PMP246: Challenges and Solutions Leading Post-Pandemic
May 19, 2021
Show notes
During the fall semester, I invited listeners to some virtual meetings to share protocols for re-opening their schools.
We formed a free Re-opening Mastermind and met once a week for six weeks to brainstorm and collaborate.
Just a few days ago, I hosted a meeting to re-connect with some of these same leaders in a virtual reunion. This time principals were invited to share updates on how each principal was wrapping up this historic school year of managing during a pandemic.
Common Challenges
Four school principals joined me on April 28, 2021, for this reunion conversation. They included:
Sam Fuller, South Aiken High School, Aiken, South Carolina
Eric Hoops, Chanute Elementary School, Chanute, Kansas
Kimberly Miles, East Gresham Elementary, Gresham, Oregon
Cynthia Winchester, Mary Helen Berlanga Elementary, Corpus Christie, Texas
This school year has included so many challenges. As Principal Sam Fuller shared, “If you don’t feel like you’re drowning, you probably don’t care.”
Sam’s point was that all leaders have felt overwhelmed: Teachers exhaustion, decision-fatigue, credibility crises, and challenges in teaching and learning — all of these obstacles have been even larger with safety protocols and political pressures.
In addition, principals have often been the last ones to consider self-care or emotional support for their own experiences during this school year.
Solutions to Consider
We also shared ideas on ways school leaders are finding solutions for the challenges ahead. These included:
Networking with other administrators
Building master schedules to bridge the gaps
Identifying priorities for actions steps
Re-discovering positive morale boosters
Wherever you are in your semester, you deserve a big congratulations for the innovation, courage, and dedication to providing opportunities to your students.
When you connect with other leaders, you find you share a lot in common and often discover solutions you would not find alone.
Listen to the entire podcast conversation for more feedback and takeaways.
Now It’s Your Turn
What are some lessons you’ve learned from serving your school community during the pandemic? What are some of the challenges you’re facing where collaboration with others may help?
Mastermind OpeningsThroughout the summer, I will have openings for the Principal Matters Mastermind. If you’re interested, check out the application page here, or reach out to me by email at will@williamdparker.com for more information.
Joy has more than twenty-five years of educational experience in public and parochial schools as a teacher, coach, mentor, associate principal and principal. In 2015, she was named the Iowaa Associate Principal of the Year. She also provides coaching and training for new administrators in Iowas. Joy serves as a leadership coach for administrators across the country on behalf of J Cass & Associates. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Iowas, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Iowa, and is a licensed PK-12 superintendent; she also has an Educational Specialist (Ed.S) degree from the University of Iowa.
Q & A with Joy Kelly
WDP: Please fill in the gaps on that intro, and can you tell listeners something else they may be surprised to know about you?
Joy Kelly:Once I was asked once to fill in the gap in the sentence, ‘I am an educator because _________________.’ I wrote, ‘I am an educator because is the most effective way for me to minister to others.”
WDP: You start the book with a story called ‘Would you rather I call mom or dad?’ Can you explain the story here and how it should influence the way we serve students?
Joy Kelly:This story reminds us that we never know what is going on in the hearts of your students. In this scenario, a principal had a student in her office for discipline. When she asked that question, he said, ‘You cannot talk to either.’ He went on to explain that his parents were dead because his father had murdered his mother. It is so important that we remember every student has a story. And every teacher has a story. It’s important that people see us as more than school officials. We must handle others with care...
WDP: Educators invest a lot of time in correcting behavior or guiding student discipline. What ideas should leaders keep in mind for ‘culturizing discipline’?
Joy Kelly:When students have missteps, we need to understand it is the job of students to push the line, and it’s the job of administrators to hold the line. But we cannot have those immportant conversations without first building trusting relationships. Take time to explain the ‘why’ behind school rules. Admit when you make mistakes. Remind students they are not defined by their mistakes...
WDP: The pandemic has led to many challenges, including helping students to feel connected to school pride and activities. What ideas do you have for educators to keep in mind when trying to ‘culturize’ even in diffcult times?
Joy Kelly: You find out a lot about your school culture during difficult times. Lead with relationships before rigor. Take time to ask, ‘What is it you need me to better understand?’ One of the first things I told my teachers when the pandemic began was that perfection is not expected. This perspective works with students and with staff…
WDP: You also talk about being a ‘merchant of hope’. How can educators keep this in mind while also trying to achieve academic goals and outcomes?
