Principal & Mother

I am a writer...not a published, paid writer...but a writer nonetheless.  I have been writing for as long as I can remember for the purpose of reflection.  I have dozens of diaries and notebooks from the last three decades.  These pages have helped me process through every personal experience in life to help me gain clarity and grow.  So, this is my first encounter with professional reflection through writing and I decided to do it publicly.   

I strive for balance both professionally and personally, and continuously allow myself to be inspired in order to grow (and help others grow).  I stay balanced through regular workouts (Zumba is my current favorite), movie nights, and sleepovers with friends.  I stay inspired by reading, reading, reading (books, blogs, tweets).  I grow by stepping out of my comfort zone to try new things (today - blogging).  

I’m not sure what this blog will morph into, but I’m going to start where I am because that’s all any of us can do.

Principal & Mother

I am both a mother and a principal.  Today is Mother’s Day.  It is a reminder to all of us to treat our students as if they are our own.  I trust educators with my sons each day and the parents of our students trust us.

To treat our students as if they are our own means many things to me, but here are a few that exemplify my own mother and that I try to strive for everyday (as a mother and a principal):

Monitor, yet let them make mistakes have learning experiences.

Right now, this is much easier as a mother than a principal.  I have two sons (Brady is 8 and Henry is 5).  Their mistakes might be a trip to the ER, but they aren’t life altering at this point.  For my fifth and sixth grade students, their mistakes come in all sizes.  Regardless of the magnitude of the mistake, there is always learning on the other side of it.  The key is letting them know their decisions don’t define them and helping them understand the learning so they can grow from the “mistake” and turn it into a “learning experience”.

Listen, yet let them come to their own conclusions.

When students come my way for a behavior issue I start by saying, “help me understand what happened.”  It is amazing the truth that comes from their mouths when they are asked to share their side of the story.  It is also interesting how oftentimes the issue that got them sent to the office was because they felt misunderstood.  Once they feel understood, I ask them what we’re going to do about it.  This is the fun part!  Kids are so hard on themselves.  Some of them focus on how they’re going to make things better and some of them focus on harsh consequences.  Regardless, the key is to listen to all of it and work together on how things can be made better so there is a lesson learned.

Give of your time, and share your life experiences.

Students see us as their teacher, principal, coach.  They should also see us as real people.  How many times have you run into a student at the grocery store or mall and they are shocked that we grocery shop, too?!?  They sometimes think our only role in life is as their teacher.  Share stories about yourself to your students.  Be goofy if you’re goofy.  Share stories about your own children.  Definitely tell them stories about mistakes you’ve made, lessons you’ve learned, and goals you’ve achieved.  Our students (and our own children) need to connect with us as much as we need to connect with them.  

Most importantly, LOVE them!

I frequently tell my students I love them.  If I didn’t love my job, I wouldn’t do it anymore.  The students are my job.  So are the staff, and, yes, I tell them I love them too (because I do).  Even if you aren’t interested in uttering those words to your staff or students, show them.  Remember, actions speak louder than words.  When my son was three I asked him his favorite thing about his teacher.  He told me that she loved him.  I asked him if she told him - she didn’t.  He said, “I just know she loves me”.  I want our students to just know that we love them by our actions each day.

Stay balanced.  Be inspired.  Grow.