Settling In

I'm not sure if anyone I know truly loves moving. It's stressful. Things break. You lose things. You live out of boxes. There is the anxiety of just not feeling settled. That being said, every time I have switched roles/spaces, I have found it somewhat therapeutic. There is definitely something to be said for purging unnecessary items. For digging through and sorting what you truly need.

In my most recent move, I am incredibly thankful for the extra time to settle in. The outgoing principal gifted me with 2 weeks to get in to my new office, unpack, sort, and just be in my new space. It allowed me to go through a period of "nesting" prior to jumping in on July 1. Once my official start date hit, I was able to comfortably work in my office, rather than be anxious about decorating and unpacking.

I'm a believer in making the principal's office a comfortable place to be. There are some very difficult conversations had there (as well as some super fun ones). Maybe it is for my own mental well-being, but I feel more comfortable and safe in a space that reflects that.

So....I walk into this.

It's a gorgeous space with some beautiful, natural light and HUGE pieces of furniture. It even came with a 4 foot tall stuffed giraffe ;) That being said, even when I taught in the classroom, I have never been a "big desk" person. I have always preferred to work at a smaller desk/table, leaving more room in a space for collaboration (example: small desk, but have a larger table nearby to meet with people). In my move, another thing that became painfully obvious is that I have LOTS of books. Like, 6+ boxes full (insert head slap). Professional books, inspirational books, kids books....While this space had lots of furniture, it didn't have enough bookshelves for me. I moved out the behemoth piece in the front left of the picture (cabinets and file drawers), and replaced them with two bookshelves (one tall, one short). Thank you, Target, for having awesome, easy to assemble ones!

I also wanted to turn the small table into a whiteboard table. Kate and I used to do this to many tables in our classroom. When I became a principal, I converted the table in my office, too. You can read about that office makeover HERE. It was a focal point of the space. Kids LOVED to draw on it. I used it when processing with kids or designing behavior plans with them. It kept younger siblings occupied when meeting with families that didn't have childcare. The list goes on. So, moving in here, I got permission to do the same thing.

It's a simple process. You can get the supplies at any hardware store. I got mine at Home Depot for less than $20. We have always used the Rustoleum brand, and have found it to be easy and durable. Steps to follow:

1. Rough up the surface some (I used a 180 grit sandpaper). Clean/dry
2. Coat with a water-based primer. You might need two coats if it is a dark table. Use a dense, foam roller, to prevent "roller lines". Let primer dry overnight.
3. Mix the two cans in the Rustoleum box. It is an epoxy paint, so you have one hour to paint once you mix the two cans. You MUST use a dense, foam roller.
4. I do three coats. I give it about 5 minutes in between.
5. Once you are done, you must wait 3 days for it to "cure" before you write on it. 

If it wears/chips over time, you simply sand it down, and recoat the table. I was in my last office for 3 years, and never had to redo the table. When we were in the classroom, we redid them every 2 years (but we did have 50 kids using them DAILY). It still is way less inexpensive than buying the white board tables that are out there.

After days of unpacking, painting, and decorating, I am so pleased with how my new office turned out. It feels like "home", and I'm excited to welcome kids/families/staff to it.

One of my favorite picture books is Where the Wild Thing Are. My first year teaching (a gazillion years ago), my husband got me the figurines on the shelf. I added the artwork when I moved into my last office.

One of my favorite kid chapter books is Wonder. "Choose Kind" is the most simple, yet effective "rule" I ask EVERYONE to follow (kids and staff). The lower bookshelf is filled with kid books. I often lend them out to students, or smaller siblings pour over the picture books while I meet with their grown ups. The taller shelf is all professional/inspirational texts. The giraffe is just plain awesome and came with the office (giraffes are my favorite animal...how serendipitous is that?)

The "collaboration corner". Multiple white board spaces and a TV screen to project my laptop on to. My new AP and I were already doing a "brain dump" on the board this week!

What do you think? Wanna come hang out and collaborate with me here? You're welcome anytime! I'd love to see your "home away from home" spaces!

Yours in Settling In,

Angela

Personalized Notebook Nerdiness

I will admit...I'm sort of a geek about notebooks and planners. And pens. And stickers. And notepads. And pretty much anything else like that!! (come on, educators...I know I'm not alone:)

So, in leaving my previous district, my amazing PTO gifted me with an Erin Condren gift card! EEEEEK! My paper/planner loving heart did a happy dance. Not to mention the fact that they recently came out with a Wonder Woman collaboration (say, what?! Those that know me well, KNOW that I couldn't resist these goodies!)

