What is it that principals do over the summer?
It seems a mystery, with no students and teachers in the building...what in the world could the principal possibly be doing inside those walls? During the summer months while school is out, school is really beginning. As quickly as the year ends and the checklists for closing the year out are met, the new year is already underway. It is a time for finalizing the schedule, sending out transcripts for recent graduates, finalizing review of handbooks from the suggestions for changes throughout the year, ordering supplies in preparation for the upcoming school year (as the new budget opens on July 1), hiring, preparation of classroom changes, and sending teachers and administration to a variety of trainings and meetings to prepare for new policies and procedures for the upcoming school year. Teachers are in and out as they prepare to make adjustments in their unit/lesson plans and redesign their rooms to accommodate their new ideas and learning for serving Next Generation Learners.
The most important focus for principals over the summer is recharging. Principals are a different breed, it is the planning and designing for the upcoming school year that brings summer fun, but it is the students who really make us thrive. I often find myself missing the students about two to three weeks into summer as I am planning for their upcoming year and the challenges we are facing. This is a perfect opportunity to have the students in the building for input and planning. By the middle of July, they are beginning to think about school and with a little advertising and encouragement you can generally recruit at least a handful of students who are willing to come in and give feedback on ideas. Student voice is a powerful tool that when implemented correctly can be fruitful in overcoming a variety of school barriers through empowering students.
This summer has been jam packed to date. Last week I had the privilege of attending the Model Schools Conference in Orlando with a team from our school/system. The experience offered a variety of sessions around Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships all critical components of successful school environments. It was encouraging to validate the work currently being pursued and learn new ideas on how to achieve the highest levels of success in a variety of realms. Most of the presentations were provided by schools around the country who were willing to share their initiatives to improve their own schools through insight on what worked and what did not. This was helpful and provided me the opportunity to reflect on how to improve my own practices. Taking our team was beneficial as the most valuable component from the experience was our learning and conversation that multiplied after each session. Building capacity accomplished.
The summer allows administrators to focus on a few of their own needs in order to be at the top of their game when the new year begins:
The work inside a school never ends and requires continuous growth as the education profession moves at warp speed to meet the needs of our Next Generation Learners. Here is to a great summer of growth and preparation for the upcoming school year!
The most important focus for principals over the summer is recharging. Principals are a different breed, it is the planning and designing for the upcoming school year that brings summer fun, but it is the students who really make us thrive. I often find myself missing the students about two to three weeks into summer as I am planning for their upcoming year and the challenges we are facing. This is a perfect opportunity to have the students in the building for input and planning. By the middle of July, they are beginning to think about school and with a little advertising and encouragement you can generally recruit at least a handful of students who are willing to come in and give feedback on ideas. Student voice is a powerful tool that when implemented correctly can be fruitful in overcoming a variety of school barriers through empowering students.
This summer has been jam packed to date. Last week I had the privilege of attending the Model Schools Conference in Orlando with a team from our school/system. The experience offered a variety of sessions around Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships all critical components of successful school environments. It was encouraging to validate the work currently being pursued and learn new ideas on how to achieve the highest levels of success in a variety of realms. Most of the presentations were provided by schools around the country who were willing to share their initiatives to improve their own schools through insight on what worked and what did not. This was helpful and provided me the opportunity to reflect on how to improve my own practices. Taking our team was beneficial as the most valuable component from the experience was our learning and conversation that multiplied after each session. Building capacity accomplished.
The summer allows administrators to focus on a few of their own needs in order to be at the top of their game when the new year begins:
- Rejuvenation of the mind, body, and soul...the older I get the more I have come to realize the true need for this component.
- Reflection on the previous work and solidifying what worked, what didn't, and next steps. I spend lot of time beating myself up for what I could have handled better, but I also know that this is a learning process for me as a leader as well. No year is the same.
- Read material that fuels your passion and meets your learning needs. Education is undergoing change and the lack of engagement in the most up to date information prevents us from achieving the very best for the students and teachers we serve.
The work inside a school never ends and requires continuous growth as the education profession moves at warp speed to meet the needs of our Next Generation Learners. Here is to a great summer of growth and preparation for the upcoming school year!
Comments
Post a Comment