On October 4, 2016 I met with a Professional Development coach hired by the district to assist administrators with whatever they were struggling with as a leader. At the time I was stressed about a lot of things such as the beginning of the year challenges, there were a few initiatives that were not going so well, and personally I was drained.

Her first question to me after I went through everything that was going wrong really threw me off… She asked, “So what are you grateful for?” I struggled to even remember what gratitude meant, much less what I was grateful for.  I quickly replied, “I am grateful for my kids.” She validated my answer but challenged me to look more micro. She went on to talk about sunshine, trees, life, food, someone smiling, showers, etc. Then it hit me … there is so much to be grateful for.

She taught me how to make a gratitude list and how to incorporate it into a daily mediation that would be completed in the morning. She also recommended that I purchase The Magic by Rhonda Byrne. I highly recommend to get this book! I read it and applied each of the suggestions in the book for a month and it did wonders for my life and my school!

Everyday (well I have missed a day or two here and there) since October 4, 2016 I wake up and complete a very basic Gratitude List. I focus on 5 things I was grateful for from the previous day. As I stated before, this was very difficult in the beginning because I was focusing on the wrong things. This journal has helped me overcome the stress, anxiety of being a father, and a principal.

Practical Applications for Schools

Those in the field of education can empathize with the stress, and demands of our profession.  Whether it is federal, state or local initiatives, fights, bullying, curriculum, poverty, etc we are always facing some type of challenge. For instance, prior to doing the gratitude list I would be extremely disappointed when we had a fight in our school. It would be as if the entire day was ruined. Since doing the gratitude list I can put things in a better perspective. Now, although I am disappointed, I realize that there were 1,100 other students who came to school and did not fight. I realize that there were thousands upon thousands of interactions with students that did not result in a fight.

So as you can see the Gratitude List can make small, important changes in your perspective. As an educator you will be transformed through gratitude and pretty soon you may even have your students and teachers writing gratitude lists!

Students working collaboratively with community members

The Lakeside AVID team is committed to community involvement. AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society Throughout this year we have worked with the Millville Neighborhood Alliance on several projects such as Lightning Strikes Bogarts, The Front Door Project and most recently the Shark Tank.

Beginning in August of 2016, representatives from the Millville Neighborhood Alliance and Lakeside Middle School’s AVID program organized a purposeful PBL for our students. Each month community members, teachers, and administrators met to identify areas in the city that would benefit from improvement. The MNA presented on the history of Millville in October and the kids presented on Lakeside Middle School in November. In December we had a local architect, Larry Merighi,  work with the students on Design Thinking and Planning which really helped the students see the relevance and real-world  application of PBL.

The winning team from the Shark Tank

From January through March the students worked tirelessly on their projects. They researched, interviewed, and designed their projects. Each group tried different options and most importantly, failed many times on their projects. Eventually, they narrowed their topics and crafted their proposals.

On March 22 we assembled a group of community members such as the mayor, local business owners, administrators, and Larry Merighi, the architect who met with the students at the beginning of the project. All of the groups did an amazing job with their presentations. Our Superintendent funded each group with a $500 grant for the students to use to accomplish their tasks. Checkout the video from SNJ here.

One of our project was even featured on A Community Thrives website which is part of the USA Today Network. Take a few minutes to watch the video our students put together (click here).

Even if we do not get the $50,000 grant, it is clear that our kids understand and can implement a Project Based Learning experience in a Middle School with fidelity!

My main man… Corell

About 90 days ago, I embarked on a new venture as the Principal of Lakeside Middle School. I used the book, “First 90 Days” as a guide to help me transition into the school and my new role. Throughout the process I am gaining knowledge on so much: learning, teaching, leading, and the most important part… people!

“Where have you been?” 

In my last post (First 13 Days) I was able to capture the initial transition, which was April 2, 2016 and, now today is June 26, 2016. It is not as if I lost internet connection or my blog expired, but there was no way I could get back to here until now! For me blogging is an ebb and flow, blogging every day for a year or taking time off balances it all out. Honestly, there was a little blogger guilt that I wasn’t able to get back here, but I believe it was due more to the sheer volume of change and transition I was experiencing. I did get a few messages from friends asking if I was OK, I was more than OK, I was focused on the task at hand.

Lakeside Running Man Challenge – What Teachers do When the Students Leave

Reflection on the first 90…

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” ~ Drucker

Students on a field trip having fun!

As I reflect on my first 90 days at Lakeside I am amazed at the energy of the building. In a school with over 120 staff members caring for about 1200 kids a mountain of variables is expected. My first goal was to individually interview every staff member. I was able to get through 75% of the staff for one on one interviews, asking them two questions: what is going well and what needs to be improved on? One of the constant themes in these conversations were how much they like each other and the school. Every single person I interviewed had a similar response and it was genuine. As the new person on the block it was remarkable to continually hear such positive statements. I just wish they would tell each other more often how more much they like each other 🙂

During the first 90 days I was able to scratch the surface on the climate and culture of the building. Throughout the transition period, I paid particular attention to the symbols, beliefs (mission/vision) and the language. Often listening to what was being said and comparing it to what was being done. For the most part, there is a match on the espoused theories and theories in use. Most people are passionate about their craft, no matter what role they play, which leads to a lot of conversations centered on “how do we get better?”

