The Principal's Handbook

principal-strategies-navigating-a-productive-december-before-the-break
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Welcome to the Principal's Handbook, your go to [00:01:00] resource for principals looking to revamp their leadership approach and prioritize self care. I'm Barb Flowers, a certified life coach with eight years of experience as an elementary principal. Tune in each week as we delve into strategies for boosting mental resilience, managing time effectively, and nurturing overall wellness.
From tackling daily challenges to maintaining a healthy work life balance, I'm Barb Flowers. We'll navigate the complexities of school leadership together. Join me in fostering your sense of purpose as a principal and reigniting your passion for the job. Welcome to a podcast where your wellbeing is the top priority.
welcome to the Podcast. Today, we're going to be talking about navigating a productive December. Before the holiday break. We all know as educators that December can be a really tough month for both students and staff, everyone is getting ready for the holidays. They're anticipating a nice long break and the break for some people it's exciting and it's a positive experience.
And for others, it may not be that positive [00:02:00] experience. They may be. dreading the break, and that could be for both students and staff. Some students may be worrying about their basic needs being met. Will anybody be home with them while their parent works? Will they have food over break or someone to watch them?
So the holiday season itself with lots of activities, excitement, and disruptions to our regular routine, it can really contribute to behavioral challenges among students. So if you've worked in education for even a couple of years, you know that there are a lot of different behavior challenges that happen in the month of December because focus gets really hard for kids.
They're excited, excited for the break, or they're not excited. And so other behaviors come out and with events happening, the rhythm of the school day, it's usually disrupted and routines are not as consistent. So whether you see December as an exciting season of joy, a month with lots of great things happening, you know that it has its own [00:03:00] unique set of challenges.
So the key is navigating it with purpose and productivity. So today I'm excited to share some practical strategies to help you make the most of December without feeling frustrated or like you're losing valuable time. Because sometimes I look at my calendar in December and I know not to plan as much because I know that it's going to be crazy, crazy with behaviors, crazy with activities.
And so we just have to look at the month a little bit different than we look at other months. So today I'm going to share seven strategies for having a positive and productive December. And by implementing these strategies, we aim to ensure that the school environment is going to remain both supportive and positive to be productive and help with the wellbeing of everyone in the building.
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If you have a goal to increase achievement for all students, make sure to find out what IXL can do for you. Visit ixl. com forward slash be for a demo. That's ixl. com forward slash be. So let's jump into those strategies. Strategy number one is to maintain consistent routines. We all know how important routines are.
Kids need routines and adults need routines. So identify what the most important routines are and be consistent during the holiday [00:05:00] season. Whenever I make a different schedule for my building, what we do is. We like to create a schedule where, um, maybe there are specials or planning times different, but we try to keep lunch and recess the same every day so that that is one consistent area.
No matter what, if the schedule looks different, they have that same routine of lunch and recess. Also consider creating a visual schedule for the building or a large calendar that highlights any changes. or special events to keep everyone informed. And this could be in a place where just teachers see it, like in the lounge where, you know, it's mapped out for everybody each week.
Or it could be in a place that students see it and you have it, , where everybody knows what's happening that week. Also making sure to communicate the importance of routines to teachers. And getting their support in maintaining consistent routines within the classroom, because teachers have the most support in having those routines and keeping things as consistent as possible.
You know, it's fun during [00:06:00] the holidays to do lots of different things, but the more consistent we are with kids, the the better behavior we'll see because we all thrive on consistency. I say that kids do, but as adults, we do too. You know, if you talk to educators in the summer, what do they usually miss the most?
The consistency of being in school and that routine and schedule. So making sure that you're communicating with the staff to keep those consistent routines. Strategy number two is to over communicate with staff. We need to be over communicating because things are not normal. They're more inconsistent than ever during, during December when more events are happening.
So find different ways to communicate, such as Email announcements, um, a messaging platform, just different ways to reach staff members so that they know what's changed and what's happening each day so and use multiple ways. So we use at our school. We use Google Calendar, which has all the events on a shared calendar that teachers [00:07:00] can see.
