Author: principalmahoney

It’s the end of the year. Our “tanks” are empty.  As school leaders, we are running on fumes to survive physically, emotionally and organizationally. Each day feels like an uphill battle and one that we cannot possibly tackle. And yet, each morning we return for another day. 

How is it that we can be there for others to support and lift up, when we ourselves are running on empty?  First, we need to acknowledge that we simply aren’t the superheroes that we think we are. We simply CAN’T do it all.  We CAN’T solve every problem.  We CAN’T put out every fire.  We CAN’T handle every issue.  Then, we need to think about who we have on our teams or extended teams that can be on our shadow team and can stand by us for support. 

Members of your shadow team could be your AP or your counselor – there by your side to make a difficult call to a parent or help craft an email.  Your shadow team could be your same level administrator colleagues in the district who know exactly what your days are like. Your shadow team could be a Supervisor in the district who you reach out to when you need help with substitute coverage.  Your shadow team could be someone in the Central Office who can partner with you to solve a problem, have a conversation or even just listen to you on a challenging day (maybe they’ll even bring you lunch or coffee). 

But here’s the thing about your shadow team, they’ve got you… but you have to ASK.  And we, as heart-y leaders, aren’t good about asking. We aren’t good about saying that we are not superheroes. We aren’t good at admitting that we are out of gas or that things are hard.  But, if you do, and you reach out to someone on your shadow team, I guarantee that they’ll show up and you’ll be filling both your tank and theirs just a little bit at the same time.  As we roll into the end of the year, our shadow teams are more important than ever.  Just reach out and tap them in. 

Passion Over Pandemic (Jodi Mahoney)

Can you feel it? The power of the pandemic pushing the passion right out of you? It’s happening. The pandemic mandates logistical adjustments daily, making the work of leadership more planning than passion on most days. But, you can find time – each day or at least each week, to choose passion over pandemic.

I tweeted today, “As a school Principal, it is my privilege and pleasure to always be a teacher first. Each fall, I schedule myself to share my writer’s notebook with Grades 3-5. I always write them a new poem to inspire their writing.…” @jodi_mahoney (10/12/20) Writing is my thing. I love to share my craft with young writers, show them my writer’s notebook, explain my craft and write for them as an audience. This brings me joy! And therefore, I squeeze in my 15-20 minute presentation over the course of a few weeks to get into these classrooms (even virtually).  

For my students in K-2, I always do a read aloud for them.  This year’s read aloud, I Believe I Can by Grace Beyers – a beautifully diverse book with a powerful message.  And the joy that reading this book brings to me and to the students – not to mention the respite (albeit very short) of planning and teaching that it allows for their teachers while I read is the gift that I can offer. It fuels my day and offers moments of passion over pandemic.

In the craziness of Pandemic logistics, you MUST find ways to CARVE out your passion for teaching, education, and fostering relationships.  This is the work that brought us into the world of education and this is the work that will save us from the pandemic protocols that our leadership world has become.  

I challenge you – how will you put your passions over the pandemic?

Jodi Mahoney

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It’s Labor Day Weekend and the summer has slipped away. If you’re like me, you’re probably feeling like the summer flew by and you haven’t accomplished very much – even though you worked – a lot. You worked a lot. 

Most non-educators don’t get that summer is still a lot of work – they ask, do you work all summer? And, they are genuinely surprised when the answer is, “YES.”  And then they ask, “Well, what do you DO all summer?” And I have to think how to explain the DAYS that it took to hire a new teacher – interviews, reference checks, paperwork, etc. I explain meetings and professional development and trainings and schedules.  And it all seems pretty easy to digest.  

What is harder to explain, is how it takes all summer to plan two, yes TWO, meaningful and heart-y days of professional meetings for teachers.  You see, this, this work of officially welcoming back teachers after Labor Day isn’t just the same meeting every year.  No, it’s one that marinates over the summer. It is informed by my philosophy, by my staff’s needs, by my district’s initiatives, by my school goals, by time parameters, by inspiration, by motivation and by relevance to my staff and their ultimate ability to take my words and actions and embed them in the work they will do with students in the months to come. 

And sometimes, my opening days are really just one, one 1½ hour meeting with me staff.  That’s it. The rest of the opening days are the “stuff” that they need to get ready for students.

So in that one 1 ½ hour meeting, I must make it meaningful and relevant.  It must be purposeful and thoughtful. It must not be a waste of their time.  This is how I come to plan each and every staff meeting that I hold throughout the year – is this a good use of their time? Is this something that will help them back in the classroom?  If not, perhaps it’s better communicated in my weekly newsletter. 

My opening day meetings are meant to be personal, inspiring and fun.  As I plan for them, I consider the following (in addition to those aforementioned thoughts):

1. How will I welcome my staff and honor our “family” milestones and celebrations that have happened since we last met in June? (Birthdays, Weddings, sending children to college, vacations, tenure, etc.)
2. What message do I want my staff to carry with them this year (teamwork, positivity, telling your story, being a changemaker, etc.)?
3. What team-building fun opportunities can I embed in my meetings that can also be used with students (if the staff wishes to do so)?

And that’s it. I’ve learned to protect my opening day message and sentiments and clear it of mandates, emergency procedures and evaluation jargon. (Thanks to my Superintendent, Scott Feder, who observed my opening day meeting a few years ago and told me to do just that. And I did. And I’m so glad I did.)

You see, your opening day is your time to protect your message, share your heart and help your teachers find their school-soul.  

Your mandates, evaluation memos and emergency drill responses can be saved for another day.  But your message cannot wait. Leaders who put their message first open their hearts to their staff and allow for them to breathe in the message and be inspired.  It allows the staff to drink in the celebratory nature of being together as a school family again and basking in the joy of the promise of a new school year. 

If you are reading this and have planned your opening days… I wish you the best of luck.  If you’ve already delivered your opening days… were you able to protect your message and leave out the other junk? If not, maybe next year.  And, if you still aren’t planned, I hope I’ve inspired you to think about your heart-y message for your opening moments with staff. It’s one shot you’ve got on opening day.  Make it a heartfelt one.