Skip to main content

Yes, No, Wait #SAVMP

As a new administrator I keep wondering, "How can I do all that needs to be done in the hours that I have? Is it possible to get everything done? How do others do it?" Late hours, lack of sleep, and paper work seem to pile up. I am sure that many of you have been in this position at one time or another.

Making lists, scheduling activities, and doing work during non-student hours are great strategies but, in the end I was still unable to achieved all that I set out to do by the end of the day. I then decided to refelct on how I spend my time. I quickly realized that I was becoming a "Yes-How-Can-I-Help-You-Right-Away-Leader". This was the main reason that I was not achieving my daily goals. I needed to come up with a better system that did not require me to do everything, all the time, right away. This means that I would need to look beyond the list to come up with a viable solution. Basically a prioritizing system that is basic enough for me to put into practice on a moment by moment basis. This is what I came uo with:


I think that the concept of waiting is key for me. This instant/fast food society that we live in puts a lot of pressure on people expect everything to happen immerdiately. The decisions and responses given 'on the fly' are not always the best. There is nothing wrong with waiting when the situation allows for time and space. Asking people to wait creates opportunities for us to assess what things should make the list and what order of importance they hold. In the end I find myself able to spend more time on the most important part of this job, which is helping THE STUDENTS.




Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 27, 2015 at 7:07 PM

    Interesting read. We're always trying our best to fulfill everybody's needs at there convenience. While this may be convenient for members of the public who are indeed obsessed with an "immediate gratification" culture, it isn't always the healthiest option. The strategy you've outlined above shounds decent, human, and honest - just as long as there is an ecosystem put in place which allows you to remain consistent. Best of luck!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Makes You Credible? #SAVMP

Why should I give you a chance? Can I rely on you? Why should I trust you? Have you ever felt like those questions were/are the unsaid or unheard 'elephant in the room'? Over the past 3 and a half years I have been on a journey to build credibility with my staff and colleagues. I entered the school not only as a new addition to the staff, but new to the position. It seemed like I would never get to a place where people could trust me or feel like I was able to help support the staff effectively. I have to say that this has been a difficult blog for me to write. I am not sure if I have figured out the formula for credibility. At this stage in my career I find myself reflecting on my practices weekly and wondering what areas need to change. With all the recent changes,  my credibility is definitely on my mind. The more articles I read and the more people I spoke to, made me realize that I need to hone in on specific areas if I want to grow in terms of my leadership. I ...
4 comments
Read more

Bringing Parents Into The Learning Process #SAVMP

I have to confess, upon receiving this blog challenge I resorted to research. There was a lot of literature about why parents should get involved. There were also suggestions given as to how you can get parents from middle-upper  class communities involved. Gaining parent involvement in a low socioeconomic community has always been a challenge for me (and my research did not result successfully in this area). I have been very fortunate to work with an incredible staff. Our staff continually forges relationships with the students and their parents. Keeping the lines of communication open through positive feedback and social media seems to have increased parental awareness of school information and activities. It is great to have parents commenting on facebook posts of activities in the school or even ask questions about school life. This has proven to be an open door to communication. In order to further forge relationships with parents we had to get creative. We invit...
4 comments
Read more

Bringing About Change is Tricky Business #SAVMP

1. "It's just the kids and I." After my last post in February, I set out to make some changes because I realized that the staff did not feel empowered  and that change was necessary in order to move forward. As I searched for ways to empower the staff it became evident that some teacher's strengths were being overlooked. The methodology and pedagogy behind technology in the classroom are new to many teachers in my school.  It turns out that there are several staff members that can give digital literacy & pedagogy workshops to their colleagues. Their willingness to do so provided opportunities for staff to feel empowered and proved to be successful. Why did I bring this up? Well, it opened the lines of communication amongst staff members and enabled them to collaborate. Unit planning no longer takes place in isolation; collaboration is becoming more common place. If someone would have asked me if this kind of collaboration could occur two years ago I would have ...
2 comments
Read more