Check out these lovelies that I had to own:

Seriously....I now own a Wonder Woman pen bag! All educators know how important the "perfect pen" is, and now I get an awesome bag to tote them around in!

You can find these and more on Erin Condren's site. Seriously....How could I not?? I even got a notebook divider, markers for it, and a fun, faux-leather notebook to write recipes in.

The gem of my finds comes from a new site to me, Plum Paper. Friends, you can create a completely customizable notebook or planner!! It is like Erin Condren on crack! I have always admired Erin Condren's planners, but they never worked for me, as a principal. They are definitely more teacher-driven. Enter Plum Paper!

I used to be a paper calendar gal (raise your hand if you still are??). For many years, in fact--long after the invention of Google. Special thanks to those close to me (ahem...Kate...and my husband), I moved into the digital age. That being said, I still take all my notes by hand. I used to have notebooks for everything. One for meetings. One for behavior. One for my contact log, etc. Last year, I explored making my own custom notebook through Blue Sky. I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, this year, it didn't seem to be an option again. Plum Paper was recommended through one of the principal Facebook groups that I belong to. It is an educator's dream! When you think "customizable", this is truly customizable! You can change the wording on every page layout! For me, I was able to combine all of my needs into one, beautiful notebook (with a few fun extras!) The largest sections are two, separate "NOTES" sections. I used a DOT GRID for the largest section. This is the one in the front. I will use that for meeting notes. I'm a doodler and a diagram maker. I love dot grids for this purpose. The second notes section, I chose LINED pages, and I will use that for my behavior notes. I typically do narrative writing when meeting with kids. That one is in the back. In addition to the basic note pages, there were all sorts of extra goodies to choose from. Check out the ones I chose below.

The first part has special date pages. Great for those appreciation days and staff birthdays! The back holds a 2-sided pocket to store loose papers. The tabs are colorful and easy to ready.

Other fun pages are the Parent communication, the To-Do section, and the COLORING pages (yes, you can add in mindful coloring!!!) The tab for my communication section reads "My Class"--in hindsight, I'm not sure if I could have changed that or not. I clearly would have wanted it to say "Contact Log", so I will put a piece of label tape over that tab name.

I have already started filling my "to-do" list section with ideas/needs for my new job. I officially start next week, and I can't wait to use this to keep me organized! Building it took time, but it was worth it in time and price (in my humble opinion). Maybe someday I'll switch to digital note taking, but until then, I might as well take notes in style!

If you want to learn more about Plum Paper, here is a video on how to personalize their planners/notebooks. I found it super helpful when starting out.

How do you stay organized? Would love to learn from you!

Yours in Notebook Loving Nerdiness,

Angela

Making the Move

In January, I made the tough decision to find a new "principal home" for the 2020-2021 school year.

There are 1,000 reasons for this decision. Some I can share here, and others...well, those reasons don't need to be publicly displayed. But for me, in my gut, I realized it was time for a change.

For the last year, I have had some pretty low moments. It has not been professionally easy, to say the least. Not that any job ever is. I'm not naive. I absolutely recognize that the "grass isn't always greener." Every where, every place, every system has their own issues to work through.

That being said, this year felt different. I wasn't fulfilled. I wasn't blogging. I wasn't on Twitter. I wasn't pouring over readings/blogs to learn and grow. I questioned my calling. My purpose. Should I even be in education anymore? I even looked up other vocations, such as driving truck.

At the end of the day, a wise mentor once said to me "Sometimes, you need to go to grow." 

So, I began my search. I wasn't expecting to find a perfect fit right away, and I certainly had no idea what would happen to the world a short time later.

But there it was. The stars aligned. Connections were made. There was a lot of reflection, questions, conversations, and prayer. And in February, I made the commitment to move to the New Berlin school district. Starting July 1, I will be the new principal of Ronald Reagan Elementary School.

At the time, there was this overwhelming sense of relief. There was also excitement--dreaming of what could be. Then, the anxiety/dread crept in. Oh gosh...now I need to tell my current staff!! What will that be like? How will it change our last trimester together? What will the parents think? How will my students react?

In late February, I told my staff. I didn't think I would cry, but alas, I was a blubbering mess. Again, when done, a huge weight was off of my shoulders. I had huge plans for our last trimester. I was determined to set us up for success for whomever would take my place. 