Joy Kelly:Time, place, and manner are important. Ask yourself, ‘Is this the appropriate way to have the difficult conversation that is needed?’ Also, understand to be careful with power and give students options and choices. Finally, be open to feedback. I have to be willing to hear a little bad news if I’m going to improve...
Now It’s Your Turn
Listen to the entire podcast episode with Joy Kelly for even more takeaways! What ways can you build deeper relationships, provide students with choice, and give teachers permission to take risks? This week give yourself permission to handle your students and staff with care.
Reach out to Joy
Joy has presented on topics related to school culture at state and national conferences, including NASSP and ASCD. She believes the culture within a school is dependent on strong connections among all members of the community, rooted in kindness, respect and dignity. She maintains that the culture of an organization is directly related to its performance and that the responsibility for cultivating meaningful relationships throughout the school rests with all members of the community. Contact Joy via Twitter at: @joykelly05 or email joymkleely5@gmail.com
PMP244: Being a Hope Giver with Marita Diffenbaugh
May 05, 2021
Show notes
Marita Diffenbaugh is honored to serve as principal of Elevate Academy North, a public Career Technical charter school for students in 6th-12th grades.
She has served as a teacher, administrator, and has provided leadership support for districts, schools, and classrooms. As a partner with Elevate Academy Inc., Marita is connecting education with industry and community by developing, planning, and launching this new North Idaho school in Fall 2022. Marita is dedicated to using her strengths and experiences to advocate for respect and opportunity for all learners.
Marita believes that hope is a prerequisite for learning, and looks for ways to help others see their value. Her recently published book, L.E.A.R.N.E.R., Finding the True, Good, and Beautiful in Education, is for hope-givers who thrive when helping others develop their full potential.
WDP: Can you fill in the gaps on that introduction and tell listeners something else they may be surprised to know about you?
Marita Diffenbaugh:It may surprise listeners to know I did not complete traditional high school. Part of my story is helping students find hope – especially ones like me.
WDP: As an educator and education leader, you live by the philosophy of providing hope. Can you explain why that is a driving force in your ‘why’ as an educator?
Marita Diffenbaugh: As a teen mom, I received my GED. Through cosmetology to managing a local grocery store, I was determined not to become a teacher. But I finally realized education is the best avenue for helping students find hope. I love my role in education now.
WDP: You use the acronym L.E.A.R.N.E.R. throughout your book to help educators keep in mind important ways to help learners reach their full potential. Can you explain what each letter stands for in LEARNER, and then walk through one or two areas that may help listeners apply those ideas to their own leadership and service?
Marita Diffenbaugh: Sometimes it is difficult to feel like you’ve met the mark as educators. From experience I came up with this acronym. If educators or students follow these steps, they will find success in learning.
Listens – An educator provides welcome, readiness and ways for students to contribute.
Empowers – What’s the vibe at your school and district? Is there active feedback for everyone to feel like they belong?
Analyzes – I’ve been thinking about better ways to measure success. Not all students find success through benchmarks. But all students are learning. Find out what you’re going to keep, what you’ll research, and what will get rid of.
Resources – Instead of budgets, I’m talking about wonder, play and spaces to learn.
Needs – Hope is the prerequisite. It is the biggest need students have in order to learn. You can encourage small wins, joy and celebrations for learning. Set goals, learning plans and guidance for reaching goals.
Experiences – Through my life as an educator, I’ve realized if you are analyzing whom you are serving, you may miss the mark matching learning to needs. Your lessons mean you study the learner while he/she studies the content.
Relationships – This means honoring the whole person, which is the greatest measure of success.
WDP: How do you apply that philosophy to the way you serve learners?
Marita Diffenbaugh:One of the areas I’ve been studying is, “What is feedback?” Understanding why learning is not happening means listening and empowering. This leads to analyzing the root cause. It’s really no different that watching children play – they always give responsive feedback. Educators need that same perspective to see learning happen.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you are looking for a culture building resource for teams working to provide education as a service, Marita’s new book will provide support. Consider inviting families and community members, along with district and school staff to reflect and respond to the following questions, while reading this book together:
Where is Your Attention?
Who is Learning?
What is Learning?
How Will Learning Continue?
What Will Support Learners?
