Educational Discourse

I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues!

My reader’s overloaded, I just don’t know where to start.

Explode stats are sinking, goin’ through the floor.
My Technorati’s baslined, my clustrmap gone flat
Oh, I don’t know what to do ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.
Miguel’s at four a day, Stephen at 6 or more.
Scott’s new blog’s a hit and Kimberly is shinning bright.
Jan’s a selected principal and Darren’s hit the news.
But me, no where, not close, ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.
I’ve eight blogs in limbo, can’t find the words that fit

I’ve got a hollow in my stomach like a huge, dark pit.

My Super’s doin’ surveys, oh I don’t want to know.
Some days this seems so senseless ’cause

I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.
Report cards are comin’,

can almost see their whites!

I know I’ll spend this week

with mostly sleepless nights.

Meetings, presentations; all this week do fall,

Sure don’t want to hit another wall ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.
My nano’s runnin’ low,

Friedmann’s lookin’ flat,

Pink’s New Mind is started,

But I’ve double read the intro!

Nothin’s goin’ right, all seems to be in knots ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.
Saw the green-eyed monster

rear it’s ugly head

as I watched each new blog

knowing that they will be read
but mine just won’t appear ’cause
I’ve been strugglin’ through the bloggin’ blues.

As a writer, I’ve usually been able to work through those times when things weren’t flowing. However, this past week, I’ve hit a new wall and I didn’t know what to do. For those of you who’ve been reading, you’ll have noticed that my blog production has dropped to almost non-existent and my topics seem to be all over the place. Well, they are because I’m going through a mid-principal crisis and I haven’t been able to put my thoughts in order. My “want to do” is really interfering with my “have to do” making it very difficult to get anything done. As a closet poet who should probably stay in the closet, I find that many times when I have an overload of things that are on my mind, I need to make my list, which you read above. Now, I’m also trying the “To Do” list thing but I still haven’t mastered it so I’m putting to paper what I’ve been wrestling with over the past two weeks or so.

Thinking about being a Principal?

What follows are some things that I’ve come to realize are what’s causing me so much angst. I start off with the “You too can work on this committee” problem and then provide a few advice points. Nothing magic – more a reflection for me.
For those who are just looking at moving into a principal position or who are just starting, a word of advice. Watch what you saddle yourself with because what might appear to be a simple committee may turn into something with a life of its own that uses your energy as its source of existence. You can identify such things by:

No apparent idea of the length that it will last.

No concrete mandate or guidelines.

It is the passion of someone else.
There are no specific outcomes identified at the outset.

For me, I decided that this was the year I take on two such projects. So, as this week begins, I see myself completely overwhelmed by what I need to do and perpare for the next four days. I have three presentations that are all bouncing around inside my head but have yet to see the dawn of the digital-day. I’m working on becoming a professional meeting person this week. I think this is my practicuum week! And… to add just a little more excitement, I’ve a parent who has begun to make me their pet improvement project. If only I could change a few of the ways I do things would be okay. Right now I have personal issues?!
Second point of advice. Be sure you select carefully those hills you will fight and die on. Not all of the things that come your way are worth the war. It took me a while to figure this one out. But after a while I began to see that if I fought for everything I thought was right, I wouldn’t have the energy or the suppport to do those things that were “essential” for students. Now, I’m much more selective. However, that doesn’t mean that I always choose correctly. In this case, I chose wrong and stood when I probably should have gone immediately into negotiations for an agreement that would have satisfied both parties. Now, the war has started. The parent, for all you who are new to this, will, and can, use any means necessary to obtain their goal. You, as administrator, will need to dig deep into your personal integrity bag to withstand the desire to also do whatever you feel is necessary. This is not about you winning anymore. You will need to decide what is best for the school and the students. My experience is that you need to demonstrate that whatever anyone says, you are a person who “walks the talk” and who has in mind the best interests of all students. Refuse to discuss the subject with anyone, except those in higher positions. Take care in what youd do and, after your initial reaction, which you alone will know, turn to getting on with the business of school. I’ve learned that to dwell on the negative really eats up so much energy that could be used for other things.
Third point of advice. Seek out the wisdom of others. Talk to other administrators or people that you trust. Much of what we do is personal relations. For me, that has not always been easy. I have a rare disease that sometimes inflicts me at the most inopportune moments. This disease, called FEETINMOUTH dementia is caused when I stick both my feet in my mouth and then, with not a leg to stand on, fall on my head causing the dementia which makes me keep opening my mouth and shoving more of my feet in. As time has passed, I’ve learned to stop before being struck with a bout of the disease which usually leads to months of rehab. Instead, I listen, nod and ask a question or two. I then explain that before I answer or say too much I’d like time to do some thinking. This allows me to seek the wisdom of others, work through things and formulate a response that will still have me standing at the end.
The last point. Learn to leave the work at work. I don’t know how many email stories I’ve read about this type of thing but it is an absolute requirement. To be your best, you cannot be obsessed. Things are important and sometimes you will need to work late nights and long hours. But not all the time and when you leave, let the problems remain in the halls. They will be there when you return. Again, it has taken me some time to do this, medication and therapy have helped too! It is something that I’ve worked on being a somewhat obsessive person. I’ve discovered that by leaving things at work, I can return to them with a fresh perspective and, most times, see a way to bring about the beginnings of a solution. With this is the understood idea that you can’t own all the problems of the school nor can you fix all them. You must work on what you can, influence what you can and point out what you can. However, there are things that were there before you began. In order for these to be corrected, the person involved needs to see there is a problem. That is part of what you do, helping others see where they can improve and providing the resources for them to do that. But, you cannot make them, just as I cannot get my son to eat green peas without threats of some sort. I’ll leave this one because dealing with a teacher who doesn’t want to change has caused many a tree to die and this post wasn’t to be this long anyway.
I am beginning my week with the realization that I have two very important meetings in two places at the same time. Why do I do this to myself??!! Like I said at the start – a mid-principal crisis!