Enter March 13th. The day our world "stopped" in Wisconsin. COVID-19 caused our state to shut down for the remainder of the year. We didn't know it would be our last day together. I didn't know that the days before would be the last time I would see some of the students in person. All of my plans for our trimester left together were tossed out the window. We pivoted. We worked diligently to stay afloat. We dug deep, and moved forward.

The trimester ticked away, and it felt like in a flash, we were in June. Official goodbyes were about to be under way, and I was scrambling to try to wrap up year-end items to assist in the transition.

I can't quite explain the feeling of having a foot in "both doors." Navigating this kind of change of closing up one school and entering another. Not to mention the fact that all of this is occurring during a global pandemic. Surreal is the only word that seems to fit.

People often ask me, "Would you still have applied elsewhere had you known the shut down was coming?" That's hard to answer. I try not to live in hindsight too much, only for reflection. I am honestly not sure. In my head, the total unknown that we are all facing might have prevented me from taking the leap. That fear of unknown is real. My own anxiety is real. And we are certainly living in a black hole that we cannot see through yet. In my heart, I'd like to think I would have. 

Goodbyes are always hard. But the hardest for me right now is not getting to say goodbye to the students. I don't deal well with non-closure. I feel like everything about this school year has been left unfinished, including my departure. Not saying goodbye to these kids that I adore keeps me up at night. In the meantime, I'm working with my replacement to *hopefully* be able to host a "Popsicles with the Principals" for later this summer. It could be a true transition point of closure. "Goodbye" to me, and "hello" to my replacement. I think we will all need a "restart" for this upcoming year.

One of the other interesting things about a transition like this is who comes out of the "woodwork" to share things with you. In my role, sad to say that people don't typically show up in your office to tell you that you are doing a good job. It can be quite lonely and hard to tell if what you are doing is making a difference or impact. The amount of kind words that have been shared with me in these last few weeks has been humbling. You always *hope* you are making a difference. For me, one of my priorities has always been relationships with kids and families. That has come out loud and clear with the heartfelt messages I have received.

My amazing PTO also left me with this parting gift. I made the mistake of seeing the email while in a meeting, and opening it on the way to my car in the parking lot. Needless to say, I was a sobbing mess, sitting in my car, watching this beautiful gift.

In addition, they sent me a Dropbox file FULL of additional images/videos that they couldn't fit into this video. I also got a beautiful e-card full of the sweetest messages. My heart overflowed with the appreciations that were shared. It truly speaks to the power of appreciation. I wish I would have known how some felt sooner. I wish I would have heard nice things more along the way. Appreciations truly make a difference. I will forever cherish this gift and these kids.

Blessed. In my reflection, I cannot get over how blessed I have been. It was an honor to lead these kids for the last 3 years. It was an honor to watch many of them grow up before my very eyes. It was a gift to learn alongside this community--the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful moments. At the end of the day, at the end of my time here, I believe that I am a better educator due to my time in Shorewood.

And now, I move on. I move on with the memories, the learning, the relationships, the mentors, and the friends. I am more than I was 3 years ago. I am better. I am ready for new beginnings.

Yours in Learning,

Angela

"Virtual" All School Read

In my three years in my current principal position, we have held an "All School Read" event. It is similar to the "One School, One Book" movement. It is an anticipated event by all families that includes months of planning for the book and a fun rollout for our students/families. We also work hard to try to include diversity into our book selections. We want students to experience the "mirrors, windows, and sliding doors" of the books we share with them.

Based on multiple researchers. Image and more found in THIS BLOG.

Mirrors to see themselves in text, windows to see into another world, and doors to walk through alongside the book's experiences.

There are committees and multiple books read as part of our selection planning process. This year, we had selected Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. It is a touching story about a young girl that is Deaf. She learns of a whale that swims alone, because he cannot communicate effectively with any pod.

We create schedules and trivia questions/prizes for each week of reading. There is also a website (link to this year's) with additional information about the author/book/influences. Teachers read various chapters and video themselves, which are also housed on the website. We typically culminate this school-wide activity with a "Family Reading Night" during our "screen free week." This is an evening when families can come to the school to engage in various activities surrounding our book. We always offer a book swap (bring a book, take a book), craft activities, reader's theater, snacks, and more.

To make all of this happen, we used the Scholastic Dollars earned from our Book Fairs, and we distribute one book per household in our school, utilizing our "youngest/only" list. This year, we had over 450 books bagged up and labeled, ready for distribution.

