Be The One For Kids

Monday was our first day with students and I was extremely excited! I barely slept and set my alarm for super early, making sure I could get to school early and make sure everything went perfect. Music was playing while students arrived, talking to parents, giving high fives, and welcoming students to campus. Making classroom rounds, giving a little welcome back talk, feeding off the energy of the students. The entire day all I could think "It's all about relationships". Tuesday was full of laughter, classroom visits, slides, and fun on the playground. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were full of the same. Once Friday afternoon came, there was some time to sit a reflect. 1st Day of School and as a Principal I started off the year with 4 goals: 1. Visibility 2. Communication 3. Interaction 4. Have Fun Did I meet my goals this week? Did I make an impact? How do the parents/staff feel it went? Those were some of the questions that were going through my h...

When I finished last school year, I was the vice principal at a local high school. The following week, I was appointed to be an elementary principal. Since that moment: my mind, body, and soul has been preparing for this school year. I have been working on communication, culture, and building relationships with staff, community, and students. This past week, I have found myself in my office or at trainings. By the end of the day, I walk outside and remember what fresh air and the summer heat feels like. I can't help but stop and think: "BRING ON THE KIDS" My hope that all the preparation will make it easier, once the kids come. Nevertheless, I want to kick off the school year. I want the kids here, so we can start building those relationships and make education exciting, challenging, and plain fun!  I have so many dreams for these little guys, that I hope that I will have the time to make things happen. Of course I am nervous, because I have never been a p...

When people think of school it brings up a ton of different emotions. Some good, some bad. For me, school brings up many different emotions, because my experiences are vastly different. I went to public school K-2, which I loved. I was a social butterfly who constantly wanted to be with people and learn from them. 3rd-5th grade I was home schooled and that was extremely different. School had no walls, no boundaries, lacked a certain structure for me. During that time, I realized I needed to be with peers in a classroom, learning alongside others. During my middle school years, I attended a small private school where class sizes ranged from 6-12 students per class. Much bigger than 1, however still extremely small. From there I transferred to a public high school, where my eyes to the world were open. I LOVED school and the experience. Along with the content being taught in the classroom, I really enjoyed the experience of school. My school experience was a time to let my imagination ...

This summer has been an amazing time of growth. As I take over a new school and as a first time principal I want to make sure that I go into the year with a good understanding of what it takes and how to make my site the best site ever! As I try to climb this mountain I am constantly reminded that this principalship is a journey and not a sprint. I am extremely grateful that I am building relationships that will help me along the way. I love being connected via Twitter and Voxer. As I plan for the first few days of school, I want to make sure that relationships are the priority. Building relationships with staff, students, parents, and community. How am I going to do this? 1. Visibility 2. Communication 3. Interaction 4. Have FUN! These are my commitments that I am making to my school and community. As I continue to ramp up for the year, I want to read, relax, and rest. Have a great summer!

So I have been on twitter for awhile and have seen so many people utilizing blogs as a way of professional development and reflection. During my time as a teacher I would write educational articles as a way to help me focus and rejuvenate. Two weeks ago I was appointed Principal of an elementary school and felt that writing a blog might be a good way to get my thoughts on paper and develop as a principal.