What should I do first?

If you are a new leader, you might be feeling overwhelmed about all of the things that are on your plate. If you are a turnaround leader, you may be feeling pulled in many directions and feeling like you have many "cooks in the kitchen." I was in your position a year ago. It is exciting, but also very nerve wracking!

As a new leader, you may wonder where to begin because the task is so monumental. There are many resources that can help you - including a very helpful book called The Principal's Guide to the First 100 Days of School by Dr. Shawn Joseph. Here are some important reflections on first steps to take as a school building leader.

1. Have a clear vision and find a way to communicate it clearly. I made an "elevator speech" to help me articulate my thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise way. 
2. Establish with your team what you expect to see at the end of year one and use that to set targets for what you would expect to see and how you will get there. For example with culture and climate, if you expected to see a percentage decrease in office discipline referrals and improved student behavior in classrooms based on walk-throughs and observations, plan backwards for what you will need to implement in September to ensure that you will get what you expect. 
3. Start as you intend to go on - establish regular meetings with your leadership team and follow through on meeting. I meet with my leadership team weekly and we combine leadership development with necessary business.
4. Set goals for your first 90 days and publish them to your leadership team and teaching staff. We have to hold ourselves accountable and we should expect others to hold us accountable as well. 
5. Review your data and then meet with children and families to put faces to the numbers. Data is only ever one piece of the puzzle - don't forget to humanize the numbers. 
6. Inspect what you expect - if you expect all adults to greet children at the door, you will need to walk the building daily and provide feedback when things are not what you expect. 
7. Celebrate the little things. There will be challenges, but there will also be things to celebrate. No matter how small, remember to appreciate your team and the work that they are doing.
8. Ask for help. Find a colleague that you trust to ask questions that you have. We established a new principal group text using an app called Group Me. It allowed us to ask and answer questions within the group and it also built relationships between our group.

If you are working with several consultants, you will find it important to organize what you need and expect from your consultants or coaches. It seems like this may be articulated for you, but I found that it was necessary for me to identify what each of my consultants and coaches brought to the table in terms of strengths and align them with the work that we needed to accomplish. When I did that, I stopped feeling like I was being pulled in so many directions by so many outside support systems. When I was able to actually get my consultants to start working together on common goals - we really were able to make some significant gains. 

If you are new to the principalship, congratulations! Being a school leader is the best job in the world, but it certainly comes with a mountain of responsibility and pressure. A colleague of mine from years ago always reminded me that administration is about service. I try to remember that when I start to feel overwhelmed. My role is to serve the teachers, students, and families that are in my school. My vision is for them - not for me. Being a principal is inspirational, stressful, challenging, and fun. Welcome to this amazing journey.