What is Valuable to Learners?
How Will I Connect With Learners?
Listen to the entire podcast episode for more great takeaways. You can find Marita Diffenbaugh’s new book at https://amzn.to/36Xdl5X or follow her via Twitter @MDiffenbaugh.
PMP243: Grace in the Journey with Jessica Wee
Apr 28, 2021
Show notes
Jessica Wee is the Principal of Rainbow Centre Yishun Park School in Singapore. She has previously served in the school as Vice Principal before taking over principalship six years ago.
Rainbow Centre School serves 400 students with autism and multiple disabilities.The school aims to nurture young persons with disabilities (aged 7-18) into adults who are able to live independently and interdependently, to grow continuously, and to engage in active participation and contribution to the community.
Her goal is to serve the underprivileged, but she realizing she is on the receiving end of much grace through this leadership journey. A firm believer that ‘everything rises and falls on leadership’, she continues a humble journey of self discovery as a leader.
WDP: Welcome to the Principal Matters podcast! Can you fill in the gaps on that intro and tell us something listeners may be surprised to know about you?
Jessica Wee:I did not start off to be an educator, in fact, my first career was in marketing and product development. I did a mid-career switch to education to spend more time with my family as my previous job involved a great deal of travelling and time away from home. Since then, there is no regrets entering education. I am grateful for my experience in the commercial sector and I have incorporated some of the best practises into the management of the school.
WDP: Can you tell us more about your school? What do you find are the challenges and opportunities of leading in your school?
Jessica Wee:Rainbow Centre schools offer an education that goes beyond the disabilities of the students we serve. The outcomes-based functional curriculum is facilitated by a teaching team and supported by an interdisciplinary team of therapists, psychologists, and social workers to enable students to access their educational goals.
Each student gets an Individualised Education Plan – a customised learning roadmap. Integrating co-curricular activities, therapy services, the use of technology and character and citizenship education, our students experience a well-rounded education experience.
In leading a school of 400 with students from junior years to young adults, it does present safety challenges. Family collaboration can also present its challenges as much effort is still needed to understand individual family dynamics to ensure success in this area.
There are many possibilities as I believe in maximizing potential of a child. I see providing accessible learning and participation as of utmost importance for the students. With technological support, creativity and the courage to challenge the status quo, we can certainly develop innovative and personalized communicative and mobility solutions to break down barriers for the special needs students.
WDP: How has leading through a pandemic affected your own school community?
Jessica Wee:The first case of COVID was confirmed on 23 January 2020. Early cases were primarily imported until local transmission began to develop in February and March. Thanks to the Singapore government’s swift action with formation of COVID taskforce, the Ministry of Education worked closely with the Ministry of Health and supported the school community with various safe management measures. The government announced school closure for about a month in April to curb the spread of COVID-19. All schools shifted to full home-based learning until May 4. With the announcement, we scrambled in a shortest time to develop a HBL COVID ready plan for students, parents and staff.
School wide Structure
The school has put in place a structure for students to continue learning at home, especially for the ASD population, to maintain as much as possible a daily routine that can enable them to easily transit back to school after the full HBL period. We have transformed the School wide assembly programme which used to be held at the auditorium into video lessons e.g. Exercises, Story-Reading, Time with Principal. These resources become useful for parents/caregivers to meaningfully engage the students at home.
In addition, for students who have challenges accessing the online platform, the school transport vendor would deliver HBL physical resource packs to them.
Communication to Parents
For continued support to parents during the full HBL period, teachers were also required to check in with their class parents once a week on Mondays via ClassDojo to communicate on the following:
✔ HBL content that the teacher has shared for the current week;
✔ Invite parents to check in with the teacher anytime during the week, if they have questions;
✔ State clearly the timing of ‘live’ lessons with the child during the current week; and
✔ Checking on the well beings of the parents.
Professional Learning for full HBL
Other useful supports which the school has put in place to support our teachers include the HBL Drive in Google Drive and the ongoing HBL PLT Sharing Sessionsorganized and conducted by the school team comprising the teaching and learning specialist and subject teacher in functional academics.
HBL ISSUES / CHALLENGES
COVID-19 has greatly changed the way the school works and the way we will continue to work even after the full HBL period is over and full school-based learning has resumed once again. Amazingly, many of our students have surprised and delighted us with the ease and enthusiasm they have taken to remote learning. Many of our teachers and APs too remain excited and encouraged by the possibilities and unexpected opportunities which have surfaced in these challenging times.