Then, COVID-19 happened. Without warning, like so many others, our school was closed. Our students belongings still sit on tables and on coat hooks in the hallways. It's like a snapshot frozen in time in this big, empty building. Along with that closure, bags and boxes of family books sat. Waiting.

In conjunction with our amazing PTO and some strong teacher advocates/volunteers, we decided to move our All School Read to a virtual experience. What better way to connect during a time of crisis than around a great book? The big question then became "how do we get books in their hands?" Our district offers breakfast/lunch for any student under the age of 18 through our high school campus. So, I gathered all the books from our empty building and packed up my car.

I sat for two days in a freezing parking lot...it even hailed for part of my time! But the greatest gift was seeing the families and kids. We have been apart for so long, that actually getting some face to face (at an appropriate social distance) was a gift.

Instead of trivia questions, we decided to do online virtual responses. Each week, we created a Google Form that had a simple, yet thoughtful question connected to the chapters that would have been read up to that point. I then used a Name Selector Wheel (link to website I used), and the extension LOOM to create a video announcing the "winner." One was selected from each grade band each week. Our amazing PTO would then send them $5 gift cards to local businesses (ex: Culver's, Corner Bakery, MOD, etc.)

So far, it has been a huge success. We have heard from families that this time of connection has been very valuable. It helped to create a sense of "familiar" in an unfamiliar time.

What are some ways you are staying connected with your community during our shut down?

Yours in Learning,

Angela

The "New Normal"

I'm sure you've all heard the phrase by now..."Well, this is just our 'new normal.'" Well, frankly, I don't like it. Don't get me wrong, I've said it. We've all said it. But I think what I don't like is that we need to say it.

This has been one of the most challenging times in our world, nonetheless in the world of education. Families are home with multiple students and their own work stressors on top of it all. We are all expected to wear multiple hats, and as principals, a few more: spouse, parent, educator, leader, counselor, communication coordinator, bearer of all knowledge in the world, and everything in between.

The thing that weighs most heavily on me, and I'm sure every other educator out there, is that we are educators by nature. It is part of who we are. It is in our hearts. It never really "turns off." Being away from our students (and as building principals--our staff) kills us. We are social beings. Education is a social career. Isolation makes us nuts. To top it off, in my district, we never really got to say "goodbye" to them.

Add to that the compounded worry about our students and families, not to mention the worry surrounding our own personal families. It can all feel incredibly overwhelming. Are they safe? Do they have enough food? Are they simply on screens all day? Are they scared? Are their caregivers okay? So much is outside of our locus of control, and that makes us nuts, too.

Personally, I'm not sleeping well. I'm fitful. I'm fidgety. I feel like my own ADHD has kicked in tenfold. I tried using this time to read professionally and personally, and I by the time I get to the bottom of a page, I have already forgotten what I read. My head just isn't in it. It's subconsciously elsewhere and everywhere.

My ultimate goal right now, is to be as visible and present as I can. That is for my own family, my school families, and my staff. My staff get some sort of touch point each day. Usually via e-mail. We've also done a few Google Meet meetings to do some initial virtual learning planning. We are working our way up to a Zoom-eque staff meeting, where my plan is simply to just connect. We need to see each other's faces and be together in any way we can right now.

For my school families/students, I began with just a virtual check in. I wanted our youngest students to have some connection to me and to what is going on. Not all families have the language or ideas on how to explain this pandemic to their littles. I love the many school leadership FB groups I'm on, as that is where I found this social story that I shared in my video.

I am also e-mailing every student on their birthday to tell them I miss them. The emails back have been heartwarming. I miss them terribly.

I've shared a few other Facebook videos on our school page, and this week, we are kicking off our first virtual spirit week.

So far, it has been a success. I have collected all of the photos and put them in a Google Photos album. I shared the "view only" link with all families via email (to honor social media privacy of some families). Seeing their smiling faces, in the midst of the "far from normal," has brought us all so much joy.

In addition, I want to let my staff know that I appreciate them. They have stepped up to the plate in unbelievable ways. They, too, did not get to say goodbye to these sweet kiddos. They have taken on this steep learning curve of trying to figure out how to deliver remote learning in a non 1-to-1 district. We have staff members delivering devices to families, learning brand new digital programs on the fly, making personalized Special Education plans, scrambling to come together virtually, and so, so much more--all to meet the needs of their families. They do this, while also trying to take care of themselves and their own families. "Thank You" just doesn't seem to cover it, but I ordered THESE off of Amazon.

