Implementing and Sustaining a Change

I have been doing some reading on change and the process you undertake to implement one. I have found that first and foremost we need to be making a change because it is the best interests of the kids and not for the sake of change. I also have read repeatedly how important it is to undertake this process as a team in the school but also to have a critical friend as a support to help the leader through the implementation dip and struggles. Trying to determine who might best fill that role for me.

Interesting reading and looking forward to seeing the articles that are posted for this weeks class.

School Planning

Some will read that title and quickly go do something else. I must admit I felt that way often in the past, but I am slowly reading and learning about ways to bring school planning into everyday activities at school so it isn't seen as such a daunting task. Working through Mb and Ont documents along with Dr. Kirks class as shown me that there is so much more to the plan than just the MB document. I have also discovered that it is not about reinventing the wheel, but rather using devices and data already within our reach.

I have grown so much in this area already in this course, and look forward to seeing where I end up with the final planning project I have underway.

Rules to Live By

One of my biggest complaints about systems and people is lack of consistency. I often think this happens because decisions are made based on emotion opposed to a common ground. I hate the word rule, because it will implies it should work for everyone and every scenario, but our reflection this week allowed us to reflect on some rules to live by. I came up with several I try to live by and I will share a couple that I hope I am able to pass on to my children.

1. This one has developed over time and is probably the hardest - make every decision based on what is the right thing to do, not on what is the easy thing to do.

2. Everyone has something important to them to say. It may not be priority to you but it is to them so listen.

3. Be sure you can always look into the mirror and be proud of what is looking back at you - a person of integrity.

4. Keep a smile on your face

5. Always be a parent first - they have enough friends.

Some are much easier to follow all the time - others not so much. I feel like these live rules need to be somewhere visible, like my personal mission, to remind me more often.

I am thinking these rules are somewhat fluid but not completely. I think they reflect my inner core values, but I know as I grow both professionally and as a parent I learn more and may add or change some things.

ta ta for now.

Krista

The things we like to do

When asked to look at and rank the things we like to do, how often we do them, and what gets in the way it was a real eye opener. Not only do we not do enough of the things we like in our personal time, usually because of work, I found that in work related tasks we don't get around to doing the real leadership and growth activities because of administrivia. Balance is the key word in both venues, and just how to find that balance is vital to longevity and happiness both at home and at work.

I am a person who runs by a schedule. What do the kids have, what time will supper need to be made etc., so I am thinking that my tool to fit the enjoyable things at work and at home is the plain out schedule them it. My VP at work said he found it necessary to put things in the calendar to hold himself to it or else there will always be something that comes up to take you away from it. I am going to try that method at home for now, and later at work and try to let anything (unless it is an emergency) interfere with that schedule.

I guess in a round about way this relates back to planning as well and being sure that what we set out to accomplish is important enough from the beginning to enough people, that nothing will come up that seems more of priority throughout the year and get in the way of attainment.

Curious to hear what Larry has to say.

krista

School Planning

Well I feel somewhat embarrassed after looking at the MB school planning document. I feel that I have been planning well and that our school has accomplished many things over the past few years, but there are some steps from the document that I am not sure have been done well. I think sometimes there are directives from both the provincial and local bodies that have driven our plan and other years there has been a specific need in the school that has directed where we were headed. Data and its collection and use is a real struggle for me. What to collect, how to collect it, and then what to do with it is something I could use a course on. I also think restructuring the school planning committee to encompass more staff would help as then there are several people to assist in areas as opposed to being to sole person engaging in collecting, compiling etc.

This leads into this weeks reflective activity, time and where does it go. I am so going to do this activity again when I am back at work, because a day disappears and often it feels that nothing has been accomplished but a lot has been done that is important. So far at home it feels the same, but looking back at the chart it is amazing how much you really do in a day. I guess the reality is that sometimes the things we doing isn't exactly what we had set out to do that day. Too often throughout a day things come our way that we have no control over but have to be addressed. This then pushes other things off and then we don't feel like we have enough time. I liked a suggestion about emails from our course the other night, the three d's (delegate, deal with it or delete). Going to try this as well.

Until next time....

How to deal with "drainers"

Interesting reflection exercise this week. We all know that there are drains on us that allow us to get bogged down and sometimes not accomplish what we had hoped - short or long term. This week we were asked to identify some energy drainers that stand in our way of accomplishing our mission and/or vision. Once identified we needed to choose to do one of four things: eliminate them, neutralize them, see them as opportunity, let them go. I encourage anyone who reads this to undertake this task - for work or personal. Here is what it did for me.

I was able to identify the things that really tire me out. I realized the things that do are not the reasons I went into the profession in the first place. When forced to think about it I came up with some possible ideas to use to try to create more balance between administrivia/leadership and between work/home. I think the biggest realization for me is that there are some things we really have no control over so we have to choose to just let them go and sometimes those are the things we get too hung up on. Another eye opener was that sometimes those frustrations, if we slant the way we look at them as opportunities and put the positive twist on them, we might find the energy to push through to the end.

A great exercise from Dr. Kirk. Now I hope I can follow through on the plan.

Talk soon

Krista

Week 2 - Personal Mission Statement

This week I was asked to reflect on what type of legacy I would like to leave behind when I am gone. Thought provoking. I guess I would need to respond to this from two perspectives but both so intertwined you can't talk about one without the other. One from my family, and one from my colleagues.

I would hope that my family would remember that I always had the time to be with them when it counted and even more so when they weren't expecting it. I hope they would remember that I was their biggest fan and that I was dedicated to both my family and my job but that they were always the first priority in my life. Boy this sure reminds me how much I have to work to make sure this always happens because I don't think it always does.

On the other hand I hope that those I work with will feel that my job always had my full commitment and that I did the best I possibly could at it.

I hope they all remember me as a dedicated person who fulfilled to my best ability all the tasks I took on but not forgetting to interject humor daily.

(other thoughts as well, but not needing to be posted on the blog)

As a result my personal mission statement. "To encourage, empower and brighten someone's day, each and everyday."

An interesting lesson last Thursday in class was to set weekly goals as well as long term.. Helps you get to the long term but also allows you to be more practical that there are life things that need to be done weekly that sometimes may interfere with the professional goals. Also allows us to reflect much more often on where we are at, where we are going and what might be impeding us from getting there.

Thanks for looking in.

Krista