One of the most exciting possibilities that we see with HBL is that school has begun to establish a structure in family collaboration, with parents/caregivers playing a more active role in their child’s education, which is crucial once our students exit the school system. This area has always been a challenge to the school and we are beginning to see positive changes at home with HBL, the Good Life Goals which the school has envisioned are slowly becoming a reality.
When students returned to school, intensive efforts were made to put in safe management measures so as to ensure a safe learning environments for the students.
WDP: What has been one of your most challenging experiences in school leadership? What lesson did you learn that may help other leaders to keep in mind?
Jessica Wee:One of my most challenging experiences in school leadership is capacity building of my middle management. Many of the senior teachers and head of programme started off as teachers. They came into the special education sector with a heart to serve. They are patient and compassionate in nature. Therefore, as they move up the career ladder to take on management position, it requires a new set of skills in people management and programme management. It is no surprise that sometimes they struggle with balancing care and candour.
One lesson which I learned was the importance of people development. Leaders need to be groomed and thus I allotted time to have leadership conversation with my senior staff, and help them to develop a personal growth plan.
WDP: What lessons are you practicing in self-care (to pause, breathe, and flourish)?
Jessica Wee:I practice self-care by pausing daily to be thankful for all the blessings in my life through prayer, and daily reflection on my personal and professional lives. I breathe in fresh air daily through brisk walking, Pilate and swimming. As I am a foodie, I enjoy hunting for new eating places and enjoy a good meal with family or friends. Before, COVID, travelling to new places also rejuvenate me.
I flourish with renewal of God’s words daily from the bible. I am also an avid reader and enjoy listening to podcasts and TED Talk.
Now It’s Your Turn
Are you able to identify areas in your leadership where you are still ‘incomplete’ as Jessica explains? In what ways are you investing in the care of your students and your staff so they are equally able to grow in the days ahead?
You can stay connected with Principal Wee’s work at the Rainbow Centre website.
PMP242: Leading from Xi’an International School with Brittainy Harris and Paul Wendler
Apr 21, 2021
Show notes
Brittainy Harris has been working at Xi’an International School, located in China, since 2010.
With her undergraduate degree in education, she landed at this American-based international school (that was founded in 1996 with the help of Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Education) and began to teach multicultural students in a 4th grade classroom for a total of 4 years.
In 2015, she shifted to Middle School English for a total of 6 years, 4 of those years using her master’s degree in Curriculum as Curriculum Director. During her years in the classroom, she found that connection between people and focus on content helped students with not only developing as students, but also to be life-long learners and tomorrow’s leaders. 2020-2021 is her first year as a Principal. She finds leading through a Pandemic at an international school is a wonderful challenge for her first year and is thankful for the support of her XIS community and beyond.
Paul Wendler has been in China since 2001 when he and his wife started teaching at the university level. After many years of language learning, humanitarian work, raising children overseas and teaching in Chinese public schools, both university and High School/Middle School, Paul was recruited by the XIS school board to become it’s first superintendent in 2014. Since then he has worked closely with two principals in creating a long-term and sustainable vision for the future. Paul has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, has a satisfactory grasp on the Chinese language, and holds two master’s degrees in both Business Ethics and Teaching English as a Second Language.
In this series with school leaders from across the globe, Brittainy and Paul share lessons they have been learning while leading an international school during a pandemic.
Listen in to the entire episode, but here is a short summary:
Questions & Answers with Brittainy and Paul
WDP: Brittainy and Paul. Welcome to Principal Matters Podcast. Can you fill in the gaps on that intro and tell listeners something else they may be surprised to know about you?
Brittainy:You may be surprised to know I was a struggling student with dyslexia. I have overcome a lot of learning challenges to become an educator.
Paul:I’m a practicing ventriloquist with a puppet named Pong-Pong the Panda. I still have room to grow but plan to introduce Pong-Pong to the world in a couple of years.
WDP: Can you tell us more about your school? What do you find are the challenges and opportunities of leading in your school?
Paul:Because we are an international school, many of our teachers are native English speakers and were home in the states when the pandemic began. A lot of them are still in the states, which means we have had many classes being monitored by other adults while our teachers teach online from abroad.