My plan is to send each staff member a personal thank you card. I know I could email these out...or text...or call...but there is just something about receiving a handwritten note. I have almost 100 staff members. The hand-cramps from writing will be worth it.

I'm going to try to blog a little bit more (clearly I've been distracted the last year+), as this will be a time that I will want to remember in the future. I, like many, certainly hope this is a one time event in our history. I don't want to lose my emotions or memories surrounding it.

Until then, I am trying desperately to embrace this "new normal," and make the best of it for my own kids, my school kids, and my amazing staff.

Be Well,

Angela

Scheduling Nightmare

Let's have an honest conversation about building schedules.

Did just reading that give you that feeling in your stomach? That pit of anxiety and stress welling up inside of you. Yes. That word can cause that effect for many people. Me, definitely being one of them.

When I started this job a year ago, I inherited a building schedule. I found the format it was created in impossible to read/follow. I'm such a visual person and *this* made my skin itch.

Yep. That is just the *start* of the multiple tabs showing the schedule in different ways. There was not just a one-page view to see it all at a glance. I had to flip between multiple tabs to try to figure out when people needed to be where. My *visual* brain was in overload, and I simply had a hard time looking at it, nonetheless, using it.

At the time, I was told to run with it, take notes, and plan to make changes for the following year. In hindsight, it was the best advice possible, as it allowed me to see things in action. I could not have *fixed* it or improved upon it last summer, when I hadn't seen a full year in the school. And, in truth, it is not that the schedule, itself, was awful at all. There were many parts of it that worked really well for staff. Reading it was just a beast.

So, towards the end of this year, I went on a mission to tackle this puzzle.

If any of you have ever taken on a building schedule, you can empathize with what a nightmare it actually is. We have 600 kids. I have 100 staff members. I have traveling teachers. I have a special that only falls once, every other week. I have grades 4-6 that have a different amount of specials than K-3 does. I also have multi-age teachers that teach 3/4! It was the worst kind of jigsaw puzzle.

So, I began with collecting feedback from my staff. I sent out a "hopes and dreams" Google Form, asking for their input.

That led to pages and pages of a spreadsheet responses to sift through. Many admitted that they did not have perfect solutions, but many of their requests/needs were understandable. The hard part is that not all could be perfectly honored. 

My main priorities were:

• 3 clean lunch/recess hours (this would be down from 5 different start times last year)
• Common planning time for single age teachers--EVERYDAY
• Common planning time for our multi-age partners to meet with their teaching partner DAILY, and with their age-group counter parts, multiple times per week
• Art at the end of the day for all 5th & 6th grade teachers due to an amazing partnership happening next year with a local art university
• Adding in an extra "guided study" (Intervention block" for our multi-age 1/2 students due to number of students in need

I needed to set the lunch hours first. The rest of the day would be built around that. 

Then, I moved on to a blank, visual slate.

I made a weekly template with my traveling teachers time blocked off. I also took into consideration our early release schedule on Wednesdays, as well as our "crew" time in our building (morning meetings, culture building time). I then printed this on legal-sized paper, so it was nice and big to scribble all over. Keeping my teacher's input and my priorities in mind, I started penciling things in.

I honestly think I went through about 15-20 different iterations of this hot mess. I'd get so far, then realize a mistake that threw everything off, and I'd have to erase a ton or simply start with a fresh sheet. But, being a visual person, it worked well for me. That being said, I quickly needed to upgrade my eraser ;)

I also made a page that showed exactly how many of each special each teacher needed each week. I checked them off, as I scheduled them. This allowed me to double check my work along the way, making sure I had enough for everyone.

I picked the project up and put it down countless times. It was a labor of....well...SOMETHING! ;) Certainly *NOT* a labor of love! Your brain can only handle so much, and then you felt like you were going to pitch the entire thing out the front window. But, eventually, I felt like I had a working iteration. At that point, I began filling in color-coded cells. A color for each grade level or teaching partnership set. 

Once I triple checked my work, I then created individual spreadsheets for each grade level. This allowed me to plug their "non-moveable items" into a week at a glance. This was critical for me, as it let me ensure that they all had large enough blocks of time to teach in. I remember being in the classroom and having weird 15 minute windows here or there, which broke up your day in odd ways. You couldn't really do much with those windows of time, and it impacted many things. I wanted to reduce that as much as possible for the teachers. 