We use the remind app, which sends out a message each evening with what's happening the next day. And then every Friday I do a weekly bulletin that's sent out with important dates for the following week. So just make sure that there's lots of ways that you're sharing important dates and things coming up.
And then also I make sure that my secretary checks everything I send out so that because sometimes there's so many things changing or So many dates that I'm trying to keep track of that. I'll mess it up on one of my communication platforms. And the more you mess it up and send it out, the more confusing things get.
So have someone double check the dates that you're sending out so that you know, the information being sent is correct. Also, you could host just a brief weekly meeting where you touch base for 10 to 15 minutes about what's happening. Each week to make sure everybody knows what's happening what changes there are in the schedule and any information they need to know any questions They have you know, you could get that at that time Also just encouraging [00:08:00] open communication with staff by creating a feedback loop allowing staff to express concerns or seek clarification I think as events happen, it's always good to get that feedback as well right away and then , write it down and save it for next year.
So you know what, what events worked and what events didn't work. But getting that feedback right away helps you to remember what the positive and negative were of that experience. Strategy number three is supporting students in need. Make sure that you're collaborating with local community resource resources and sharing information about available services in the community, such as food banks with staff and students.
Implement a system for identifying students who may require additional support during the break and ensure they have access to necessary resources. So you could do this by a Google form in the newsletter or just reach out to families and make sure they have everything that they need, see what resources they need.
Even consider organizing [00:09:00] a holiday assistance program where staff or community members can contribute to supporting families in need. We've done this with Thanksgiving where we create boxes of food for a couple families in the district and everybody just brings in a couple items and we have a Thanksgiving meal for that family.
We also do it for Christmas where families can request assistance for Christmas and local churches, parents, businesses will help, , buy gifts for kids in need. And so we keep all that confidential. So people don't know who that is. But on the form they submit You know, what sizes and things their child would like us presents.
And then we get all that together, get it wrapped and they come to the school to pick that up. So that's a pretty important thing. And actually we have so much help with that, that we're able to help every family who has requested assistance. So that's pretty amazing. So just making sure that you're finding ways to support those students in need, and maybe even having them talk to, you know, the school counselor [00:10:00] if you notice that you have kids who are worried about the break or they're stressed about some aspect of the break.
If you hear that's going on, having them have someone to talk to and feel comfortable and open up with so that, you know, you're able to connect them to the resources that they need. Strategy number four is to have proactive behavior management. We know that behaviors increase in December, especially the more that schedules are not consistent.
So conduct regular reviews of behavioral expectations, and hopefully your building does something with PBIS, positive behaviors, interventions, and supports, where you're reinforcing positive behaviors. And you can reinforce them And go over behavior expectations through the announcements, through posters that are hanging around the building and you practice reading them and talking about those expectations, classroom discussions, but having PBIS or a system where you're reviewing [00:11:00] expectations all the time is really going to be helpful.
We review expectations monthly and then I encourage teachers to practice them even more during the month of December. Also make sure that you're providing professional development for teachers on being proactive with those behavior management strategies. Again, if your building already does PBIS, it's great if you already have those strategies in place and you help teachers know to recognize students, practice the expectations, and really, you know, reinforce that positive behavior.
And then establish a system for recognizing positive behavior, reinforcing a positive school culture during this busy holiday season. So again, you might already do this, but think about systems that you already have in place in your school. So for us, we have a ticket system where students can earn red tickets for what we call being soaring Falcons.
That means they're safe, outstanding, accountable, and respectful. And so when they earn those tickets, it means that they've done something well. [00:12:00] They also can get principal good news calls, which is referred from the teachers. And so I call parents and say that, you know, their child, I tell them what they have done well.
And then, , we also do sweet treats with the principal. So that's another positive incentive where when kids are making positive choices, they can have a cookie with me once a month. So those are some different systems that we have, but using those systems already in place and really recognizing kids for making good choices during that month of December and reminding them of those systems and getting them excited about them again so that they follow expectations to hopefully earn rewards for those systems.
