Monday Moanin Thoughts #267 The Opening Is Over, Now What?

Happy Monday Moanin to all of you on this beautiful , crisp Michigan September morning. A big shout out to all of the people of Florida and Texas as they deal with the aftermath of Harvey and Irma. You are in my prayers and thoughts, be safe. Today, most schools in the Midwest are in their initial weeks of the 2016-17 school year. Building principals and their staffs have been busy welcoming students and dealing with all of the tasks that go with starting a new year. As I reflect back on my years as a building principal , I remember experiencing the first few weeks with students and staff exhausted due to supervising, planning and facilitating the opening. You may be feeling something similar.The challenge for all principals is to not let fatigue impact your actions and performance when the school year is underway. The tone you set as the instructional leader in the building is critical to all students and staff having the correct focus and attitude. The bottom line is the climate and culture of the building reflect your leadership. Baruti Kafele is a former high school and middle school principal that understands this role. He is an internationally renowned education speaker and consultant. His focus includes the” attitude gap”- the gap between those students who have the will to strive for academic excellence and those who do not. As you begin the year try some of his strategies listed below. Take action and get to work at setting the correct tone and culture for your building. Make it a great beginning and enjoy a productive start for 2017-18. Here is the list:

greet students as they arrive in the morning
deliver a daily morning announcement about learning
high visibility in halls and cafeteria by the administrative team
encourage and support all student activities
let your staff and students know that you believe in them
let your staff and students know that you care about them
Quote of the week:

Have a great week and keep finding the good stuff.