Mrs. Cromer: Leading & Learning

The same conversation plays out numerous times per day, with a very predictable script: “Hi! How are you?” “Doing well, just busy, how are you doing?” “I understand, I’m very busy over here too.” It’s like there is an underground competition to show that we are the busiest, most overworked professional within our spheres.   “I worked all weekend on (insert project here).” “I can’t meet today, I’m just too busy with (insert another project here).” Guess what? WE’RE ALL BUSY. It may look different for each of us, but we are all overwhelmed with to-do lists that are a mile long. Why do we feel the need to showcase that we are working ourselves to exhaustion? It's as if we have to defend the use of our time. I am a big believer that our words shape our mindset and demonstrate our belief system.  I don't want to believe in the system of "busy."  My work should speak for itself without me having to explain all of my tasks to everyon...

This past school year I had the opportunity to return to the classroom.  Our division wanted to open up a pathway for students interested in becoming educators, but we did not have a teacher available to teach the Teachers for Tomorrow course.  Since I still considered myself a teacher and had been missing the daily interaction with students since moving to the central office level, I eagerly volunteered to take on this new course. I immediately remembered the joy that comes from planning engaging learning opportunities and building relationships with students as well as how quickly one can accumulate a stack of papers to grade. This experience had an enormous impact on me as an educational leader so I wanted to share some reasons why I believe every school leader should get back in the saddle:  Be an instructional model How best to model the instructional expectations you expect from faculty?  Walk the walk.   There have been several teach...

February has left everyone in our building exhausted.  Unlike years passed, this winter has been mild and only two snow days have been used since Christmas Break.  Snow days allow everyone to take a break, rest, and gather the strength to finish out the year.  Where were these days that we so desperately needed to give everyone relief?! The need for a break was overwhelming.  Teachers, aides, janitors and secretaries all talked about needing a snow day.  Even the principal was heard wishing for winter weather. Wishes were granted as a major snow storm and chilly arctic temperatures have kept students out of school for the past week.  At this very moment, snow and sleet are once again pelting my windows.   Everyone should be happy now.  The relief has come and the time off has allowed us to catch up on the long list of tasks on our to-do lists.   But my gut is still reeling from the punch driven home by the first few pages of m...

The scene outside my window allowed me to finish a book today. It is a well-known fact that I am a huge fan of educator and author Todd Whitaker  ( @ToddWhitaker ).  Not a day goes by that I don't find myself using a tip or idea from one of his books.  One of the most-used books in my Todd Whitaker library is The 10 Minute Inservice , which he co-authored with Annette Breaux. So I was ecstatic to see that Whitaker and Breaux had teamed up to write another gem, Quick Answers for Busy Teachers: Solutions to 60 Common Challenges .   The book did not disappoint.  It was loaded with tips for dealing with students, adults, classroom management, instruction, and professionalism. In classic Whitaker style, it is straight-forward and easy to apply to current practice. Our school hired five new teachers this year and two more are teaching a new grade level for the first time.  I have marked several pages to share with these teachers, as well as those who ...

The word "vision" was prevalent throughout my educational leadership coursework.  I actually got quite sick of hearing it and could not understand why it seemed to be something every professor wanted to talk about.  At the time I was finding lots of success in the classroom of a school that lacked a vision.  I couldn't quite grasp why it was so important that a vision be present, much less "shared." Fast forward four years and it is all I can think about. Vision, vision, vision, vision. Such a small word that means so much for schools, businesses, organizations, even families.  Where are you headed?  What direction should you take?  What do you stand for?  How will you grow and get better?  What unites us?  How do we move forward together?  What's our target? I frequently wake up in the middle of the night wondering if I am taking our school in the right direction.  Have I made sure every...

