For most people, January is the only time of the year that they stop to consider the past year鈥檚 triumphs and challenges and make resolutions for a new year. As educators, we鈥檙e fortunate to have two times per year to engage in such reflection: January and July.
We reflect in January like everyone else, but after the close of another year, we have the chance to engage in a reflective process once again. Whether it鈥檚 a good-bad-ugly, plus-minus-delta, or rose-bud-thorn approach, we have several choices for how to reflect.
What鈥檚 something you鈥檝e done in the past two weeks that you鈥檝e been proud of and what鈥檚 something that hasn鈥檛 worked yet? When I ask my staff these questions, they can be difficult topics. It is the 鈥測et鈥� part that I have always found the most opportunity for growth. I encourage my teachers to do the same. If we can acknowledge that we are not perfect, then identifying areas for growth should be a reasonable next step.
In this biweekly column, principals and other authorities on school leadership鈥攊ncluding researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals鈥攐ffer timely and timeless advice for their peers.
Over the years, I鈥檝e found that people resist change鈥攐r at least being asked to change. We鈥檙e comfortable with who we are and what we do, unless something causes us to pause.
Consider your morning routine. How often does it vary? The alarm wakes you. You jump in the shower, brush your teeth, get dressed. Rinse and repeat. You don鈥檛 really think about 鈥渨hat to do next.鈥� You just do it.
If we aren鈥檛 careful, the same thing can happen with our careers. We just 鈥渄o it鈥� from day to day, and before we know it, one day becomes one month, which becomes one year and then 10 years. Before we know it, our careers are coming to an end, and we may have missed the opportunities to grow if we weren鈥檛 being intentional about evolving.
Here鈥檚 the great news: It鈥檚 not too late! If you鈥檙e reading this article, you鈥檙e likely still working for a school division. You still have time to stop, reflect, evolve.
The challenge? Doing the heavy lifting of change can be scary. 鈥淚f I try this new strategy, it may not work. The staff may see that I make mistakes. The teachers may see that I don鈥檛 always have the right answer.鈥�
Even if you try something new and fail, there are several other reactions your staff may have about you. 鈥淢y principal tries new things. If it鈥檚 safe for him to do that, then I鈥檓 going to try something new in my class.鈥� Or: 鈥淪he isn鈥檛 perfect after all. The fact that she showed her 鈥榟umanness鈥� means I can, too.鈥�
You may be wondering where to even begin this process of growth. Without realizing it, you鈥檙e already engaged in one of the easiest ways to identify areas of growth: reading professional literature like Education Week! There are countless ideas that I鈥檝e gained over the years that have helped me either improve a weakness or evolve an area that was 鈥渁verage.鈥�
Most recently in August of this year, I read an article in this publication about what principals carry in school. The article noted creative ways that principals carry their belongings around school, but the interview of the third principal was what stuck with me. That principal carried her items around in a clipboard that had a pocket on the backside. She put all her observation and desk essentials in there so she could avoid having to return to her office if an observation or meeting occurred on the spur of a moment.
That article focused on something that I regularly struggled with but didn鈥檛 realize how to improve. I鈥檝e always loved being in the halls to connect with students and staff, but I wasn鈥檛 always as efficient as I wanted. Instead, I was regularly rushing back to my office to collect my items before heading to the next appointment.
After reading that article, my efficiency has drastically improved. I am now able to attend both scheduled and impromptu meetings. In fact, I鈥檝e enjoyed the clipboard idea so much that I鈥檝e already purchased a 鈥渢hinking of you鈥� gift item for colleagues: a copy of the article along with their own clipboard. By giving my colleagues something that has helped me so much, I hope they鈥檒l enjoy that same level of improved efficiency.
Of course, there are always ways to improve. I thoroughly enjoy attending professional conferences and hearing the kinds of issues principals are working on and strategies they are using to manage them.
I also enjoy meeting with colleagues for collaboration and professional learning. After 27 years in this business, I still learn so much from my peers. Ideas like how to handle student prayer time during the school day, address students who want to protest a political issue, and create strategies for student misconduct. These are just a few of the recent issues that I addressed with my colleagues to develop management strategies.
My point is this: Reflecting on you, your growth, and your immediate future is akin to looking in the mirror. You see what you like and don鈥檛 like and adjust accordingly. I encourage you to put on a new you. Read professionally, attend conferences, and participate in professional learning communities. Give yourself the gift of reflection time so you can be at your very best for your students, staff, and parents.
Consider cellphones. They鈥檙e constantly changing, with new standard features every year. The newest smartphone of 2024 can鈥檛 offer the same features as even 2023 or else nobody will buy one.
If we used that same mentality in public education, we would feel the urge to find new ways regularly and persistently for our 鈥渟tandard features鈥� in school to be something new and exciting for our students.
