Relationships In 90 Days
Before the First Day of School:
Building organic relationships with stakeholders can take time and daily expectations of administrative positions makes this task even more challenging. The summer provides an opportunity to begin building the foundations of meaningful relationships that can have a tremendous impact on student achievement. Below are a the ways I’ll begin the process of making connections with our great staff and the Franklin Township community.
Open Letter to Staff: I will share my goals and how I compliment all the wonderful systems in place to increase student achievement at Franklin Junior Senior High.
Support the current administrative team developing plans that can help support student success and parent engagement.
Utilize Twitter to begin the process of introducing myself to the community and passing along information.
Have open discussions with current stakeholders to gain a better understanding of school culture and traditions.
First Week of School:
The first week of school can be extremely exciting and is my favorite time of the school year. The hallways are filled with optimism and excitement for a new year of learning and growth. It’s also a great time to be present and engaged in the school building and begin the process of introducing yourself to staff and students. In these first few days I want to introduce myself on an individual basis to each staff member and “ask & appreciate”.
Ask: Within the first week of school I will individually ask each member of our staff if they need support in any manner.
Appreciate: I want each member of our staff to feel that I truly appreciate everything they do for our students at Franklin Central Junior High School.
With our student body, I’ll utilize different "first week of school" activities to introduce myself to the student body. It’s important to understand that building relationships take time, and can't be forced.
“Every Student, Every Day” - This idea speaks to the fact that everyday, every student will see me in some manner. This will be my motto for the entire school year, and is important to set that standard in the first few days of school.
First 30 Days:
In my first month at Franklin Central Junior High School, I will utilize everyday as an opportunity to make meaningful connections. Setting goals can help prove to the staff and students that you are committed and consistent.
30 Day Goals:
Have several conversations with each staff member that are organic and productive. Building relationships with each staff member is a way to learn as much as I can about each person that contributes to the success at Franklin Central Junior High School
With students, I'll continue to stay committed to my “every student, every day” goal. I’d also like begin the process of learning student’s name and being able to engage with students in the hallway and around school. I'll also start to work to find different ways to recognize our student body for their accomplishments in the building. I'll first utilize systems that are already in place (Student of the Quarter, Most Improved, and etc.) and try do develop new and creative ways to help contribute to the great community that the Franklin Central Junior High staff has already created.
Begin the process of collecting student data to identify those students that might require support and begin to develop teams to help our students be successful Flashes.
First 90 Days:
As an administrative I often describe that the goal of building relationships with students is to get to a point where students will “allow you to help them”. This will be my approach with all stakeholders at Franklin Central Junior High School. When I walk into the building on my first day, stakeholders will only know what I have communicated. It’s my job to build trust and prove that I can help Franklin Central Junior High School continue to be a successful place for learning. The first ninety days will provide opportunities to demonstrate the following qualities to help build trust and confident relationships.
Instructional Leader: As assistant principal, it will be my job to evaluate teachers and measure their ability to improve student achievement. Before I can support teachers and provide supplemental coaching. I have to learn about the teaching styles of our staff and what works in their classroom. I have to be consistent and fair to build trust in the fact I can accurately observe and identify the needs of a classroom. I will utilize my own professional development to continue developing my ability to be an influential instructional coach. I’ll use input and information from staff members to promote professional development opportunities to successfully build a working relationship with staff members in hopes of creating an educational environment that promotes “risk” and “growth” in the classroom.
Community Leader: In each school building that I have the opportunity to join, I consistently work to immediately immerse myself in the community. I will continue this as Assistant Principal at Franklin Central Junior High School by attending athletic and ECA events to support the great things that our students are doing. I will continue to publish blog posts that highlight and communicate the great accomplishments and achievements that are continuing to happen in the building. I would also strive to start a “Podcast” (or other form of communication) that provides opportunities to speak with school leaders, teachers, students, and community members. When parents are continuously informed on the positive impacts that Franklin Central High School has on their child's success, it can continue to foster great relationships.
Building Leader: My role of Assistant Principal is to assist the Building Principal in achieving their vision and mission of the school. To be successful in my role, it would mean that my purpose is to consistently support all stakeholders. Franklin Central Junior High School is a successful school and I want to continue that strong tradition. That means that I must be present in supporting teachers in whatever capacity they need from an Assistant Principal. I will continue to work with our students to build relationships, to learn names and to ensure that they are having a great experience at Franklin Central Junior High School. I want to compliment the great communication that is already happening with parents, and offer other avenues to promote student success. I want to assist our community in increasing student achievement.