WDP: What are some of the unique advantages of leading an international school?
Brittainy:As an international school, we teach students from a lot of different cultures and countries. Where Americans are strong in creativity, our Asian students tend to show strength in memorization. We offer Chinese to all our students so that our students can connect with their own neighbors.
Paul: I have a passion to see students catch on to learning a lot earlier than I did as a kid. Some of our students are amazingly talented. We want them to foster a desire for learning in them. This is also my community as I’ve lived here since 2010. We want our students to engage in their communities here and really live here. It’s so important for them to study the language and step out of the foreign bubble.
WDP: What lessons are you practicing in self-care (to pause, breathe, and flourish)?
Brittainy:One of my favorite ways to refill my emotional tank is through the influence of others. I try to listen deeply and take in the stories of others, even with podcasts like yours. The influence of others helps me to keep my influence positive.
Paul:I find strength by making bad news good news. In other words, I look for ways God may be using the difficult parts of my day to teach me. Scripture, especially, the Psalms have been a real source of strength for me.
Now It’s Your Turn
Paul and Brittainy share even more takeaways in the podcast interview. Listen-in for more lessons learned!
You can contact Brittainy via email at principal@xischool.com. Or reach out to Paul via email at pwendler@xischool.com. Visit their school website at https://xianinternationalschool.com
PMP241: Lessons from an All Girls School with Loredana Borello
Apr 14, 2021
Show notes
Loredana Borello is the Principal of Brescia House Secondary School in Johannesburg, South Africa. Brescia House School is a Catholic Ursuline All Girls Independent School from K-12.
As a principal, she is passionate about empowering and educating girls to take up their place as leaders in society, equipped with courage and compassion. She also is interested in mentorship, which was the focus of the research for her Masters in Education from the University of the Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg. Mentoring student teachers and interns in the practice of teaching is a vital responsibility to ensure that students are taught by dedicated and passionate teachers. In addition, she loves reading about leadership and personal development.
Questions & Answers with Loredana Borello
WDP: Welcome to Principal Matters podcast! Can you fill in the gaps on that intro and tell us something listeners may be surprised to know about you?
Loredana Borello:After 30 years in the classroom, I returned to school for my Masters degree. One is never too old to start being a student again!
WDP: Can you tell us more about your school? What do you find are the challenges and opportunities of leading in an All Girls School?
Loredana Borello:There is a quite a diversity of schools in South Africa. Brecia House is a very well-resourced Catholic school. Each school has similarities and differences in the facing the pandemic. Being an all-girls school, there are some common challenges: educating the whole-child. For girls to really believe they are enough as they are. Who they are is more important than what society tells them what a woman should be or how they should be behave. The opportunity an all-girls has is to educate young girls that they are enough and take a place at the leadership table. I’m committed to courage and compassion.
From K-12, our school has roughly 900 girls. We have a principal for the primary school, and I am at the high school. I’ve taken up this position as head of Brecia in my third year now. To inspire the teachers that what they do also is paramount.
WDP: How has leading through a pandemic affected your own school community?
Loredana Borello:Like I’m sure with many, we have had our ups and downs. Getting protocols all happening was important, but the economic crisis made it difficult for many families to not be able to pay school fees. With those pressures also came the emotional and psychological challenges for our students. Our psychologists and social workers had to reach out to many of them to help them through it. The learning became a huge opportunity for teamwork.
The opportunities created from this space gave us opportunities to do some things differently: holding parent/teacher meetings on screens, allowing students to stay connected, hosting online music concerts, bake-offs, daily prayers/meditation, and doing physical activity challenges.
We are back in school, but we do have some students who have not been able to return. So we have hybrid learning opportunities. As long as we’ve had protocols in place, school has been the safer place to be.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Listen to the entire episode for even more great takeaways from Principal Borello’s experiences, including how mentoring has played a role with serving students and how she pracitecs self-care! You can stay connected with Loredana Borello at https://www.brescia.co.za or by email at hshead@brescia.co.za
Now It’s Your Turn
In what ways has the pandemic re-shaped your service to your own school community? I’d love to hear your story. Reach out by email at will@williamdparker.com
PMP240: Self-Care Lessons with Seán Óg Ó Duinnín
Apr 07, 2021
Show notes
Seán Óg Ó Duinnín is Principal of Scoil Mhuire, a small Irish language medium school in Ballingeary, Co. Cork, Ireland since 2006.
