Take-Aways from New Principal Panel

Here are the cohort's take-aways from the New Principal Panel.

Special thanks to Lynette Delgado for facilitating the Panel and thanks to Panelists Amy Andino, Roshone Ault, Kathleen Clarke-Glover and Min Kim for their thoughtful comments:

• "What's happening" conversation.
• Managing resources is vital...
• I liked the idea that as principals, we need to have our time. That is something I really need to work on.
• I felt energized and challenged by some of the panelists' words - I like the practical lens they added to our learning experience.
• Although collaboration is great, I am still the leader, who has the final decision.
• I think I learned that I am going to have to find a way to prioritize my time and the time of my staff. Not every decision is going to be able to be made the "idealistic, theoritical" way but it will still be made and my staff will learn to accept it.
  
• Don't be afraid to be a leader, and take care of yourself (well, that's two, but they're both important)
• Protocols and the instruments that drive those protocols are really essential in establishing culture. It would be very helpful to have examples of these principals' best practices! The panel was fantastic.
• The need to identify your vision for education and to instill that vision in your school culture and community. To defend that vision with integrity and fortitude.
• Not every decision needs to be resolved with collaboration. One of my frustrations is that a common message from the classes is collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. As principal, you have to decide when collaboration is appropriate. It was refreshing to here this.
• Their honesty.
• I have had reservations about still connecting with my studets after I leave the classroom and Mrs. Glover was able to alleviate much of my concerns with different strategies at the break out session.
• The great idea is: as a leader you have to know when to make the executive decision and when to make a collaborative decision.
• I think the best idea I heard was in regard to group decision making. I think it was Kim who said you must be mindful to use the time of good people on important matters, and know when to make the decisions on smaller matters yourself. I am beginning to see time as a precious commodity, as important as or sometimes even more important than money.
• The importance of being flexible- we may not be able to predict everything that will happen, and we just have to make it work anyways.
• Small school = limited support services, teachers and principal wear multiple hats
  balance is important
• The principal is the leader of the school. Collaboration is useful and important, but many times the decisions must end with the school leader.
• The dedication of these enlightened leaders in practice was, for me, the most warming sign yet that there is great promise for our children. Anything else that I would say would belittle their commitment to education.
• That at the end of the day, regardless of the "case" situation, I am the leader of the building and ultimately I make the final decision and it's OK to take that role because I am the leader. I appreciate the fact that they all shared the need to maintain "balance". That is key
• ...that learning styles are different and so are leadership styles. Be aware of this and mind how I proceed.
• Be aware of "who" the adults on your staff are and be mindful of where they are in their development.
• A lot of very practical tips that you wouldn't normally learn in a graduate program.
• I need to think of time or lack of time when dealing with our cases.
• Ms. Kim's suggestion of ways to make sure that her staff (with whom she has a strong relationship and in some cases a friendship) knows when it's time to talk about work things and focus on that.
• I really want to hear more about Ms. Clarke-Glover's ideas about creating an environment that nurtures children's social-emotional development as a first priority.
• CASEL program used for advisory at one school sounds very useful.
• I very much enjoyed seeing the differences between the reactions in principals. This leads me to make a comparison with classroom management--what works for one teacher may be a good practice but it may not work for another teacher. This will make my eventual transition into administration easier because I wll no longer have as much doubt.
• One great idea would be that no matter what happens I need to be confident in my role as an authority figure. In addition I really enjoyed listening to the different types of schools.
• I came away with so many ideas it is hard to pick just one...communicaction is a key to being an effective leader. Be sure to explain rationale of decision making. Be present with each individual with you.
• Space is important.
• Interesting discipline policy from Lynette at Urban Assembly.
• One can't employ a collaborative approach with every decision.
• Take care of the self.