Start with YOU!

As you begin your new adventure as a principal it’s important to take care of a few things first to help you get adjusted and be ready when staff and students arrive. When the staff arrives, you won't have time to take care of these things, but they should be in place to help you be successful.

In my many years working in Title One schools with large number of disadvantaged students, we believed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs theory.  Most educators subscribe to this theory which basically means that our most basic need is for physical survival, and that survival needs must be satisfied before the individual can satisfy the higher needs.  The first need is physiological needs; like food and sleep.  That basic need motivates our behavior. If these needs are not satisfied, the human body cannot function optimally. Maslow considered physiological needs the most important as all the other needs become secondary until these needs are met.

When students showed up to school struggling to begin their day, the first question we would ask them was "Are you hungry? Did you eat this morning?" Nine times out of ten, the answer was no. We would immediately take care of that need and always have food readily available in the front office. Students can't focus on learning unless they have something to eat for breakfast. We had ‘to go’ meals for students in the front office that the cafeteria staff would prepare for any late students to take back to the classroom. Just because they were late didn't mean they were late due to eating breakfast, the opposite was typically the case. I say all of this to tell you, because when things get crazy busy at school, you need to eat and nourish your body. Just like students with their learning, you can't focus on leading and making sound decisions without nourishing your body. Nobody wants to deal with a hangry principal. So set yourself up in your office. Get a small refrigerator in your office for your drinks and snacks. Stock it with plenty of water. Even some water you can offer those who visit you in your office. Get plenty of snacks like nuts and crackers. Grabbing a handful of nuts to tide you over when you are running out the door to classrooms will go miles for you. If you are a coffee or tea drinker, stock your office with those items so you don't have to search all over campus for a drink. Get your own coffee pot too.

Now as a principal it is important to also take care of your body. A good office chair helps, even if you must buy your own because we all know what school furniture is like.  It’s worth buying your own and an investment, even though you may not sit long it's nice to have a place to take a load off at the end of the day. Speaking of being on your feet all day. You must invest in shoes that are comfortable. It’s hard and can be expensive but find what you like and can live with style wise and get a few pairs in different colors.  I kept a couple of pairs of shoes under my desk to change into if needed. It always reminded me of Mr. Rogers from the TV show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He would come home and change out of his dress shoes into sneakers. I always kept a pair of sneakers, a pair of flats, a pair of nice dressy shoes and rain galoshes. You just never know who’s going to show up and visit or when you will be running around in the rain. Mr. Rogers also used to change out of his outdoor jacket into a sweater. He got comfortable. I always saw that as his way of getting comfortable and ready to learn.  I kept a sweater (office usually was freezing), a rain jacket and a basic black suit jacket behind my door.  For men I also suggest an extra dress shirt and tie, you never know, you just might need to change into a fresh shirt.

Now that most of your physiological needs are prepared for the last thing, I would say, is important to set up for yourself is a comfortable, functioning work environment.  Your office space will serve as many things throughout the school year.  It will be a place of respite and quiet from time to time, but also a hub for staff and parents to visit.  Think of it like your living room. It's important to move in and move in completely uninterrupted. You don’t want to set up your office halfway then by Christmas break have to finish the rest. Give yourself about 2 days to fully move in. I also strongly suggest doing it on a weekend when no one is around and it’s quiet. If you try to set up your office during the week, even though it’s summertime, you still have lingering staff that want to come chat and summer programs going on. Custodians and secretaries that will need your full attention. You will be happy that you took the 2 extra days during the weekend to set up your office. You won't feel stressed about getting that done. You will want to make sure that you are fully present when people come to see you during your work hours.  People come first.  You will also need to focus on your hiring and getting your people in the right places. We will talk about the people in another blog but for now take care of YOUR basic needs first.  Your nourishment, your creature comforts, your physical needs, being comfortable and your physical space are all important so that you can charge ahead and be ready for anything. Start with you!!

Next week's blog: Your purpose and first things first!