In his time there, he has seen many developments of physical facilities with the support of Cork Education and Training Board and implemented a Restorative Practices approach to school-based relationships.
He recently completed his Masters in Gaeltacht & Irish Medium Education at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. He is currently a mentor/supervisor for others on this course.
He is also a Personal, Leadership & Executive Coach and posts on www.spreagadh.com (Irish for Inspiration) where he also has an Irish medium podcast. The podcast is not education-based but enquires of guests what inspires them and how they have grown and developed resilience, amongst other skills, in their lives.
Q & A with Seán Óg Ó Duinnín
WDP: Can you fill in the gap on the intro and tell us something else that might surprise listeners to know about you?
Seán: You will be surprised to know that when I was a boy, I was the voice actor for the Irish episodes of the cartoon character Arthur.
WDP: Recently, you shared some thoughts with me on ways you’re applying lessons from Pause. Breathe. Flourish. Can you share some of those ideas with listeners?
Seán:As leaders, we often feel guilty for taking care of ourselves. It is why airline attendants remind you to place your oxygen mask on first. But I would take the metaphor further. We are not just a passenger, we are the pilots. When a crisis happens, we’re not riding in coach, we’re in the cockpit trying to decide how we’re going to land the plane.
When I talk to leaders about self-care, they often tell me they just don’t have the time. We have to set the stepping stones, including good sleep, cutting back on caffeine, and turning off streaming devices. An early morning is great time to start the day. I charge my phone downstairs. I begin the day without the phone on. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holliday has been really good for me for reading and journaling. I fit in time for meditation, drink coffee, water, and then I check my phone.
Consider these areas in your own practice:
Sleep
Meditation
Reading
Eating Well
Exercise
Gratitude
One way to foster gratitude is to use the words: ‘Rose, Rose, Thorn, Bud’…
Rose: What is something positive about the day?
Rose: What is something else positive from the day?
Thorn: What is something challenging from the day? (And listen without offering solutions.)
Bud: What is something you’re looking forward to?
WDP: How are you applying those lessons to the ways you serve your school community?
Seán: Another priority we set during the pandemic has been “connection before content.” Even before the importance of covering the course, we must first have a human connection.
WDP: In what ways has your school been able to continue serving during the pandemic?
Seán: Even before the pandemic, we used restorative practices. While we have been remote, we’ve continued many of those same practices, including checking in with students and asking them rank themselves emotionally. We also choose wellness activities, including fitness, gardening, art, song, baking and cooking.
WDP: In what other ways have you been implementing restorative based practices in your school?
Seán:It’s not if conflict occurs, it’s when conflict occurs, knowing how to restore trust in relationships… Instead of getting furious, we get curious to know why something is happening… We are more comfortable with listening to each other. Schools are based on relationships. The human connection is at the core of our business.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Listen to the entire episode for even more great takeaways on self-care and leadership during a pandemic! You can connct with Seán Óg Ó Duinnín via Twitter @seanogoduinnin or check out his podcast at www.spreagadh.com.
PMP239: The Principal Experience Here & Abroad with Toirdealbhach Ó Lionáird
Mar 31, 2021
Show notes
As schools re-open across the globe, Principal Matters listeners have been sharing common experiences and lessons learned, including in Ireland.
Toirdealbhach Ó Lionáird serves a principal of Coláiste Ghobnatan, a second level high school in southwest Ireland. With 235 students, he has been the Principal there since 2017 and Deputy there since 2012. In addition, he teaches classes in French and English. His master’s thesis was a study in the experiences of school principals’ experiences.
Listen to the entire episode for valuable lessons. Here are some additional questions we discuss:
WDP: Can you share more about what would helpful for listeners to know about you and your school?
T. Ó Lionáird: In short, I am a serving principal of a second level school (high school) here in southwest Ireland. It’s a small, rural school, situated in what we call a “Gaeltacht” area where the Irish language was once the predominant language.
These days a lot of language planning is in hand to reinvigorate the language and inspire the younger generation.
We have a school population of 235 students, the majority of whom are fed from the local primary schools. The projected growth is for numbers to reach 300 by 2030, which puts us in line for an extension to the school building, currently at design stage. The teaching staff consists of 20 full-timers, an office administrator, janitor and cleaner.