I found many things to *tweak* by laying it out this way. I, then, fine-tuned the final schedule even more. The other benefit of this layout, is now my teachers can simply "plug in" what they are doing the rest of the blocks. I set permissions on each grade level tab so only they (and I) can edit their sheet. It then gives the entire building everyone's weekly schedules at a glance!

The final step, of course, was to share it with the staff. So far, only one minor error that was quickly resolved. Here's to hoping that it is an improvement for next year!

How do you do the building schedule? Have you tried those fancy online subscriptions, or do you complete it "old school" like me? Would love to learn from you!

Yours in Scheduling,

Angela

Mid-Year Reflection

It's February already? Seriously, when did that happen? If my blogging pattern is telling in any way, well, I've decided there is a reason for that! (and....now it is March when this is actually getting published...good grief!)

First and foremost, let's celebrate that we have survived half of the school year! My goodness, July seems like forever ago! Yet, here we are, over halfway done, racing towards the end of the year. I'd love to pause and use this time to reflect on the first half. The highs. The lows. The changes. The hopes. The "what's next" feelings of anxiety. This first year certainly has been a whirlwind so far, to say the least. But, honestly, I couldn't be happier. I still love my job!

I tried to put my emotions of the year so far into emoji form. I only completed the months so far, anticipating that in June, I'll finish the rest! Here is what I came up with:

Let's back up and take it month by month:

Holy Lord!! I'm starting this job. It is really happening. Now what? Honestly, I felt completely clueless in July. My school was virtually empty. I had no background knowledge to build upon. It was lonely. It was scary. Things that I am so glad I did:

• Made my office mine: It was a sort of "nesting" experience for me. It was a pretty sterile environment upon entering, so making it feel more like "home" felt great. I'm glad I did this in June/July, because I never would have had time, if I had waited.
• Met with every staff member: This time was so well worth every minute spent! I loved getting to know my new staff. I learned so much about my new school and about them--as people and as educators. 
• Planning: I felt like I was truly planning for the unknown. I guess, in hindsight, I was. I really was looking ahead to August and September, but couldn't see much beyond that yet.
• Establishing relationships with colleagues: I got to work closely and get to know my new administrative team. They were so kind and generous in answering my questions and making me feel welcome and supported.
• Downloaded some awesome checklists for the year. Being a member of AWSA was so helpful this year! Principal Principles also has some awesome ones HERE
• Bought a subscription to SMORE! It is a lifesaver for newsletters!!! I highly recommend. Worth every penny of the $79 a year!! I blogged about it HERE. 

Let the meetings begin! Wow, there sure were a lot of them in August! SO much to get ready for. It felt like July moved at such a snail's pace, and August felt like a whirlwind race to the finish line of the first day of school.  Between "Forms and Fees" and the ramp up to back to school, it was crazy. Crazier still was that even though I've been in education for almost 17 years, this felt like my very first FIRST day of school! I had never experienced "beginning of the year prep" in this way before. Things I am so glad that I did:

• Team-building activities with my new staff
• Took the "Managing to Lead PD" with my secretary...the BEST PD ever to help me start to organize my year, as well as establish my relationship with my admin assistant!!
• Showed them my appreciation for the work they were doing to prepare
• Stayed out of the way as much as I could
• Asked a TON of questions (what traditions do I need to know about, are there special things to do or plan for, etc.)
• Listen more than talk. Everyone had things they wanted to share with me. It was time to LEARN as much as I could!

Talk about starting the year on a HIGH! It was so full of energy and excitement. Everyone was in a good mood and most importantly, on their BEST behaviors! I remember thinking "Wow, this is great! I can *definitely* make it through this year, if it continues like this..." Little did I know.... ;)

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Visited every classroom--EVERY week for this first month! I left positive notes for teachers every time I was there. I blogged about it HERE. They were not used to a principal being in their space...EVER, so I wanted to make it as positive of an experience as possible for them.
• Spent time at every lunch hour and recess to establish tone and learn "hot spots" and kids
• Met with every classroom/grade level and had them help me write the playground/lunch room rules. I then turned them into big posters for EVERYWHERE. Teachers got a copy. Playground supervisors got one. Parents got them, too!
• Started and ended each day at the front of the school--greeting and saying goodbye to kids/families really helped develop relationships and rapport
• Made specific effort to find and start to get to know the "naughty list" kids that I had *heard* about. I wanted to start to build a relationship with them and catch them doing good. It was a great proactive move for the rest of the year.
• Continued to listen and learn as much as I could

October was busy. With parent teacher conferences and school board/district expectations ramping up, I started to realize the evening commitment aspect of this work. I felt like I was away from home...A LOT. This took some home adjustment. My amazing hubby and I had to find some balance and collaboration to figure out child care, etc. There were some growing pains this month around that. Behaviors with kids also started to ramp up. Remember my "naughty list" kids from last month...yep...the honeymoon was over for some of them. I am so glad that I started to build relationships with them early. It made those first discipline encounters that much better.

