my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

Strategies to avoid #PrincipalPanic in the pandemic…it’s a thing.

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One little month away from the blog and literally everything has changed. What are you doing as a principal right now to help your people stay calm in this pandemic, while also taking care of you? I’m about ready for our structured, regularly stressful, typical work world to return. (Remember when STAAR test stress was the worst stress? Ugh. I miss those days!)

I’ve seen much on the Facebook or the twitters about what we “should” be doing or what “actually” matters right now. I’m just trying to not kick my children and husband out of the house, 🙂

That being said…I have seen some really good ideas come across and wanted to share some of what we’re doing with you…it’s definitely helping me stay sane and feel productive. There’s nothing worse than an unproductive enneagram 3!

 

Things I am doing for Amber:

  • waking up and working out, just an hour and a half later than usual
  • watching things I don’t usually have time to watch b/c I go to bed at 9pm like a 7th grader
  • walking the dog twice (TWICE!) a day
  • having a “schedule”…even if it’s a made-up in my head schedule that nobody knows about but me
  • eating snacks

 

Things I am doing for staff:

Taking care of my people is LITERALLY one of my favorite parts of my job, so not being able to get to them has been hard.

  • phone calls. ACTUAL voice calls to check in and say hi. I ask how they ARE, not what they’ve been doing. 
  • Sunday night motivation texts to teams, just an image or a gif
  • Keeping emails brief, supportive, and appreciative
  • Letting go of unreasonable expectations, just being REAL PROUD of a pivot none of us saw coming
  • Respecting that some are parenting, wife-ing/husband-ing, and teaching…all at the same time
  • weekly staff meetings, to see all the faces via google meet–trying to make these short, sweet, and involve something FUN!
  • I’m going to mail, as soon as the OCD fireman allows me to, one of these out to everyone

 

Things I am doing for lil’Wolves and families:

We are lucky enough to have an engaged community via social media, so I am able to utilize Facebook and know we’re getting exposure. Because I’ve read so much about the different ways Facebook links the algorithms of views and their feed, I know that the more engagement a post has, the more it is going to show up in people’s feeds. That means every time we post something, and we get a comment, the page comments back. This has raised the average view of what we’ve been sharing post-pandemic by 150%. Enlisting some of our professional staff who may not be as busy with our online learning has been a win-win for this strategy. 🙂

  • Coach Kyle, our PE coach, jumping in twice a week with fun workouts for Wolves
  • Read aloud each day at 9 am by a surprise guest reader (Alpha Phonics, ESL, Art…all our people want a turn doing this! Even our lunch lady signed up!)
  • Friday we go live with jokes on Facebook with our assistant principal and myself
  • Our music teacher plays the flute, sings, or has her son play the piano as she announces all the day’s birthdays
  • teachers are making posters/signs for us to share in a video, set to some sappy song I haven’t chosen yet 🙂

Anything that we do live, you could also just record and send links out!

 

What are you doing to avoid #PrincipalPanic right now?

I hope that you are modeling what it looks like to be calm in an absolute season of knowing nothing.

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It’s ok not to know. And if I could convey peace and assuredness to my people right now, then I can turn everything else off, and hopefully, communicate what is most important…which is that we’re going to be ok.

 

Thinking of you &

Technically, yours Amber Teamann

Are you thinking about your “next” big adventure?

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Our principal at Wylie High, Virdie Montgomery, is pretty great. He is someone who reflects regularly, praises often, and is always up for a good prank. One of my favorite things he shares is his thoughts on Facebook. This was a post of his from this past week that just made me stop and think. Mediums like this make me thankful so that we all can grow and learn from his voice and varied experiences. We should all have someone like that in our lives.

This semester, my superintendent has started an “Achieving Leaders” Facebook group. Its goal is to connect and grow leaders, both inside our district and out. I truly think its the casual conversations, the opportunities to share our stories, where growth can most easily occur. Principals of varying levels have joined us, sharing strategies that are both relational and transformational. It is practical and easy to apply, as a leader or even as a future leader.

If you’re interested in joining our group and learning alongside us, the link to join is here. We had an episode where we asked people to reflect and think about their stories. Virdie was a guest, as well as our Assistant Supt of HR, Mr. Winn.  We asked to reflect and share on their stories…and think towards their ending and what it looks like professionally speaking. Virdie’s answer was powerful…so powerful that I teared up. He then went on to share it on Facebook and with permission, I’ve shared it below.

Living the Dream! I don’t know what your dream is or when your dream formed. All I know is that we are all on the journey to get there. I live the dream each day, live in the present and am consumed by the present. The dream is not something that is always just over the horizon. It is right now. There are times when the journey is at the beginning but that journey is a part of the dream. There are challenges on this journey and there is a path to the dream we all must go down. Today is the most important part of the dream and it happens every single day. I have vivid memories of when I was in elementary school of wanting to be a teacher someday. Everyone who had ever mattered to me outside of family was a teacher. They had influence and power over me. They molded the very way I think and perceive things. I loved them in a way that was revered. They weren’t my friends….they were above that. They made me work.