Our governing body is Cork Education and Training Board which has a remit of 34 colleges ranging from primary through second level to third level. I’m lucky to have access to this solid, readily available network of good colleagues.
I’m 44 now but have been serving a Principal since 2017, having held the position of Deputy for 5 years prior to that. I teach classes of French and English. An inclination to lead seems to come easily to me (not that leadership is at all easy) as I’ve always striven to help others and improve on the status quo.
I have taken on further study every 5 years or so and have particular interest in other principals’ experiences (my thesis in a Masters completed in 2020 focused on this topic), along with student voice and immersion education.
Once upon a time, I had aspirations to a football player and touched on the national team, but my focus has taken me elsewhere.
WDP: How have you stayed connected with your school community during the pandemic?
T. Ó Lionáird:It has been pretty challenging. Since the 12thof March, 2020, Ireland has been shut down. For the new school year, we used Microsoft 365 to begin again in September 2020. We have managed to stay connected with that platform, but we also use phone calls to stay in touch.
WDP: When you do expect to be back in-person?
T. Ó Lionáird:It’s a bit of a political football in Ireland. It’s likely the senior students will return first in March 2021. A certain cohort of students has already returned. We are looking forward to be back even with masks.
WDP: What new routines have you discovered?
T. Ó Lionáird:Each class group has a teacher or tutor who checks in with students, and we have a guidance counselor who connects with them too. We also have a challenge with students for being outside and taking steps to stay healthy.
WDP: We all share similar experiences. You researched principal practice in your master’s thesis. What are some takeaways from that research?
T. Ó Lionáird:The context I’m working in is immersion education, teaching in the language of Irish. I wanted to see what principal experiences were like outside of areas that speak Irish. At the end, I realized we had very similar experiences. One suggestion I had was for principals to have more continuity in preparation and continuing education.
No doubt, COVID has created issues and challenges for principals whose students are expected to take state exams. We are trying to find another way to access in a way other than through exams as students don’t presently have a way to recoup if they miss the exam or are sick during examinations.
WDP: What advice would you have for aspiring education leaders?
T. Ó Lionáird:I think the initial impression I had of leadership was one of workload. I actually had no idea how much there was to do as a principal. When I was a deputy, I focused more on compartmentalized areas. But the magnitude of the principal’s work is amazing. You have to learn to park it. When you lock the door of your office, leave the work there. Be prepared on what is to be expected so that you have your head around what it is you will want to achieve. A small caveat would be that I probably should have invested in distributive leadership – to better share the workload with others.
WDP: Can you explain how your school is committed to student leadership?
T. Ó Lionáird:We allow our students to have input in their learning. Students should have a voice of what happens in the classroom and be able to co-construct lessons. Students are not just along for the ride, they should be recognized for the potential they have in shaping learning.
WDP: I agree. Principals who seem to navigate best are the ones who also rely on students for feedback. What other ideas would you like to leave with listeners?
T. Ó Lionáird:I would not consider myself an expert on immersion education, but I’ve realized how much I have had to learn. Also, action research and self-study is an area is an area that fascinates me. I’m glad to collaborate and can be reached via Twitter at @toirdealbhach.
Now It’s Your Turn
What unique lessons have you learned during this school year that you realize are common or uncommon from others? Ask that question to your teachers and staff and reflect on what ideas you want to carry into future practice in your school. Listen to the entire conversation for even more takeaways!
PMP238: Lessons from an Australian Primary School with Anne-Marie Maw
Mar 24, 2021
Show notes
“Students are at the heart of all we do,” says Principal Anne-Marie Maw. “If you’re ever struggling with what to do, put the students at the heart of your decision, and it will always make the decision easier.”
This week I’m sharing the beginning of a new series on lessons from principals across the globe, beginning with an interview with Anne-Marie Maw, principal of St. Agatha’s Primary School Clayfield.
St. Agatha’s Primary School has 340 children from Prep through Year 6. Clayfield is in the north east suburbs of Brisbane which is the capital city of the state of Queensland in Australia. Prior to her appointment at Clayfield, she had been an Assistant Principal in several Catholic schools in Brisbane and Sydney for 18 years and then several years teaching in Sydney and country New South Wales.
St. Agatha’s is Anne-Marie’s first principalship, and COVID hit when she was only a few months into this role. In today’s conversation, we discuss lessons she has learned from leading during a pandemic.