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Had open, honest conversations with my hubby about time commitments. We got MUCH better about our shared calendar and trying to plan ahead. It was critical to the success.
• Attended as many school events as possible. Being present and visible also helped establish and develop relationships with kids and families.
• Continued to try to catch the "naughty list" of kids doing good
• Dug deeper into my understanding of restorative practices
• Continued to spend time in classrooms and leave positive notes for teachers
• Read through every SLO and gave specific feedback
• Began my "Full" observations of my summative year teachers (I had 26 on summative this year!! aka Baptism By Fire)

Yep...this job is hard. The honeymoon period is long gone, and you are now moving 100 miles per hour--Every. Day. Observations consume your time, and you feel like you have less and less "fun" visits to classrooms. The countdown to the holidays is also beginning...wait?? I need to shop! Not just for my family, but for the staff, too! 

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Continue to schedule time for FUN visits to classrooms. I had my secretary block off times on my calendar to just BE with kids. I needed that positivity in my work life!
• Started to plan out what I was going to give my staff as an easy, inexpensive holiday gift. With a staff of 100, I needed to plan ahead. I ended up making my own version of THESE. I bought cases of flavored hot cocoa from Sam's. Candy canes and marshmallows!
• I wrote each of my staff members a personal thank you note for the week of Thanksgiving, telling them why I was thankful for them. I made them specific and meaningful. It was so well-received by everyone. Sometimes a simple, heartfelt note goes so much further than any other gift. Start EARLY! If your building is like my building...writing 100 notes is hard on the hand!!
• Muscled through more full observations

I remember when I was a teacher how ridiculous December was. Well, being a principal is a magnified version of that. It felt like simply survival mode. So much of my time was consumed by behaviors--and not just kid behaviors. Adult ones, too!! <sigh> Kids struggle with transition and change. Building up to a week+ of school off was exciting for some and dreadful for others. Being as present as possible was mandatory.

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Was as proactive as possible. I spent a ton of time...again...in the lunch room and on playground.
• Made clear, visible snow rules posters (no, throwing snowballs STILL isn't allowed with a new principal ;)
• Date night. I needed to start scheduling these with my hubby. I needed to *try* to find a little balance with work/home.
• Wrote personal thank you notes for every gift I received from staff, kids, and families.
• So much of this month was a blur....

Holy cow!! Half of the year is over! But that still means that we had 1/2 to go! We all came back rejuvenated and refreshed from winter break. There were some growing pains there, too, especially with behaviors transitioning back.

Things I am so glad that I did:

• Continued to be at every evening function that I could
• Wrapped up my full observations of summative year staff members by the end of January
• Got into classrooms as much as I could--just for fun kid time. K4 and K5 were particularly fun hot spots
• Took pictures of kids simply playing in the snow. I needed to remind myself from time to time about the joy of kids being kids. It helped ground me in why we do this work
• Did a mid-year review with my leadership team to look at our building plan and data, and made plans/adjusted goals for the remainder of the year

Again, just like in teaching, February is a draining month. The moral is low. People are tired. there are TONS of weeks until Spring Break (at least it feels that way). Tempers are a little high...with adults and with kids.

• Made an ice cream bar for staff for Valentine's Day
• Continued the tradition of "Fun Fridays" for kids/staff. Something fun every Friday in February (PJ day, Twin Day, game day, etc.)
• Dug into completing mini-observations for everyone. So. Many. Staff members.
• Attended a wonderful leadership conference in Chicago with other EL Education leaders. It was awesome to connect and get excited about future directions
• Began thinking about staffing changes. Retirements were announced. We also had to reduce a section in Kindergarten, so navigating those seas of change were tough
• Leaned heavily on my professional support network. They were so great with guidance and advice.

So...cheers to the end of the year! It will come fast and furious, no doubt.

Yours in Reflecting,

Angela