Creating a Safe and Festive Halloween: Top Tips for Principals

Halloween is a time of excitement and creativity for students, and schools can play a big role in making it safe, inclusive, and memorable. For principals, balancing fun with safety and inclusivity is key. Here are five creative and practical ways to make Halloween a fantastic experience for students of all ages. 1. Set ClearContinueContinue reading “Creating a Safe and Festive Halloween: Top Tips for Principals”

5 Ways To Learn About Your School Community

Starting a new role as a principal is an exciting, yet challenging endeavor. Beyond managing the daily operations of a school, understanding and connecting with the community you serve is crucial for fostering a positive school environment and driving student success. Here are five essential steps that every new principal should take to effectively learnContinueContinue reading “5 Ways To Learn About Your School Community”

5 Ways Principals Can Reduce Conflicts Between Teachers

Decreasing conflicts between teachers is essential for maintaining a positive and productive school environment. Principals can play a crucial role in fostering a collaborative and harmonious atmosphere among the staff. Here are five ways principals can reduce conflicts between teachers.

5 Things Principals Should Avoid At The Beginning of the Year

At the beginning of the school year, principals play a crucial role in setting the tone and establishing a positive working and learning environment for students, teachers, and staff. For principals who are new to their school, these first impressions are critical. While there is much to do before the students arrive, there are someContinueContinue reading “5 Things Principals Should Avoid At The Beginning of the Year”

5 Things New Principals (and principals that are new to their school) Should Do Their First Year On The Job

Each year, thousands of new principals begin their journey in school administration. The first year for a new principal can be challenging, exhausting, and frustrating, but also extremely rewarding at the same time. Education Week reports that nearly half of new principals leave their school after three years, and nearly 20 percent leave every year.ContinueContinue reading “5 Things New Principals (and principals that are new to their school) Should Do Their First Year On The Job”

5 Ways Principals Can Lead In A Virtual Environment

Many school districts across the country are either choosing or being mandated to begin the 2020-2021 school year with distance learning. While this is disappointing to so many of us, we must also recognize our new reality and put measures in place to ensure that students experience a robust and comprehensive online learning environment.

School principals will be critical in supporting this robust environment. Teachers and parents will be looking for leadership during these uncertain and ever-changing times. Principals must rise to this challenge and bring together communities.

Here are 5 ways for principals to lead remote schools:

5 Ways To Work With An Angry Parent

Working with angry parents is a part of the job of all school administrators. There are few things more anxiety producing in the profession than working in your office and hearing “I need to speak to the principal now” being yelled loudly from the lobby of the main office. Many of these intense meetings areContinueContinue reading “5 Ways To Work With An Angry Parent”

5 Ways to Attract Highly Qualified Teachers

A school is only as good as the teachers that work at it. In order for students to reach their highest potential, they must be taught by knowledgeable, caring, and thoughtful teachers. Ensuring that every student has a highly qualified teacher needs to be a top priority for all school and districts.  Here are fiveContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Attract Highly Qualified Teachers”

How A School Administrator Can Deal With Unexpected Hiccups

Principals plan for every possible situation that can happen during a regular school day. By doing so, they can prepare to pivot on a dime to meet the current needs of staff, students, parents, and the school at large. Principals worth their salt can quickly organize recess on a rainy day, serve lunch when theContinueContinue reading “How A School Administrator Can Deal With Unexpected Hiccups”

5 Ways Principals Can Build Trust

One of the most important books that I have read in my career is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. In his book, Lencioni outlines the elements needed to build strong, cohesive teams. Here is a link to the book: Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Trust is the foundation in which productive teams areContinueContinue reading “5 Ways Principals Can Build Trust”