It is how you show up each and every day!

Recently, I traveled from San Antonio, Texas to Fort Worth, Texas to support our cheerleaders as they competed in their state competition.  Round trip, it was about ten hours on the road.   The girls and the coaches are really outstanding representatives of our school community and I enjoyed my time with them.  

The team made me a goodie bag.  I opened it and was immediately drawn to the bag of chips, as I was hungry.  I then saw a green card with my name on it.  The head cheerleader had written me a card, thanking me for supporting the team.  She went a step further and it really touched me.  She wrote that everyone on campus noticed how much I enjoyed my job, how I was always greeting students in the hallways, and how I always had a smile on my face.  

I stopped, as the card took my breath away.  

This post is not about me eating the chips and feeling good about myself.  The post is about how you show up to work everyday. This post is a reminder that every moment we are at work, we are being watched by students, staff, community members, and members from our central office.  Honestly, it is like being a movie star with the non stop spotlight we are under.  

We have all heard and experienced the difficulties of the job.  Being an educator is hard work.  If we do not look for joys in the job, they will pass us by.  Showing up with a positive attitude is a choice.  

Here are a few ways that I position myself to experience the many joys of being a high school principal.  

Start your day at the parent drop off or main entrance to your campus.  

I do this every morning.  I enjoy a cup of coffee, wave to every parent that drops their child off and greet each student upon arrival.  I also get to pet some amazing dogs in the drop off line.  

Visit every teacher, every day

This is my mindset every day I arrive on campus.  I know that I cannot do this every day, as my campus has nine buildings and 160 teachers.  But with this mindset, I am out of my office during every passing period and throughout the day.  I greet every staff member by first name and I stop and inquire about their day, their weekend, or their family.  This school management by wandering around philosophy also allows approachability for students,  This is key.  When in classrooms. I always engage with students, inquire what they are working on, and compliment students for being on task.  You would be surprised how many times a student asks to speak to me when I am in a classroom or in a hallway.  

When at extracurricular activities, be sure to be engaged.  

When I attend games, you can often find me sitting on a bench or in a dugout.  This allows me an awesome view of the game but also allows me to connect with students that are doing what they love.  If I am not on a bench, the team can hear me cheering them on. I also take lots of photos and post them to our school social media sites.  After performances, I make it a point to find members of the school play or choir and let them know how much I enjoyed their hard work.  Parents also notice how I interact with their children.  

Say “Hello”. “Good morning” or “Have a good evening.”  

It breaks my heart when I see an adult walk past a student in an empty hallway and that adult does not say hello to the student.  I am often teased that I would talk to a wall because I say hello to everyone.  I try to model for my staff that our expectation is that we greet every student we see.  Students want to be seen.  They want to be noticed.  They want someone to mention that they like their new haircut or that their sneakers look fresh,  Students want someone to comment on their new tattoo they are showing off and they want someone to congratulate them on a job well done.  

Be the biggest cheerleader for your campus and community.  

I started the post talking about my trip to the state cheer competition.  It is fitting that I am a cheerleader.  Now, I can’t do a back hand tuck, But what I can do is be the biggest cheerleader of my campus through our social media accounts, our parent SMORE, and emails that I send weekly to the student body and my staff.  

I manage the school Instagram account.  I also share information about our campus through my personal twitter account.  

Everything that I communicate is positive.  I highlight only the positives of our campus and community. I create the narrative that II want to communicate.  I highlight staff, students, and the traditions that make our school special.    I have found truly found that students appreciate mentions and photos on social media. “Can you post this on @peopleofWC ? “ (Check out our school instagram site and let me know if you think it communicates what I am writing about.
Not only does this create the atmosphere that I desire, it also provides an insight for families that are considering my campus for their children.  

This week, I encourage you to look for ways to show how much you enjoy your job.  How can you be a cheerleader for your community?  How can your students or staff see your enthusiasm for the job?

I would love to hear ways that you are experiencing the joys of the job.