That are your new school year resolutions? No, I don't mean the New Year's resolutions that you'll set on December 31 for what you plan to do in 2017. I'm asking what new school year resolutions you have made for 2016–2017. Although the new calendar year ushers in parties and football bowl games, it's the school year that dictates much of our lives.
There's a comfort in the rhythm of schools. Each new school year, buildings are cleaned, painted, filled with fresh supplies, and ready for the eager students and staff members. The school year begins with enthusiasm: Every kid is gifted, every teacher is optimistic, and we all know that this will be the best year ever! We should capitalize on that fresh start by making resolutions for the new school year.
Three Key Areas
Just as with the resolutions we make every January 1 (yes, I should be going to the gym more regularly and eating dessert less often), our new school year resolutions should focus on areas needing improvement. Schools and challenges vary, as do individuals' skills, and our resolutions will reflect our own reality; your resolutions will be different from everyone else's. But I believe three areas should frame all new school year resolutions.
Communication Counts
Setting a goal about communication is always a good idea. No matter how well or how often you communicate, you can communicate more frequently—and better.
I always sort of knew this, and now I really know it because after leading schools for 37 years, I'm now teaching in the principal preparation program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. I'm doing other things too—writing and making presentations—but what's most enjoyable is working with prospective principals and talking to the current principals who are helping these students grow.
As we talk about challenges at their schools, these leaders cite a lack of good communication as significant in every situation.
Often, principals become too busy to find time to communicate with staff. That's always a mistake. It's easy to take things for granted and assume that everyone knows what's happening and, just as important, why it's happening. I used to want to protect my teachers, to not take their time or energy by sharing behind-the-scenes happenings and rationales for decisions. And that was a mistake.
If we want our faculty to work as colleagues, learning and growing together, we need to model this by sharing and listening. Every teacher should have a monthly one-to-one conversation with an administrator. That doesn't have to be the principal (some schools are simply too large for that to happen). It could be an assistant principal or department chair. But each teacher should be able to share what's working, what makes him or her proud, and what is frustrating in an individual conversation. These dialogues are investments that can prevent issues from becoming problems.
Focus on Students
Many of our duties as administrators pull us away from why we became educators—working with students. So what about setting a resolution that focuses on students? You could plan to give a subset of students—the high-flyers or the kids in the middle—a bit more attention. Or you might resolve to attend to an area of nonscholastic growth. What if your resolution were to develop grit or empathy among students? Why not tie this to your communication resolution? Imagine sharing this student-related focus, explaining your rationale, and inviting teachers to join you in creating strategies to reach this group or develop that attribute. This sounds like even more fun than a dessert at every meal!
Take Care of Yourself
This is an ambitious resolution, I know. But one thing that's clear to me from talking with principal after principal is that the job doesn't get any easier. No matter our successes, there are always new and higher goals; no matter how much time we spend, more tasks clamor for our time. And a big part of our job is to tend to others' needs. So resolve to take care of yourself. Running a school is a marathon, not a sprint, and you don't serve anyone well if you are too stretched or too overwhelmed.
There is much about our jobs that we cannot control. But we can resolve to control ourselves. We might delegate more to others, make time for taking a breath and relaxing, or just appreciate when we can accept excellence rather than pushing for perfection. Realistically, principals don't need to be the first to enter and the last to leave the building every day. What if you picked a morning or afternoon when you would be at school for one hour less and used that time for your own growth or relaxation?
Share It!
A resolution that isn't shared is just a hope. If you really want to achieve your new school year resolutions, leave your comfort zone and share them with your staff (and maybe even with your students or their parents). Doing so creates a bit of accountability. And it opens the door for others to make their own resolutions and join you in pursuing yours.
So what are your resolutions? I'd love to hear from you.