Autism Awareness Month.

So what needed to be improved? In the beginning I was hearing a lot of comments such as “staff morale, communication, and admin turnover.” All of these factors are not attributed to a particular person, and honestly some morale issues are a result of local, state and national perceptions of our profession. But then, there became a shift in the initial interviews, changes were already beginning. I am not quite sure when the shift in the conversations happened. I do know that people were no longer mentioning staff morale or communication. So maybe it was the Lighting Round, Teacher Appreciation Week, staff meetings, becoming a regular on the morning announcements or everyone began to tell their co-workers how much they liked each other.

In my opinion, the administrative team played a huge part in the shift. Everyone from Vice Principals, Supervisors, Guidance Counselors, and the Child Study Team stepped up in ways that teachers and students needed. All of the support personnel (secretaries, security, maintenance, cafeteria) played an incredible role in the transformation too. I began to hear parents, students and other staff remark on how everyone appeared to be working collaboratively. Honestly, they have always been collaborative and positive but maybe it was just a difference of getting the story out there.

What do the kids think? 

Lunch with the Principal

Granted the Principal’s main responsibility is the staff, but it is extremely important to connect with students. I was fortunate that I knew a small percentage of the kids at the school because they went to the elementary school where I was Principal for the past 5 years. When I first started I made it a point to talk with kids I didn’t know. I asked kids the same questions “What do you like about this school? What do you want to change?” I also visited classrooms to get a chance to see what the learning look liked.

I scheduled a “Lunch with the Principal” day. I asked each teacher to select one or two students that were model students to have lunch with me. I gave the kids awards and read the comments their teachers made about them in the Google form. At the end of the lunch period, I asked them what they liked about the school and what they wanted changed. In addition, I attended as many extra curricular activities (dances, sports, music etc) as possible to see the kids in a different setting.

Lessons learned…

You have to be willing to be dunked!

I learned so many lessons over the first 90 days. As I stated before, I had to focus on the transition to the new school. Requiring me to let things go of things such as Social Media, writing, podcasting, etc… because I needed to be mindful of my time and mental state. Days were busy and at times exhausting, so I had very little gas left in the tank to write a post, or sign up for a conference. Temporary sacrifices for long term progress.

Laughter is the best medicine. Hopefully the staff can see that I don’t take myself very seriously. I laugh at myself and the unusual events that happen in the school. My goal is to make people want to have fun at work. I firmly believe that this will translate into happier kids. Let’s face it, middle school kids can be disenchanted, or appear to have a chip on their shoulders, but they like to laugh just like we do.

I want to work at a school where are no mistakes, no boxes, and everyone is encouraged to take risks. I feel it is important to create a culture of learning. In order to do that you have to think outside of the box, learn from mistakes, and take the opportunity to try new things. I made a lot of mistakes over the first 90 days. Many days I drove home without the radio or podcasts playing and reflected about my mistakes, or learning experiences. Often times I would walk out of the school wondering if I made any difference. Reflection really helps and I began to find people to help me decompress. These people are the true gems!

6 suggestions for transitioning into a new position

1. Focus on what is important – People. Learn names, positions, family and whatever else you can.
2. Do not try to change things too fast. It should take you a complete year to fully understand the organization. Proceed with caution and remember only fools rush in!
3. Actions speak louder than words. Want people to be visible? Be visible. Want people to be positive? Be positive.
4. Find and use your Principal voice (See Corwin Connect article here). What can you do to amplify the awesomeness of the school?
5. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Be prepared to discuss everything and allow opportunities for open dialogue.
6. Interview everyone. Interview kids, parents, staff about the school. Look for themes on what is working and what needs to be improved.

So, what’s next? 

I know this will be a long journey. I often think of these two quotes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and “We are planting forests, not gardens.” This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more!

In preparation for my new position as the Principal of Lakeside Middle School, I re-read The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. Even though I had read the book before and was a Principal for the past 5 years, I wanted to ensure I wasn’t under estimating this transition.

The President gets 100 days to prove himself; you get 90 ~Michael Watkins

Source: amazon.com

In the book, Watkins emphasizes a period of planning prior to the transition. This time spent planning is invaluable as you must develop a transition plan. For my transition, I researched as much as I could about the school. Fortunately, I already worked in the district, but I had no idea about the most important aspect of the school: the culture. It didn’t matter how much data I could collect on the website, I knew I had to develop a transition plan to understand the culture. This is why I set out to interview every person who works in the building. Obviously, this can not happen over night but over the first 13 days I was able to meet with 27% of the staff.