They pushed me and they encouraged me without even knowing they were doing it. I could feel it. Even if they were disappointed in me I knew and felt that they knew I could do what they were asking. Disappointment is powerful. Truly, if someone is disappointed in you …that means they expected you to do better. If they were never disappointed in you that to me meant they did not think I could get there anyway. We are a product of our past. I never want to disappoint those that matter to me because that is one high expectation and it takes work. I wanted to teach and the journey there was long and it was not easy. I was living the dream even then because again…the journey is a part of the dream. I take pride in the journey that finally got me there and then I found that the dream was just a continuation of that journey began a long time ago.

Today, I ask if you are living the dream? Where are you in the journey and are you enjoying the journey and overcoming the obstacles that limit or hinder the overall dream? Sometimes the dream changes course but the journey continues. I choose to live this dream daily and I never want to disappoint so I give my best. Sometimes my best is not good enough and yet it somehow gives me a reward because as flawed as I am…it is the best I have to give. That is all we can do and for sure all we can expect of those around us …especially kids. If they are giving their best, how can I ask more of them than I can of myself? I want their best and I will love them regardless of the outcome because that is what I need in my own journey. In my mind, this all makes sense …written? I just don’t know…but I am giving my best every single day on this journey and I am blessed to be living the dream that began a long time ago.

 

Wherever your season of life finds you right now, I hope you’re living your best life.

I hope you’re excited about your present and see it as exciting as your future…that’s what I think Virdie was speaking to. I teared up when he said he couldn’t imagine his future being better than where he was right now. That’s how I want to live…knowing that where I am, personally and professionally, is fulfilling and makes me excited to wake up each day. Once you’ve joined the group, here’s the one I’m talking about, 🙂 

Join us over on “Achieving Leaders”. You’ll learn something each week…and we’ll all grow together!

Thoughtfully, thankfully &

 

 

 

 

 

PS: !!!

The Leadership Vault Reopens Dec. 1st!

Don’t miss your last chance this year to join over our inaugural 100 principals working together to level-up their leadership. We will reopen for a short period to welcome new members starting December 1st. Join the waitlist to get notified we are open before anyone!

 

Self care for principals…it should be a priority!

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We’re closing out October. You know…the month with 5,000 events and what feels like just as many days? The first armpit of the school year?

That October.

Recognizing that self care is probably at the bottom of your to do list (as it was originally on mine!) I decided I needed a way to make it a priority! Carving out time for yourself, whether you are a teacher or a leader, is crucial. We’re about to enter TWO important busy months where the focus is easily on those around us. The cliche line of not being able to pour from an empty bucket is a true one, friends. It’s important to remember that you need to take care of you, because honestly, as the leader, that’s not on the tip tops of your coworker’s minds. You make the big bucks remember? You’re usually the one care for those all around you!

My principal BFF Melinda Miller and I included a chapter in “Lead with Appreciation”How can you #LeadWithAppreciation? just on self-care. You have the seasonal ups and downs that our teachers do as well. The intentionality of taking care of yourself is just as relevant for you as it is for your staff/students. Self care isn’t just a trendy topic when it comes to SEL and our staff emotional well being. Burnout is a REAL thing. The pressure of our position is a REAL thing. 

“Self love is asking yourself what you need – every day – and then making sure you receive it.” – Unknown

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Sounds cute and fun, right? The last thing I have time for in the upcoming months is to add one more thing to my todo list, much less something that requires energy and effort to think and plan, right? But…putting ourselves first IS a necessity. And although our lives might seem crazy hectic enough, taking the time to care for ourself is going to aid in the effectiveness of you helping others. Even if it’s something as simple as…one of these ideas! I’ve created a 30 day “Principal Priority” idea checklist that I will be using in November. There are 30 days and here are 30 ideas! Most are free and easy…and all with the idea that you, admin, principal, or leaders of tiny humans, need to take a few minutes each day just for yourself.

 

How can you make self care a priority this month?

(Download your PDF to check off with me here!)

 

Is it possible to do a great job…in all the places and in all the ways- without sacrificing who we are or our sanity? I would certainly hope so. I do know, for a fact, that when I am able to carve out time to do things on the weekends, that I just do for the enjoyment of doing them, that Monday rolling around isn’t nearly as stressful. Self care can be as simple as adopting the mindset that within each day there should be something that makes your physical or mental health a priority. Not that means we can’t have ambitions! (Hello, #ennegram3 here!) It means that we realize for every yes we say to others, we potentially are saying no to ourselves and those who matter. We want to be the yes girl, or the I can do it all guy…but the reality is for the long term that is unrealistic.

Burnout can lead to poor decision making, stretched relationships, and tense campus culture. Nobody wants to work with (or for!) someone who forgets what it means to put themselves first. Being mindful of putting yourself first is the first step in trying to achieve that elusive balance we all seek!

Put YOU on your to-do list!

Allow yourself to put YOU on the todo list. I purposely didn’t pick specific “days” on that above chart because some of these ideas are perfect for the weekends and some are great for a random Monday where you need a smile.  Bottom line, we all need to make time to care for ourselves. Being able to do little things for ourselves is going to improve everything from our social interactions to our productivity. And which of those don’t we all need?

