Hey Team!
At this time of the year, December 18, 2023 it is totally impossible to even imagine starting the new year in 2024. As teachers, administrators, and parents we are strictly keeping our eye on the prize, which is our schools’ holiday break. We are mentally counting down the days until that break finally hits! However, I want you to think about something…if you plan accordingly from TODAY until your last day of school to make sure you knock a ton of stuff off of your list so you can ACTUALLY recharge over break.
If you are anything like me, the minute you feel caught up, you immediately have a brilliant idea pop into your head and then you MUST add it to your plate. Either another gift for someone you forgot about, an extra little holiday activity for your students, a coffee cart for your teachers, or dressing up like a damn elf and sitting on the roof of your building. Whatever it is, you KNOW exactly what I am talking about. We all do it, and I urge you to STOP. Instead, I want you to focus on the new year. Take 10-20 minutes per day, on contracted time, to focus on 2024, What does that look like for you? How do I get my mind around that? What are my goals for the new year? Where do I want my energy to go? What changes do I need to make that I didn't in 2023? What is something that I am going to do for myself to make my life better? What can I learn to become a more effective leader? What can I do RIGHT now to recharge and be present for my family during our time together over break? So much to think about, with such little time. No worrries, I've got YOU!
Start with making sure you are getting all of your ducks in a row before you leave for break. Have students start cleaning out their desks, taking things home, picking a spot on your desk or within your room to focus on cleaning. Purge anything that doesn't serve you now or in the new year. By doing these little tasks it will take them off of your mind and plate over YOUR break, which you deserve. So many times we let tasks linger and then we start thinking about the small things we didn't wrap up the second our brains should be relaxing and it throws us right back into the chaos of the past. This doesn't allow us to rest and unplug during our time off and it can be exhausting.
Some other examples that will just make you feel better as a principal, or teacher is to have a stack of thank you notes ready to hand out. These can be printed on a computer or store bought, it is the thought that counts. It is imperative to send home thank you notes with each student that brings you a gift over the holiday season. This shows your appreciation and also models what we want them to do when receiving a gift as well. Many of our families can not afford to buy teachers gifts, however they find a way to show their immense gratitude to you as their child’s teacher. No gift is too small, and all should receive a thank you note. Don’t forget a handwritten thank you note or email to the central office staff or your work homies is also very important as well. Keep a list and check it twice. This will internally make you feel better about yourself, check something off of your list, and it will brighten the day of the person giving you the gift.
Now, how are you envisioning kicking off the new year? Years ago we started celebrating a Cheers to the New Year Welcome Back celebration. I would create an experience for my teachers with a champagne toast, (lol I wish)…sparkling cider toast, a juice bar, fancy breakfast, and then a day of working in their classrooms. They LOVED it and social media went wild because of it! People loved this idea, and then we took it a step further on creating an elegant and glitzy new year’s theme to welcome our students. We had the red carpet and everything!!!
That all sounds great, however so many times because of social media the public only sees the dessert. The end product that makes everyone feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, however what many people miss is the WHY behind the shiny object. The true magic is in the meat and potatoes (all of the messy stuff/learning/THE WHY)...the reasons that we decide to do something in the first place.
So what was my WHY behind this? What was my motivation? That is the MOST important part of this major mindshift. I needed my teachers to experience a life changing lesson to then recreate for our students throughout the year. The purpose was to model how creating an experience can change the entire moment and those are the moments that we carry with us throughout our lives. So many of our teachers were so thankful for the opportunity to visit with their teammates, enjoy a stress free breakfast, and KNOW that they had sacred time to work in their rooms. I love the element of surprise, but I also know that can cause stress to many teachers so I ALWAYS send out a loose agenda so they know how much time will be dedicated to meetings, breakfast, and how much time they will get to work in their rooms, so they can plan accordingly. This is crucial communication for teachers and for the principal. This allows the principal to unplug over the break knowing that everyone has the information that is needed to start the year off on the right foot!!! I also suggest creating an informative and welcome back email to families, reminding them of the start time, first day back, and any building goals you would like to focus on. Once you have formulated this email before you leave for break, schedule it to go out on all of your communication platforms. This is one less thing you will have to worry about over break!
I hope each of you have a relaxing break where you are able to create memories with your loved ones and truly be present in this holiday season. Cheers to the new year!!! I am sure it will be fabulous with you leading the charge!
Biggest Love & Happy Holidays,
Leigh
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