Whoa, what's that in your newsfeed?  A new blogpost from @MrsJCromer?! Its only been since February people, don't be so surprised. I've been just a little busy with my first year running a school and have not been the best blogger.  But have no fear - all of the learning I've experienced over the past year has made for a pretty decent blog post for all of the new administrators out there. Here are five truths that you need to acknowledge as a new principal and five ways I have found to help digest the reality of school administration: You do not control your day.   You might as well get used to a full calendar.  And by full, I really mean overflowing.  While it is nice to not write lesson plans, the sad reality is that you don't really plan anything anymore.  Everyone needs you in a meeting, needs to ask you a "quick question," needs you to call them back, and needs you to just BE THERE.  You have a huge to-do list, and it seems the whole wor...

There is nothing better than a great professional development session.  One that really ignites your passion and sets your wheels spinning about how it will impact students. There is also nothing worse than bad professional development.  Everyone knows what I'm talking about and unfortunately everyone has experienced their fair share of bad PD. thecornerstoneforteachers.com As a new principal, I want to take advantage of every moment that my staff is gathered together.  The days are so busy and our time together is a precious commodity.  Below are a few ways that I try to keep staff development relevant and inspiring for my teachers. Flipped Faculty Meetings I had some success with flipping meetings in my previous position and knew that I would utilize this strategy at my new school.  At least one week before our scheduled monthly meetings, I send out all of the pertinent announcements in a presentation video.  (I've used Screenr and Screencast...

My cup runneth over. As I reflect on all that I have to be thankful for, I am amazed. It is also amazing how easily we tend to forget all that we are thankful for. I'm not saying it is easy to keep an attitude of thanksgiving all year.  There are many days I quickly complain about a problem and forget about the many blessings I have been given. So how can you maintain an attitude of thanksgiving throughout the year? It is easier for some.  By nature I am a positive, happy person.  I attribute that to a few awesome people in my life.  On the occasion that I am getting too caught up in "life" as I know it, I think of my grandpa and remember to be thankful. My "Pa" grew up extremely poor in the foothills of Kentucky.  He fought in the Korean War, worked his way up to manager of a textile plant, chief of his local fire department, survived cancer and is now battling the blinding effects of macular degeneration all while keeping his same calm, positive...

While completing my educational leadership studies several years ago, I got tired of hearing about creating a "vision" for your school.  Real tired. Now that I am an administrator...I can't stop thinking about my vision for our school. In Dave Burgess' best-selling book, Teach Like a Pirate , he details an exercise that encourages teachers to write about how their class is viewed by students. Change the topic to the broader topic of school and this experience can be equally as telling and inspiring to administrators. When I walk through the doors of Check Elementary School, I feel safe and accepted.  Learning is fun at CES and most days I don't even know that I am learning standardized content because the teachers do such a great job of crafting engaging lessons.  Their passion for learning is obvious and so contagious it has infected the entire atmosphere surrounding our school.  I wake up excited to come to school and see what exciting projec...

Our students returned this week.  It was chaotic, stressful, overwhelming, and WONDERFUL!   I had lunch with first graders, read a book to each class, went on a bear hunt with kindergartners, and enjoyed lots of hugs.  But it was a comment from a bus driver that made my week. "You were made for this job." Yes, I believe I was. I know the question "Why do I lead?" should generate a greater response, but for me it is really that simple.  I lead because I feel it is my purpose.  I believe God gives us each a talent and expects us to use it for the greater good.   www.strategicleadershipresources.com My passion for education is a blessing from God and looking back I can see how He used experiences and people to push me to this place.   I didn't start out on this journey willingly and I certainly don't take the responsibility of leadership lightly.  There were moments this week that I questioned my abilities and my vision...

The school has been cleaned, handbooks have been copied, and the class rosters finalized.  Just a few more finishing touches and CES is ready to open for the 2013-2014 school year. But we're already celebrating.   A few members of the CES team outside of historic Double Springs School. This past weekend the CES faculty and staff got together for a cookout and a hayride to a historic one-room school house in our community.  Everyone brought their families and it was a wonderful, relaxing time before the work begins again next week. Our school, like so many others, is a family.  And like so many families today, we do not get enough time to just enjoy each other's company and some good home-cooked food. While I am blessed to work in a school with a wonderful climate, as a leader I am always looking for ways to maintain and grow in this area.  I have a dog-eared copy of Todd Whitaker's Motivating and Inspiring Teachers  that never fails to s...