As we prepare for the start of the new school year, keep this at the forefront of your attention:
Don’t talk to teachers about self-care this year. They’ve heard that.
Every time you tell them that they need to “take care of themselves,” you are actually telling them they need to “save themselves.” Don’t do that.
Instead, focus your effort on creating a culture and a climate on your campus that will nourish and energize your teachers while also making them feel appreciated and supported.
Prioritize their well-being. That could be our most important job this year.
Before we get to the good stuff, we want to give a shoutout to the 43 incredible educators that decided to subscribe to the New School Leader Newsletter in July! We are so glad you are here!
If you still haven’t subscribed to the newsletter, you can do it right here.
Now, let’s get started.
The Good Stuff
1. Tell your school’s story, or someone else will tell it for you.
Messaging matters, and social media is an important tool in your toolbox. Whether you’re celebrating teachers and students on your personal Twitter account, or you’ve been given the task of managing all of the social media accounts for your campus, you will find something useful in this article.
“Leaders don’t wait for reasons to celebrate. They find them.” This is a short, but important read for all of us.
3. Five tips for new principals.
This was written with new principals in mind, but it 100% applies to new assistant principals. If you are a new AP, you need to adhere to these 5 pieces of advice.
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 “The Impact Cycle” by Jim Knight
Okay NSL, I’ve made a quick pivot to another book since we are back to work. Currently, I am reading The Impact Cycle by Jim Knight. While I have skimmed this book and implemented Impact Cycles in the past, I wanted to get a better grasp of the process. I have learned so much in the first half of the book that I’m confident that my coaching cycles will be vastly different this year. My biggest takeaway: let teachers identify their own goals (without any judgment from the coach), and support them through achieving those goals – no matter if you believe their goal is worthy or not. I can’t wait to work more closely and more efficiently with teachers this year to have a better and more lasting impact on student learning.
Lute is reading “Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard” by Chip and Dan Heath
I just finished reading Switch, and it is outstanding. A good friend of mine recommended it to me, and I had no idea how relevant it would be to our work as school leaders. How do we positively affect change in our schools? What factors do we need to consider when trying to move our people toward something new? The Heath brothers give us some incredible insights in this book, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Meanwhile on Twitter…
When you listen to your people, what is your purpose?
— The New School Leader (@New_School2020) July 23, 2022
Are you…
listening to “fix”
listening to “hear”
or
listening to “be with” them?
Get into a side-by-side posture and be with them in their concerns. If you are with them, solutions will come, AND they’ll feel supported.
Remember this as you prepare professional learning activities for your teachers in the coming weeks.
— The New School Leader (@New_School2020) July 27, 2022
“It’s a better investment to deliver less content and have people retain it, than it is to deliver more hours of “learning” that is quickly forgotten.” -Laszlo Bock#WorkRules
Final Thought
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our newsletter. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve hopefully found at least one thing that will make you better the next time you step into your school building. If you found any value here, please share it with someone else who might find it useful. We want the New School Leader to become the premier resource for new and aspiring school leaders, so help us spread the word.
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