Strategy number five is to maintain perspective and empathy. So foster a supportive atmosphere by reminding staff that the holiday season can be stressful for everyone. It's stressful for everyone, both personally and professionally. We all know it can be hard with the students. Like I said, if they're not excited for break or their routines are off, that can make it [00:13:00] extra difficult.
But we also know that the holiday season can just be stressful because We're trying to get gifts and get things ready for our own personal holiday. So conduct check ins with your staff to make sure you understand what their individual stressors are and just find ways to support them. We all know that everybody has their own things going on.
If I go through my list of staff members, I can think of some hard things that each of them have dealt with, which can make the holidays hard. So just encouraging this culture of empathy where colleagues are understanding they're supporting each other during this challenging and hectic time and checking in with each other and seeing what.
everybody needs because I think we always think of the holidays as a happy time, but it can also be a stressful time if someone lost a loved one or someone has a loved one who's sick. It can be a really stressful time. So maintaining that perspective and that empathy for others is really important. And strategy number six, participate in the [00:14:00] holiday activities as a leader.
Make sure you're leading by example and actively participating within the school community. Make a conscious effort to spend time outside of your office and engage with the students and staff during these festive events. I know for me, this is a harder area. It seems so simple, but I like the day to day, normal, consistent routines.
I love focusing on curriculum and instruction, and I'm not as good at the fun stuff in the building. We have a spirit committee that helps plan the fun activities for staff and students because it's not a strength of mine, and I know that. I love that. So I have to make a conscious effort to make sure to involve myself in these fun activities so that people see me as the leader in the building engaging.
And kids love that as well. When they see you engaging in those fun activities. Um, it's also a great time to connect with parents because we usually have holiday parties and parents are in the building. We have holiday concerts. So just different times to connect with families and other people in the building.
And [00:15:00] it's just a great time to strengthen relationships and build that positive school culture and just demonstrate the importance of the balance between work and having fun. So you can be a great role model in that. Then my last strategy, strategy number seven is take care of yourself. We hear about self care all the time, but I cannot stress this enough.
Taking care of yourself through eating healthy, sleeping seven to eight hours a night, and Exercising or getting movement, you know, focus on getting 10, 000 steps a day. That's a simple way that you can practice getting more movement, having a positive mindset. So find areas that you are feeling negative and focus on those thoughts, reframe those thoughts into positive thoughts or find affirmations around those thoughts that you can tell yourself.
Have a vision of everything going well with the holiday season. You know, all these activities going on in your school, the routines or whatever's different, just envision everything [00:16:00] going well. Remember that you're supporting teachers, you're supporting students, staff, families, your own families. So you have to find a way to decompress.
and take care of yourself. We can never forget the value of self care. And just remembering that we cannot pour from an empty cup. This is a saying that is so old and you hear all the time, but it is so true. We can't pour from an empty cup. We have to take care of ourselves. So, you know, this whole podcast episode, I'm giving you a lot of great tips for working with your staff.
But this one is so important to make sure that you're taking that time to take care of yourself. So I just want to review those seven strategies for having a positive and productive December. Strategy number one, maintain consistent routines. Number two, over communicate with staff. Number three, support students in need.
Number four, be proactive with behavior management. Number five, maintain perspective and empathy [00:17:00] through the season. Number six, participate in the holiday activities. And number seven, take care of yourself. I encourage you to use these strategies and make December a great month for you and those that you serve.
Make it a productive month, but make it one where you enjoy the fun as well. So I'm going, I'm going to be hosting a free December support group for educators, so check it out on my Instagram at Barb Flowers Coaching, and I'll provide a link in the show notes as well. But in this free group I'm going to be doing giveaways, offering suggestions for teachers and other educators.
To make it a positive December to take care of yourself and just make it the best December that we can. So I hope you join this challenge and encourage your teachers to as well. Thank you for tuning into the podcast. If you find this podcast helpful, please leave a review so other people can find it as well.
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And stay tuned for next week's episode. Do you want to simplify your school's technology, save teacher's time, improve students performance on state assessments? You can do it all, but don't waste another minute. Head straight to ixl. com forward slash BE to learn how iXL's research proven teaching and learning platform can help you achieve all those goals.
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