing, email notifications of potential exposures, and omnipresent media coverage of the pandemic. This balancing act is complicated further by teacher shortages and the cumulative impact of asking teachers to help cover job vacancies. All of this leads to an incredible amount of stress for administrators and teachers alike, which must be mitigated to avoid burnout.” (Robbins, 2021)
The author then goes on to offer several suggestions for reducing stress (both for administrators and teachers) that were gleaned from educational leaders across the country.
Hopefully you will find at least one idea that will help you deal more effectively with the physical and emotional fatigue that often comes with the job.
There’s an old saying: “Never let the URGENT crowd out the IMPORTANT!”
One way to do this is by establishing priorities and revisiting those daily. However, as the author of this article points out, “It’s particularly challenging to choose priorities in the field of education because schools are bombarded by so many initiatives …” and conversely, “When you have too many priorities, you get less done.”
The article lists five guiding questions that can help you downside your list of priorities, thus narrowing your focus to what really matters for your teachers and students. Taking time to answer and apply these could result in less stress, increased effectiveness, and a better environment for everyone concerned.
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