I know I have previously shared my education information addiction with you. I have tried to get many of you to try out Twitter. I have talked about making connections with a PLN group (Professional Learning Network). I have shared blog posts written by other educators that I follow. My newest social media addiction? Voxer. It's like a free walkie talkie that connects me with principals across the country. I can record short messages and listen to messages from others. One of the groups that I am part of is called 'Work. Life. Balance.' And it is definitely a group I need! Recently, an elementary principal from Iowa who is in the same Voxer group with me, shared this post with our group:
20 Facts About Principals Every Teacher Should Know
There were several sections of this post that stuck with me, certainly some more than others.
#18...yep, this is definitely a stressful job. There are days where I think about going back to just being responsible for my own classroom. Or better yet, I think maybe it would be nice to become a toll collector. I am grateful to my Voxer group that is helping me figure out how to bring balance to my life. And you will probably be hearing more about what I am learning from our book chat about The Mindful School Leader.
#15...please, I hope that you can and will give me feedback. I don't always have the answer. I need to look at things from different perspectives. Just like our students, I am here to learn and grow.
#12...I became a teacher because I wanted to have an impact on the students in my class. I became an administrator because I wanted to have a bigger impact. The only way for that to happen is for me to keep challenging all of you to continually grow and improve.
#11...My husband will often ask me..."did you get your work done?" And my answer is always..."I got a lot done." The reality is that my work is never done. It is a demanding job, but it is one that I love and that is so worth it.
#9...Remember...I wanna marry mistakes!
#3...Yes, I am a slight control freak. Need to work on that. Especially since we have so many in our school that can be teacher leaders. Must. work. on. delegating.
And #1...I want all of our students and teachers to be successful. Being a principal is not an easy job ever. I never know what I will encounter each day. I have to make difficult decisions. I have to rely on data to help with decisions. I have to prioritize and work through my never ending task list. But the stress, the long hours, the workload...it is all worth it because I get to see students making progress, learning growing. It's all worth it because I get to see teachers making progress, learning, growing.
Why do I lead? Because I know I am making a difference one student at a time, one teacher at a time.
Currently reading:
I finished up the graphic novel, El Deafo. Let me know if you want to borrow it. I know it would be a great read for our 2nd, 3rd or 4th graders. I am currently working on Charlie Bumpers vs. The Teacher of the Year. And I am still enjoying reading The Mindful School Leader.
Events this week:
Monday - Picture Retake Day
Tuesday - Dr. Rodriguez visits FR in the am
Wednesday - Half day dismissal at 12:15, evening conferences, dinner provided by PTA
Thursday - Half day dismissal at 12:15, afternoon conferences
Saturday - Holiday Fair!
Great things I noticed last week:
- I caught some of our students studying the display in the lobby and grabbing some items from the cornucopia. Thankful that we have such giving students and staff!
- I walked into Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Smith's 4th grade class just in time to hear a lively debate sparked by something they had read in Scholastic News.
- Students were eagerly participating in morning meeting in Mrs. Robinson's classroom.
In my search for mindfulness...this Ted Talk is a step in the right direction:
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