As I finish what can be described as the fastest year of my career, I’ve been doing quite a bit of reflection on what I learned in my first year as a high school administrator. Sometimes, it feels like a blur, thinking about just how quickly it has gone; my entire interview process fell right along the same time my wife was expecting our first child. Today, my daughter is sixteen months old and I’m heading into my second year in administration. On both ends, I'm pretty darn lucky.
I’m a passionate guy, sometimes wearing too many of my feelings on my sleeve, but I really love what I do. I love teaching. I love working with students. I love trying to create change to help others grow. Every morning, I am excited to head into school, to work with some incredible colleagues and stand at the front door to greet the best part of our job; the students. As this year comes to an end and we begin looking at next year (well, really, that has been taking place since February!) I can’t help but think about all of the amazing things I have learned in just one year. While I could write for days about this, I believe that these six thoughts do a pretty solid job of capturing it.
1. Relationships are essential.
This isn’t anything groundbreaking, I realize. However, it is something that is quite possibly the most important aspect in education. I have always believed in the power of developing relationships and I realize today, more than ever, that you cannot be successful without them. Teachers must have relationships with students. Schools must have relationships with communities. Boards of Education, school unions, administrators, teachers, families, students; the list goes on and on. I have learned that if you are going to be successful in any venture, you must commit to building relationships and actively work on them.
2. Listen, and learn.
There’s an old adage in education that first year teachers-and really administrators as well I suppose-should just sit quietly and listen. While I don’t believe this to be true, or even close to a best practice as many first year educators have a vast amount to contribute, there is a lot to be said on the idea of listening. Throughout this first year, I did as much listening, observing and information gathering as I possibly could. I listened to my colleagues, to our teachers, to our students, to the community, to Twitter. As often as I could, I would sit back and just absorb what was taking place. Certainly, I offered my thoughts, beliefs, skills and ideas and they were often well received. But, what I believe to be most important, in my first year in administration, is to listen and learn as much as possible from everyone around you. Only by doing so am I able to begin to understand what our true needs are.
3. Don’t forget why we do what we do.
I must admit, the favorite part of my day is when I get to stand at the front lobby, hold open a door and welcome our students to school. If for just a few seconds, I can grow connections with our students. As an administrator, there are times, and roles, where being with students simply isn’t an everyday occurrence. However, I made it a goal that I would spend time with students every single day. I would welcome students at the door. I would pop in and out of classes. During passing periods, I would be out and about as often as possible. I would interact with kids. Sure, there were days this just wasn’t possible, and those days were always tough for me. All of us-whether we are teachers, administrators, sponsors, coaches, directors-must always remember why we do what we do; our students.
4. You will miss the classroom. A lot.
Over the last few years, as I thought a lot about the next chapter of my career, I always had one persistent thought; how can I leave the classroom? Honestly, I was terrified to leave why I got into this field in the first place. I love teaching, working with students everyday, seizing teachable moments and having those proud moments when your students just “get it.” When we would talk about this, my good friend and mentor, Jason Markey, once told me that he would never hire an administrator who wanted to leave the classroom. It was at that moment I knew that for as much as I would miss teaching, I could have an entirely new impact on a school, on students, on culture and on learning as an administrator. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to start that new chapter, and it has been an amazing experience. But I miss teaching. Terribly. I guess that’s not such a bad thing though.
5. Balance
This is something I struggle with. In fact, most all educators I know have difficulty with this. We love what we do, we are passionate about it and because of that, we want to give it our best efforts. And we do, day after day. However, there must be a balance; time with family, time for the things you love doing, time to simply separate yourself. This is essential because I have come to believe that if you don’t create a balance, you won’t be truly effective in any aspect of your life.
6. Jump in, feet first
To further a point I made earlier, it is important to listen as much as possible and to learn everything you can. But, I’ve also realized the importance of offering your perspectives, skills and character from the start. After all, the school has decided they want you to be part of their team, so why not jump right in? I know that I am constantly learning, but I believe that I bring a lot to the table, and so from day one, I was eager to offer what I could. Now, a year later, I am still learning, and I am still adding my touch and ideas any chance I get. And what I appreciate most is that I have the opportunity to work with a team and a school that are always open to these ideas.
It's been a great first year. Excited to see where the next year brings us, and to see what I can learn next. Happy summer all!
