Lessons Learned When Starting the School Year

As we are approaching the end of the summer (gasp), I can't help but reflect on the lessons learned when starting the school year. And that's what I want to share with you today... four short and simple lessons that have served me along my leadership journey.

Lesson 1: The Power of Early Relationships

   When I first began my journey as a principal, I quickly realized that establishing strong relationships early on is crucial. Building rapport with staff, students, and parents sets a positive tone for the entire school year. I made it a priority to meet with teachers individually, listen to their concerns and ideas, and show genuine interest in their professional growth. This not only fostered a sense of trust but also encouraged a collaborative environment where everyone felt valued and heard.

Lessons 2: Setting Clear Expectations

   Another vital lesson I learned was the importance of setting clear, consistent expectations from the very beginning. Whether it’s regarding school policies, classroom management, or academic goals, clarity prevents misunderstandings and ensures that everyone is on the same page. I spent considerable time communicating these expectations during staff meetings, parent orientations, and student assemblies. Clear expectations helped create a structured environment where everyone knew their roles and responsibilities, leading to smoother operations and a more focused educational experience.

Lesson 3: The Need for Flexibility and Adaptability

   Despite all the planning and preparation, the start of the school year often brings unexpected challenges. I learned to be flexible and adaptable, ready to adjust plans and strategies as needed. Whether it was dealing with unforeseen staffing changes, addressing urgent student needs, or modifying schedules, being adaptable allowed me to handle situations effectively without losing sight of our goals. This mindset helped me maintain a calm and positive demeanor, which in turn reassured my staff and students that we could handle any challenge together.

Lesson 4: The Impact of Open Conversations

   Engaging in open and honest conversations was another key lesson. Creating a culture where dialogue is encouraged and feedback is welcomed made a significant difference in my leadership. I made it a point to regularly check in with staff and students, not just about their work or academics, but about their well-being and any concerns they might have. This approach helped in identifying issues early and finding collaborative solutions, fostering a supportive and transparent school community.

Now for this last point, we all need training when it comes to honing our conversation skills, especially when it comes to courageous conversations. If this is the case for you, make sure to check out the micro-training called - Getting To Dialogue! It will help you uplevel your communication skills for any situations!

Getting To Dialogue Micro-Training

📣 This 3-Step Communication Hack Will TRANSFORM How You Connect With Families!

In my first year as a principal, I led a magnet school of JK and SK students. As a mom of an 8-year-old at the time, I drew on my personal experiences and pain points to hone my communications and be of service.

I discovered an amazing 3-step communication hack that will *transform* how I connect with families! The secret? Creating a customer avatar for our parent communications. Inspired by strategies from the world of marketing, I realized just how powerful it is to deeply understand our parent community. By doing so, we can build stronger relationships and address their needs more effectively.

Here’s how I applied these principles to our school.

Communication Hack #1 - I started by painting a detailed picture of the parents in our school community:

Age: Recognizing the range of ages, from younger parents in their 20s and 30s to more experienced parents in their 40s and 50s.

Occupation: Understanding their diverse occupations helped me appreciate the different schedules and stresses they manage daily.

Family Structure: Acknowledging whether they were single parents, co-parenting, or part of large extended families provided insights into their unique support systems and challenges.

Communication Hack #2 - I then delved into the values, concerns, and communication preferences of our parents:

Values: Identifying their core beliefs about education and family life allowed me to align our school’s messages with their priorities. I did this through one-on-one discussions, social media comments, and questions I received, etc.

Concerns: Understanding what worried them most about their child’s education and development helped me address these fears proactively. Since I knew what was keeping them up at night—such as nap time being removed, their children not eating enough during lunches, and separation anxieties—I could directly address these issues.

Communication Preferences: Learning whether they preferred emails, phone calls, text messages, or in-person meetings enabled me to tailor our communication methods for maximum engagement.

Communication Hack #3 - By identifying the specific hurdles they face and their hopes for their children, I could more effectively support them:

Challenges: Balancing work and supporting their child, managing time, and ensuring their child’s well-being were common themes.

Aspirations: Their dreams for their child’s academic success, social development, and future opportunities became focal points in our communications.

Since our school community demographic was small, I opted to maximize the Stories feature on Instagram to offer parents a behind-the-scenes view of daily life at our school. This approach allowed for more transparency and connection with families. I share more about this strategy in my book, ​The First-Year Principal: 52 Practical Lessons to Help New Principals Thrive As Conscious Leaders​.

By adopting this This 3-Step Communication Hack I was able to offer a tailored approach, our messages began to resonate more deeply, addressing specific needs and concerns. This personalization not only made our interactions more meaningful but also fostered a more supportive and engaged school community.

Now over to you! I'm confident This 3-Step Communication Hack Will TRANSFORM How You Connect with families too!

If you find this approach valuable and want to learn more about effectively communicating with parents, I invite you to explore our upcoming training, ​Getting To Dialogue​, which will launch on August 2!

Drawing from my experiences, this training will provide additional insights and tools to enhance your communication skills during more challenging times. You can ​pre-order​ it now for only $7 ($15 as of August 2).

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your school community!

📢 This just out: If you're seeking to better engage with your families and get them involved in your school life like partners who go beyond bake sales, then check out this new resource: ​100 Ways Principals Can Engage with Families!​

100 Ways Principals Can Engage Families

I hope these strategies have been of service!

Let me know in the comments how they work out for you - and HAVE FUN with them!

See you soon!

Daphne

THIS Is the Most Effective Strategy I Use to Calm A Disgruntled Parent

As a superintendent, when a parent reaches my office, it’s never for a feel-good moment. Like you, I also dread these conversations. I get butterflies in my stomach and wonder how I can fix this, not knowing where the conversation will end.

This scenario used to stress me out—until I found THIS powerful strategy! 

I start the conversation with, "How can I help? I’m listening." That’s all it takes. 

The parent then has the green light to talk, venting all their emotions and frustrations. Just that always makes them feel good, and you want them to feel good when starting a conversation!

From there, I can listen, read body language, and tone of voice, and navigate the meeting accordingly. Try this out the next time you must meet with an irate parent; I guarantee it will be a game-changer! The parent felt seen, heard, and validated! And from there we could work out a plan.

If you liked this strategy, enroll in my NEW low-ticket course called From Discord to Dialogue.

It’s a short course offering five strategies to help you navigate any stressful conversations! 

See you inside the student portal!