“It turns out that when you present people with reality, they want to get better.” – Laszlo Bock
One of the biggest hurdles to growth is not having a clear picture of reality. If we are blissfully unaware of our need to change, we probably won’t.
That’s why creating a culture of feedback is so important in schools.
As a school leader, it is up to you to make sure the people on your campus understand that feedback represents an opportunity to grow instead of feedback representing some type of indictment.
As we are preparing for teachers to come back to our campuses in the next few weeks, start thinking about how you can establish a culture of feedback and growth on your campus.
Now let’s get started.
The Good Stuff
1. Avoid these 3 pitfalls as a new assistant principal
Being a new assistant principal is tough. There are many pitfalls that you can easily fall into, but with a little bit of awareness, you can set yourself up for success. Check out this article to see how you can avoid 3 really big pitfalls.
2. 5 Educator tips for creating a culture of feedback
Giving and receiving feedback, whether that’s to or from students or in between colleagues, is an important part of the work we do. Not only do we have to get better at it, but we have to create a culture where it is welcomed and expected by all.
3. Rebalancing Teachers’ Job Demands
Teachers are simultaneously experiencing increasing job demands and decreasing resources. That’s a big part of the reason why they are pouring out of the profession. As school leaders, it is our job to help put things back in balance.
On The Move…
This week, we get to congratulate another member of the New School Leader community!
Congratulations to Dalton Watson who just landed his first assistant principal position at Pine Level Elementary School!
We are especially excited for Dalton because he is our very first coaching client. He is going to do big things, and we are so glad we got to be part of his story!
We want to celebrate your successes with the rest of our community. Just let us know about your new role by contacting us here or tagging us on social media, and we will be sure to recognize you in the next newsletter.
What’s The Team Reading?
Brett is reading “Trust and Inspire” by Stephen Covey
I am currently on the cusp of reading “Trust and Inspire” by Stephen Covey, and I am excited to get into the meat of the subject matter, which is leadership from the perspective that people are already “creative, collaborative, and full of potential” and that leaders should inspire their people to become their best version of their selves. I am excited to learn more about how to tap into the potential of those we lead and serve!
Kelsey is reading “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott
At this point in the book, Kim is diving deep into the “Get Stuff Done” (GSD) wheel. In the execute phase, she talks about keeping your fingernails dirty as a leader. What she means is to continue to make time to get in the trenches and do the work. For us, that means getting back in a classroom and listening, feeling, watching, and learning about what your teachers are dealing with. This shows great humility on your part and that you’re actually interested in learning from your people. Word of advice from Kim: don’t abandon your other responsibility to do this; integrate the two. Block that calendar off to get those fingernails dirty!
Lute is reading Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown
I didn’t really know what I was getting into when I picked this book up. It’s not what I was expecting after reading “Dare to Lead,” but I am so glad I am reading it. Breńe spends the entire book exploring 87 different emotions and experiences, so we can understand and make sense of our own emotions and experiences. For example, I just read about this, and it resonated with me deeply. Maybe you can relate: You are a grinder. You go over the top to make sure things are done “right,” and you take pride in doing everything you can to produce top-quality work. You get resentful when other people are not willing to put in “enough” work. They turn in work that’s “good enough,” or they take breaks or even go home before the job is done. You would never do that, and their willingness to “half-ass” it makes you resent them. Like Breńe, I used to think that my resentment came from my anger, but now I understand that my resentment comes from my envy. I am not mad at that person’s willingness to be ok with imperfect work or their willingness to go home and rest. I am mad at my inability to do those things. Breńe says, “Your lack of work is not making me resentful, my lack of rest is making me resentful.” The 2 pages in which she explains resentment hit me over the head like a ton of bricks. It made perfect sense to me. I’ve had a couple of moments like that so far in this book. Being an administrator brings about all kinds of emotions and experiences. I’m excited to finish this book in the coming weeks because I think it will help me make better sense of those experiences.
Meanwhile on Twitter…
Who are you promoting when you speak?
— The New School Leader (@New_School2020) July 11, 2022
Yourself or your people?
Who gets the credit?
“We have a strong bias against leaders who champion themselves: people who use ‘I’ far more than ‘we’ and focus exclusively on what they accomplished rather than how.”
– Laszlo Bock
I asked a school principal, a football coach and business leader when their team became great. They all said… when we served each other instead of ourselves. WE before me!
— Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11) July 12, 2022
📷 page 107 from “The Power of a Positive Team” 📖 pic.twitter.com/AUAuwRaTHC
8 Lies About Leadership:
— Stephen Mackey (@MackeySpeaks) July 12, 2022
Leaders must be LOUD, TALENTED, & POPULAR.
Leaders must KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS & PUT PEOPLE DOWN.
Leaders can’t have BAD DAYS, MAKE MISTAKES, or SHOW WEAKNESS.
4 Truths About Leadership:
Leaders SERVE
Leaders LOVE
Leaders GO FIRST
Leaders COMMIT & CARE
Final Thought
Teachers will be back on your campus before you know it. As you are preparing all of the pre-service activities, make sure you are doing some of the heavy lifting when it comes to leading professional learning.
Sometimes administrators want to let their instructional coaches or their team leaders lead all of the professional learning before school starts because “it’s good for teachers to hear from their colleagues who are getting it done in the classroom.”
That’s absolutely true.
However, it’s also good for them to hear from you. When you demonstrate your competence, you build their confidence in you.
You don’t have to be the start of the show. In fact, I would discourage that. However, I highly encourage you, as an instructional leader, to put yourself out there in front of the teachers on your campus. Your teachers need to see you there.
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