It’s ok to love yourself enough to try and balance out meeting the needs of those around you with your needs.

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That doesn’t make you selfish, it makes you self aware!

 

Calendar checking &

 

 

 

 

PS: Melinda Miller and I put a whole chapter on self care in our recent book “Lead with Appreciation”, if you’re looking for more ideas and context, you can buy your copy here!

How will you respond to a tough month?

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Dr. Maricela Helm is a principal peer of mine here in Wylie ISD. Each week we send each other our staff newsletters. It’s not for accountability purposes, or to show off, but because we each value the jump start we give each other. (We also try to meet once a month for lunch as a “mastermind” where we try to solve all the problems of the world.) I am super appreciative of her, her time, and her sharing!

I asked if I could share this months lesson blurb she sent to her staff because I thought it was so powerful.

It’s who we are.

Did you know the picture in the staff bathroom is of Prairie Chapel Ranch, the retreat home of President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush? I mean why put just any ol’ farmhouse picture in there?

Did you know the paper butterflies that adorn the front stairwell have the names of all 550 of our inaugural Eagles printed on their wings? Because when possible, we will work to make every action we take and decision we make just a little more special.

I do feel we are a special district and I know we are a special school. I have to be honest, In challenging situations I have thought to myself before – how might a typical or average school respond, now, how will we respond ?

In most cases we unite, we rise above, but sometimes in the most challenging situations even the best can slip. My friend Shari Halpin shared this as ‘admiring the problem’.

So, when we admire a problem, we give the problem itself time and attention: talking about it, sharing it, giving our time to looking at it like it as something we can only view from afar.

But cultivating a solution requires entering into the relationships and saying -“I have two choices: I can sit around talking about this problem, gossiping and complaining to others, making things even more difficult or I can engage in the relationships around me to create solutions.”

So the next time you hear the beginnings of a pot stirring… how did this get to be such a big problem?” or “Why do we always come back to this problem?” – – shake it up. Stop admiring the problem

Talking about problems like this in a team can be a way to bond — it’s you together identifying a common enemy. If you’re a team leader, it can be tempting when your teams have discussions like this, because uniting against a common problem is a quick way for a group of people to rally together.

However, a group of people discussing a problem does not make it any better. In fact, if nothing happens as a result of that discussion, all you’ve done is waste time. You’ve admired the problem.

What it takes to move past that is for someone to speak up and work to make it better.

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 That takes energy, courage commitment and follow through.

“So, what are we going to do about it?”

Is this problem something that you’re going to work to resolve, or are you going on to focus on the things that you can improve?

Instead of spending time bonding around a problem that you’re not going to solve, it’s more productive to unite around a common purpose.

Uniting around a common purpose… THAT’S who we are. We lift each other up. We help each other. That’s why I love our school family.

October can be a tough month… will it be for us? How will we respond?

 

As we head into what traditionally can be a challenging month, I hope that you are able to take some deep breaths and remember that we’re all in this together!

 

Thinking’ly &

 

 

 

Birthday book cart and #principalselfies

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What in the world did principals do years ago without the IG and FB groups of the world?

 

All the great ideas are ideas that people share that you can adapt, tweak, and make your own just make my principal world so happy.

 

For example, the great Jessica Gomez on IG shared her birthday book cart. She gifts every student at her campus, (and every teacher too!) a book on their birthday!

To make this work for my Wolves, I waited until we had our Scholastic book fair, and then used a considerable amount of points to let some of my teacher leaders choose books across a variety of levels and interests. (and yes, I even used points to buy the cart!)

I used book bins to sort and arrange on my cart. I have big vinyl plans to decorate the end to reflect what our goal is…for every student to find a book they WANT to read. I bought picture books, I bought comic books, I bought graphic novels. I bought books Pernille Ripp said I HAD to have and I bought #allthebooks Brad Gustafson said I needed.

I am ready.

My plan is to use our campus master list to announce their birthdays on the announcements, have them come down to the office, check their name off the list, and grab a book! Holiday birthdays will be delivered when we get back, and I’ll do summer birthdays before we leave!

I mean, really! Who wouldn’t want to choose a book from all these choices???

I’m going to add a sticker inside each with a birthday message, like so!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 - Instant Film Camera (White)

Now how could one “level up” the birthday cart?? What if you added PRINCIPAL SELFIES, for instance? What better way to let a student celebrate their special day with a mini pic of you and them and their birthday book?? This this mini camera was gifted to me,  Fujifilm Instax Mini 70 – Instant Film Camera (White), to instantly print out a mini pic! I saw this idea shared from the #momsasprincipals group, and as a result, I was hooked! This camera is relatively inexpensive and provides an instant keepsake for my Wolves. Win, win, win…

 

 

 

 

 

Combined, hopefully, all our Wolves will feel celebrated on their special day in addition to getting something new to read! Am thankful for a PLN that not only does great things but shares them out so that we can all celebrate those around us!

 

How do you celebrate your students and staff on their special day??

 

 

Selfies &