In addition to the individual meetings, I hosted 6 group meetings. In each of these meetings I asked the same questions:

• What are three things going well at Lakeside?
• What are three things we need to improve?

The meetings and informal data collection have helped me tremendously to understand, as Watkins suggests, “The norms and patterns of behavior.” These meetings require me to listen, listen and listen. There have been times when people want to know what I stand for or to discuss my vision for the school. When I articulate my vision, I say the following:

• I want to create a culture of learning
• I want to promote the awesome things going on in the school for the world to see
• I want to increase student achievement, decrease discipline, and increase student attendance

At my first staff meeting as the new Principal, I reported out on my first 13 days. Part of promoting a culture of learning is modeling transparency. Here is the presentation I shared with the staff. It includes the highs and lows of the first 13 days as well as outline the next 18 days until the next staff meeting:

Change can be tough. I will not underestimate the impact of change on the staff. In my last position, I had a teacher tell me that it took her 2 years to trust me. I never realized that but knowing it puts things in perspective. It is crucial to prove yourself every day. Never take people for granted!

I know that I will spend the majority of the rest of the school year learning about the culture and climate of the building. Of course there will be some decisions that will need to be made, observations to complete, and a whole host of end of the year activities. For me, I am building relationships (which is paramount) with people who I will be working with for a long time. I committed to building a strong foundation!

The last few weeks have been extremely busy and life changing. After 5 years at RM Bacon Elementary, I am moving on to a new venture as Principal at Lakeside Middle School.

At our last staff meeting, I made a video for the staff because they truly are my “heroes.” Not to be outdone, the wonderful staff at Bacon made me a video tribute. It was one of the nicest things I could have ever imagined.

I will always remember my time at RM Bacon. I learned so much about my leadership through the experience.  I know “Once a Bear, Always a Bear” and “Then, Now, Always Family.”

Here is the video the staff made for me:

Here is the video I made for the staff:

Source: www.lancastercivil.com

I recently read the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. It was exactly what I needed, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is the first person to volunteer for things, spreads themselves too thin, or wants to become more effective.

The book has a powerful message…. It is ok to do less, say no, and unplug. Yes, it is actually encouraged if you want to be an essentialist. This doesn’t mean that we throw in the towel and sit on the couch all day, every day. In fact, by doing less, saying no, and unplugging we might become more effective in our work – no matter what type of occupation we are employed in.

Source: www.blogtalkradio.com

Here are my 5 take-aways from Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

1. Essentialism is a “disciplined, systemic approach for determining where our highest point of contribution lies, and then making the execution of those things almost effortless.” Makes perfect sense. We can only do so many things at a time. The more we spread ourselves thin, the less effective we become. When we focus on one thing, we can put in the effort to the point that it doesn’t even seem like work.
2. “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will”  As a principal I am constantly asking people to do things. Let’s face it I can not be everywhere at the same time. I have come to respect those who have clear boundaries on their time. For instance, the other day I was talking with someone about an upcoming conference we are hosting at my school. I really felt like they would be a good addition to the amazing workshops we have scheduled. This person respectfully declined because the knew what their April weekends looked like. More importantly, they didn’t want to commit to something knowing they were not able to give 100%.
3. The Pareto Principle (80/20) Did you know that 20% of our efforts produce 80% of results? This has also been referred to as the Law of the Vital Few. In the book, McKeown talks about how Warren Buffett, one of the world’s wealthiest people, has very few investments. In fact, he attributes 90% of his wealth to about 10 investments. In schools we cannot fix everything at the same time. We can focus on a few things that will result in a big payoff if we are truly focused!
4. Remove Obstacles  When was the last time your supervisor told you that their job is to make you more effective, and in doing so, asked you what obstacles they could remove? McKewon writes about a hike he went on with his Boy Scout Troop. As they were hiking with group of young kids, he noticed that some were very quick and others struggled. This had big implications as he had to get the entire troop to the same destination. Along the hike he tried a few things to keep them together but nothing seemed to work. What worked was finding the hiker that was slowing the group down the most. After choosing “Herbie” he worked with him on removing the obstacles that were slowing him down, and ended up putting him at the front of the group. It worked perfectly. How do you deal with those in your organization (or class) who are dragging the group down? Do you work with them to remove obstacles, or do you react by putting more pressure on “Herbie” and creating more friction?
5. Make it look easy Routines and habits can be very powerful if used in the proper way. If you can establish the right routine based on what is essential, your days will flow much better. McKewon suggests identifying your triggers, creating new triggers and then doing the most difficult things first. People (and students) seem to be more productive if they know what to expect, and once established, routines allow us to focus our energies on larger scale problems. Do you create your day or do you allow others to create your day?

I would highly recommend to read this book, and more importantly, begin to apply the principles. Pursuing less may be a change for you but it could result in better results. Be sure to let me know what is essential to you!

Here is a video of Greg McKeown talking about Essentialism