Q & A with Anne-Marie Maw
WDP: I really want to unpack your story of how you provided quality learning for your school community during the pandemic. Can you walk us through what that was like for your school community when the pandemic first began?
Anne-Marie:For me the biggest focus was around being clear in our approach,providing certainty where we could and making difficult calls which became a whole lot easier when we kept student safety and learning at the heart of what we did.
Australia have had very low COVID numbers and Queensland have been among the strictest in border security in Australia. To give you some perspective, in Brisbane in January, we had a snap 3 day complete lockdown because one person had tested positive to the new strain of COVID as a community contact. This was the week before school started back for the school year which was a bit terrifying!
In Brisbane, we were locked down for 5 weeks last year only which I know is merely a drop in the ocean compared to the States and Europe. My mantra during this time was ‘We will continue to provide excellent learning and teaching regardless of context’. This is something we did particularly well. The focus on excellent learning and teaching included a whole school approach to how we would distribute our learning to students, a role out of technology to ensure every student had access to a device prior to the shut down, skilling up teachers to be able to manage this swift change in content delivery and a provision of face to face learning with students at least 3 times a day every day we were in lockdown.
WDP: As pandemic conditions continued through the school year, how did your efforts change or enhance?
Anne-Marie:We provided weekly video assemblies for 6 months as we still couldn’t gather as a school community once students were back on site. Being a Catholic School we also ensured religious celebrations such as school prayer and liturgical celebrations continued in a virtual space. We had to cancel our Year 6 senior trip to Canberra which was really heartbreaking for the kids but we decided to have a sleepover at school instead!
WDP: What have been some of the challenges you face in keeping parents informed and connected?
Anne-Marie: As a big community person, I found it hard not having parents on site. I had just started to get to know our school communtiy and then with everything shutting down I couldn’t have people on school grounds. Some parents said that I was deliberately keeping parents off-site and using COVID as an excuse which really hurt as it was the opposite of what I wanted. I had to keep my line whilst being compassionate and understanding to the needs of a community I was only just getting to know.
The new challange is now that our community, like many in Australia, feel the COVID fatigue and we are still needing to provide measures such as limited numbers at our swimming carnival, social distancing and sanitising measures. The argument remains with many in our community ‘Why is it that we can have 40,000 people watch a football game and only 100 people can attend a swimming carnival’. Trying to keep clear around policy whilst building community back has been difficult.
PMP237: Tips for Finding the Right Fit in Your Leadership
Mar 17, 2021
Show notes
As co-host and Principal Jen Schwanke explains, the system we live in requires us to make some of the biggest decisions of life with our gut feelings.
Photo by kenteegardin – Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/26373139@N08
The good news is that you do not have to rely on gut feeling to find the right fit in leadership. What are steps you can take to be more intentional?
In this week’s episode, we explore several suggestions to keep in mind when interviewing or considering new positions in education:
Visit before saying yes.
Ask hard questions.
Picture yourself and/or your family for the next ten years.
Replace the ‘gut feeling’ with positives and negatives when making a final decision.
Be clear on weaknesses and potential pitfalls.
Remember fit does not mean perfection.
When Is It Time to Stop?
A podcast listener recently wrote in and said, “I think my follow up question for a future podcast is when is it time to just stop interviewing and find peace in your current reality?”
To answer this question, we consider the following:
Jen shares a heart warming story about a friend who chose to stay in teaching as his best fit.
Remember there is a point to just have peace, not “move up” the proverbial career ladder.
Look at the money, time, and commitment – weigh all those options before deciding.
As yourself what else is there in your professional life you could enjoy without a move.
Don’t limit yourself to titles
Finally, we talk about the importance of not getting caught up in what organizational charts dictate as “up and down”. Perhaps you may also want to flex your leadership muscles in ways that don’t fit the title of principal. You may want to consider:
Adjunct professor
Coaching
Blogging
Podcasting
Presenting at workshops
Mentoring
Let’s Wrap This Up
As you consider next steps in your own professional practice, you may be satisfied with your current fit. If so, congratulations! If not, think about how to explore the next options with forethought, well-versed, and prepared.
If you’re in the process of looking and want even more feedback on how to prepare for interviewing, check out other resources. Email us your questions. Or reach out to Jen or me if you’re interested in consulting or coaching options for preparing for the next step!
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