Looking Back….
I just realized that I have been an active blogger for 6 months! I know you are not supposed to do these reflective entries for a measly 6 month anniversary, but it is the end of the year so here goes….
A friend of mine, Scott Elias, got me started in the blogsphere this past summer. I started out reading blogs daily to see what other school based administrators were doing. There is always a little more time during the summer so I was hooked. I then decided to create my own blog. Scott was instrumental to getting my blog set up as I often contacted him for tech support. All in all, it was very easy to get started. I wanted to take a moment to stop and think what blogging has done for me over these past 6 months.
1. It has given me the chance to stay current in my field. I often read publications (journals, daily emails, weeklies, etc..) dedicated to ed leadership, but blogs offer something unique–they are interactive. They allow you to question someone to get more details or offer your own perspective. If someone writes a post on how they do something and 10 people leave comments on how they do it–whammo you have 11 new ideas to consider. I truly think this is the heart and soul of blogging. Comments drive effective blogging. If we are not being interactive and sharing ideas, what makes blogging different from any other media?
2. Blogging has forced me to get many of my ideas down on paper. We all have a million things floating around in our head (thankfully the Dolphins finally won a game so I no longer have to wonder about that!) and it helps to write it out. It allows you to develop your ideas and see what others think about them. As the old saying goes we know what we know, but sometimes it surprises you when you get it down on paper.
3. It has opened up other opportunities. I am far from a blogging expert, but I have presented on blogging at a district wide conference and will be presenting at the South Carolina Middle School Association’s annual conference. This gives me another chance to meet other people from my district and state. It has also led to me contributing to the Middle View and Leader Talk blogs and getting to know some of the wonderful people at NASSP.
Blogging has been a great tool to get connected with other educational leaders across the country. I get to see how others are doing the same critical tasks that I am doing in South Carolina. I can also share how I do things and ask for suggestions on improvement. It does take a little time, but where else can you get so much practical information in such a short amount of time? If you are interested in becoming a more active blogger, go for it!
If you read my last post you know that I will be serving on the NASSP task force that will be looking at the Assistant Principalship.
I wanted to take a quick, informal survey–what do you think our top priority should be in looking at the role of the assistant principal?
One of the most important roles in a school is that of the assistant principal. (Potential Bias Alert!: I am currently an assistant principal, so these may be a bit biased!). The duties of the assistant principal are wide ranging and quickly changing. The job has always entailed student discipline and supervision as well as other managerial tasks such as bus duty, scheduling, event coverage, “key keeper” and so on. However, assistant principals are asked to delve more and more into curriculum and improving student achievement.
Most assistant principals welcome this new requirement. I have never pulled into the school parking lot excited about bus duty or making sure all of the doors are locked during an emergency drill. I am quite certain most of my colleagues feel the same way. I am an assistant principal so I can impact students. I want to increase student achievement and allow each and every child to be the best they can be. I want to be an instructional leader. I want to gather and analyze data to improve instruction. I want to build relationships with kids so they have another person looking after them and encouraging them through the tough times we call school. I want to work with other adults collaboratively in the best interest of kids.
Many, if not all, assistant principals do these things. We know it is expected of us and we enjoy doing it. We know it is in the best interest of the students. However, many assistant principals struggle to find a way to balance the time demands of being an instructional leader and a manager.
I do not always want to do bus duty. I do not particularly want to sort the bins of testing materials for the state assessment. However, I know these are parts of my job and I always complete them with the most diligence and professionalism. All of this presents an issue. How can an assistant principal use the time afforded to “manage” the school and still be the instructional leader that he/she wants to be?
