This post is cross posted from Connected Principals.
I met with a colleague yesterday to discuss our upcoming presentation for the Texas ASCD #Ignite13 on leveraging social media as an administrator for your staff, students, and families. He is a secondary principal who has recently been promoted to an area director in our district, so I feel like I was in the presence of a celebrity, 😉
As an elementary AP, it was interesting to hear his high school gems. The things that are SO important to elementary teachers and our climate are totally different than his. I found myself writing down several of the things he said, as just a reminder that there is a BIG picture out there. I think in my elementary world that gets lost.
My favorite line is from a discussion he had with a teacher over a scheduling decision that he was unwilling to be flexible on. (His policy made it easier for ALL students to get the credits needed to be successful and not be penalized for wanting to do extra-curriculars throughout the school year.) He told the teacher that he was here for the students. He was a STUDENT principal, not a teacher’s principal. He made his decisions on what was best for the students, not for the convenience of teachers. It made me think of the powerful piece I read from Jimmy Casas over the weekend, Front Porch Leadership.
Our job is make all of the adults that come in contact with our students have that kind of mentality, that we are truly here for the students. Their success, their self worth, their future. Inspiring others to WANT to be that way is my goal for the 2013-2014 year.
note taking,
Amber
Amber,
“He made his decisions on what was best for the students, not for the convenience of teachers. ” Sometimes I think we get lost in that the schedule should fit what we want to do. I know that happens to me as a teacher when I’m handed something that makes so sense inside of my own ideas. However, when it comes down to it, we need to be making schedule, educational decisions, heck decisions as a whole based on what he said: what was best for students.
Thanks for stretching my thinking a little bit today, Amber!
Darin
I always appreciate this perspective. My job as principal was to show up each day and do my best for kids. Period. I got some flack for that- from teachers, mainly. What about them?! Well, of course teachers deserve our time and attention just as our students do. And by working with teachers and supporting them daily, principals do what’s best for kids. It’s a narrow view to assume a principal who makes decisions in the best interest of kids is neglecting the adults in the community. Sometimes what is best for the child is not convenient for adults, that’s just a fact. Thanks for reminding us 🙂