Lessons from the first four weeks #SAVMP

Four weeks on the job..... So, what have I learned? 

First off, time is a precious commodity.  Administrators have more to do than time allows and many on the campus want and need some of that time.  Therefore, a balance has to be struck so that staff feel supported, but important administrative duties are also completed in a timely manner.  I am still working on this balance.  I'm getting better, but I'm still spending too much time after school finishing up daily agenda items and planning.

Student discipline can make or break a beginning administrator.  One of my major roles as Assistant Principal over Student Management is discipline.  In this role, I have to investigate discipline referrals, listen to students tell their side of the story, and then determine consequences based on evidence.  In some cases, this is very simple as the student simply tells what they did. At other times, however, a deeper investigation is needed in order to get to the truth.  In some of these cases, there is more involved than was initially reported and extra time is required to sort through the details and come to a fair, but effective conclusion.  All of this can be time consuming and take time away from other important matters.  It is of the utmost importance that discipline management be addressed in a proactive, not a reactive manner if it is to be successful.  I am finding that, the more proactive I am, the less discipline problems I have to deal with.  At present, I am working on several projects with various committees to focus on positive behavior as well as get more parents involved on the campus.  Through this process along with continual relationship building, positive reinforcement, monitoring, training, and enforcement, I expect the number of discipline referrals to be reduced as the year continues.

Have thick skin.  At times, people will say and do things that don't make sense or are meant to be hurtful.  This is even more so the higher up you go.  So far, I have been called or at least insinuated to be a number of things I won't mention.  If I let it bother me, I wouldn't sleep at night.  But, I've determined that, when people say things that are hurtful, I will either listen and let them vent or stop the conversation and pick it up at another time when emotions have calmed down.  Either way, I have to stay in control of myself and recognize that most of the venom is not really directed at me.  I just happen to be the one who is there when it starts.  In addition, I would rather be the brunt of it than someone on staff. 

The more time you spend among kids, the less discipline problems you have.  On the days when I can be in the hallways and the classrooms, whether to observe or to simply interact, I've discovered that the number of referrals go down.  By being out and about, I am able to stop a lot of issues before they begin. Of course, my ultimate goal is to help students learn to self correct and take care of their problems before they escalate, in the meantime, this strategy works.

Listening is a key function of the position.  When I am out and about, I make time to stop and talk to students and staff as much as possible.  Often this is only cursory conversation, but every once in a while someone will open up and share their thoughts and concerns.  In  doing so, I am able to encourage them or maybe lead them in the direction of a solution.  I might also be able to stop a fight before it starts or get a new perspective on a problem.  In the office, I have to listen carefully to students, especially those who are in for discipline referrals.  Most times, they know that they have done wrong, but they just want someone to listen to them.  In doing so, we can often work together to develop a solution to problem behavior instead of simply apply a punishment.  Parents also need someone to listen to them.  They may be having the same problems with the kids that we are and are at their wits end.  In this case, providing a nonjudgmental listening ear may be just what they need.  As a classroom teacher, I didn't feel as though I had as much time to listen as I would have liked.  I had lessons to deliver and results to achieve.  Now that I'm in the office, I realize that, had I listened more, I might have been even more successful. 

Education is the greatest job on Earth.  Of course, I knew this already, but it is even more vivid now that I can see things from a broader perspective. As an administrator and leader, I get to influence the lives of hundreds of people both for now and potentially for years to come. How many other professions can make that claim?  At the same time, I realize the great responsibility that has been placed on me and my colleagues.  I must be prepared to do what is right for every child every day and ensure that each is able to be as successful as possible while under my watch.  What a great responsibility and privilege!!!!