 When I arrive to the school that is new to me, I will have a steep learning curve, as Lower School Principal. First and foremost, I am excited to meet the students, teachers and parents. With humility, curiosity, and a positive outlook, I have been getting some ideas together for the first interactions with all three groups. It seems that everyone wants to know who the new principal is so having a plan to meet the community is important. My overall goal is to have a positive school culture to benefit the students and I believe the principal has a major influence in creating the culture. The bulk of this blog post is focused on my rough draft plans for in-service week with teachers setting a positive vibe with the staff will impact students’ learning. Happy teachers = happy students = happy parents= positive school culture!
Students This is the “why” we do what we do...the students! What are they excited about? Why do they love their school? I need to find out the school’s traditions (if any) for the first day of school. See my blog post Kicking the Year Off Right (link here). I want to ensure the first day of school is fun! I hope to have an assembly to introduce all the staff in a fun and silly way. As the school year continues, I will be at the front to meet and greet the students daily and start to learn their names. I also plan to read a book to each classroom within the first month of the school year. This will be very fun for me, as I love reading books with kids, and make myself an approachable friendly face! Parents When thinking about the parents, I need to gain their trust and introduce myself. After all, they are entrusting the school and I with what they cherish the most, their children! I plan to host a parent coffee with three parts. First, I will formally introduce myself. Second, ask the parents what they would fight to keep about the school and what they would like to change or improve. I will ask the parents to record their thoughts on flip chart paper. Third, I will also plan time for questions they have of me. The questions will provide a platform for me to get to know what is on their mind. I am sure I won’t be able to answer all of them so I will take note and get back to them with an email or phone call. I can then design my work based on the feedback I collect. I will close by thanking them for their feedback and letting the parents know my methods and expectations for communication. Teachers When planning to introduce myself to the teachers, I am searching for the right balance of leading and learning. I want to express respect for the work they have done in the past years and find out what they wish to continue to develop while setting a positive tone for the school year focused on learning together. To plan in-service, with the “new to me school” staff, is a challenge. Also, some teachers will be new to the school and some will be returning. It always seems all the teachers want to know about the principal and how she/he will work. The first few meetings will make a lasting impression. My goals in the first week will be to support the learning community, build teams and have open communication. I want to make sure the teacher talk more than I do! I also want to model the use of protocols and building community, as they might in their classrooms. I have drafted out a few ideas to get started. Once I arrive and work with the school’s director, Upper School principal and Lower School vice principal, we will refine the plan collaboratively. Here is a list of initial ideas:
Respecting teacher’s time in the first week of in-service is important too...we know they all want in their classrooms to set up and work with their teams to plan for students. Hopefully these plans will meet the goals of supporting the learning communities and open communication. If you have any feedback or would like to share your thoughts, please comment below. Resources Coyle, D. (2018). The culture code: The secrets of highly successful groups. New York: Bantam Books. Fay, J. (2011). Creating a love and logic school culture. Golden, CO: Love and Logic Institute. Boudett, K., & Lockwood, M. (2019). Power of Creating Norms. Educational Leadership, 76(9), 12-17. *Credit for this idea goes to Homa Sabet Tavanger at AASSA 2019 Conference. You can learn more about her on Twitter @growingupglobal.
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 A famous meta-analysis of research on homework, published in 2006 by Harris Cooper and colleagues, found that traditional homework in grades younger than sixth does not contribute to academic achievement. The very weak connection between traditional homework and academic achievement led PASB’s Early Childhood Center and Elementary divisions to stop assigning traditional homework and instead encourage nightly Home Reading.
Research does show that reading nightly has a huge impact on student achievement across the curriculum, as does a parent’s interest in the child’s learning. Reading experts, Samuels and Wu (2001), say research is clear on the benefits of daily reading, with students picking their own books, reading aloud and listening to a fluent adult reader. When reading, children’s curiosity can be peaked, imagination evoked, and vocabularies built. There is a direct correlation between how much a child reads and their academic achievement. Some parents say that with no homework, they don’t know what is happening in their child’s class. I suggest that you ask your child specific questions about their learning. Here is a list of ideas (encontre o artigo aqui) of what to talk about. Elementary parents are also encouraged to look on SeeSaw to get glimpses of what students are doing throughout the day and start conversations from there. If you, as a parent, want to assign your child homework, you are welcome to ask your child’s teacher for suggestions of what might help. However, as a school we believe that children reading, playing sports, spending time with their family, and having a set bedtime will be most beneficial to academic achievement. The Primary Years Program (PYP) supports student agency and building curiosity. Ask your child what they want to learn about at home and dive into the topic together. Have fun together reading! Enjoy researching your next vacation! Children are only young once, play together and laugh. The learning will come, we promise! Harris Cooper; Jorgianne Civey Robinson; Erika A Patall. (2006) Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987-2003. Review of Educational Research; Spring 2006 (76:1) Research Library Core pg. 1-62. Samuels, S. J. & Wu, Y. (2001) How the Amount of Time Spent on Independent Reading Affects Reading Achievement: A Response to the National Reading Panel. Minnesota: University of Minnesota. |
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