Tag Archives: Principal Burnout

Five Life Changes for a First-Year Principal 

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First-Year Principal

Did you get the job? Yes! You did it! Congratulations, because you now have your first principal contract. You’re happy, your family is happy, and your checkbook is happier. The new position is everything you worked hard for, but life as you know it is about to change. The intent is not to scare you but to give an honest view. Here are a few life changes for a first-year principal.

Being a school principal is a noble job and comes with significant responsibilities. It comes with successes, but also comes with struggles. The first one or two years are the most difficult because you’re getting the lay of the land. The struggles vary for each person depending on their previous experience.

If your previous experience includes time as an assistant principal, you have a bird’s eye view of the leadership role. You may have leadership experience, but you’re coming from another district where things are done differently or policies are different. Or, you may be a first-year principal coming straight from a classroom environment. All journeys to the principal’s office are not the same. 

Personal and Professional Struggles

A first-year principal will experience both professional and personal changes. Early on, I recognized that the school principal’s job was lonely. I had many struggles, and you will, too. It’s normal to begin a new job, but the first few months may be bumpy. 

At times, you will question your decision to accept the job. As a first-year principal, I often asked myself two questions, “Why am I here?” and “What just happened?” You’ll question your leadership, decisions, skills, knowledge, and intuition. 

Other times, you will recognize how little time you have for your personal life. My social life was almost nonexistent during my first year in the role. Long hours at work and driving home in rush hour traffic exhausted me. Then, there were after-school and extracurricular activities that had to be attended by an administrator—some of the activities ended after 7:00 pm or 8:00 p.m. 

Twelve—or 13-hour days are not unusual. Many principals and assistant principals discuss their regret for missing their children’s events. First-year principals, the struggle between work and life balance is a huge life change. 

Physical and Emotional Wellness

Sleep is a fantasy

Another life change is you will never sleep like a baby again. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs at least seven hours of sleep each night. However, the average American gets 5.7 hours per night. 

With the stress of the principal role, a whole night of sleep is now a fantasy. The job is now in control of your mind. While everyone else snores in your house, your eyes are wide open. The projects, reports, meetings, emails, and other work-related stuff are on your mind.

 Ideas, plans, and changes run through your mind’s eye.  The clock keeps ticking: one o’clock, two o’clock, and three o’clock. Finally, you fall asleep, and the alarm goes off at six o’clock in the morning. The first-year principal runs on fumes.

Sleep is evasive for a first-year principal. Photo by Toa Heftiba on Upsplash.

The Freshman Fifteen

Another life change for a first-year principal is the “Freshman 15.” Just like in college, you gain weight during the freshman year. Well, get ready for 15 or more pounds around the middle. The stress of the job will take its toll on your eating habits and exercise routines. Unfortunately, school administrators rarely have time to sit down and eat lunch. Often, they scarf down their meals in five minutes or grab a bag of chips.  

Eating the wrong types of food, like unhealthy snacks, fast food, sugary drinks, and too much caffeine, causes your body to break down. When you visit the doctor, don’t be surprised that your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels are out of whack. Don’t get angry when nothing in your closet fits anymore.

Time Management is Your Friend

The third life change for the first-year principal is that your time is no longer your own. Kiss your personal life goodbye. Work starts early and ends late. Sometimes, work never ends for a first-year principal. You don’t know if you’re coming or going. Meetings and events happen before and after school. Eating breakfast or lunch is a luxury. You’re like the Walking Dead. Between no sleep and no time, life as you know it is over.

You must develop a schedule or routine. Otherwise, you will burn out fast. My school secretary was a godsend because she kept me on track, made meeting appointments, and updated the calendar. Each morning, she reminded me of any scheduled events or meetings. The school secretary is a vital person in your life and your first line of defense. 

You’re Always Putting Out Fires

The following life change is you are now a fireman. A first-year principal constantly puts out fires. Throw much of the theory you learned in your leadership courses. Yes, theory matters, but real life hits harder. There’s truth in the trenches. 

Now you’re responsible for a school building with hundreds of students, including staff members and much much more. Theory cannot prepare you for all the stuff that happens daily. Stuff happens all day long. Put on your comfortable shoes and gear. Handle the business and learn to delegate!

Principal Baruti Kafele’s book The Aspiring Principal 50: Critical Questions for Aspiring and New Leaders is a great one to read.

Delegate and Build Relationships

Delegating tasks is essential; however, building relationships is a priority. You will face organizational challenges during your first year as principal and need help tackling everything. Build relationships and trust among staff members so they feel included in the decision-making process. 

Building relationships means getting to know your staff professionally and personally. Learn their skill levels, passions, and what makes them tick. Next, learn to delegate based on what you’ve learned. Keep communication lines open so they feel comfortable discussing their ideas, suggestions, and concerns. Also, share your goals with the staff and be explicit. Remember, you are all in this together.

The Buck Stops with You

One more life change for a first-year principal is that your name is called more than you ever wanted to hear. “Please stop calling my name” is a statement you want to shout to the rooftops. Everyone wants to speak to you about something: the kids, parents, teachers, janitors, school engineers, community members, etc. Your calling card is always full.

Life would be easier if you went to your office and closed the door for peace. However, you can’t hide! Some will even follow you into the bathroom while you do the pee-pee dance. Life as you knew it is over.

Conclusion

Despite the life changes for a first-year principal, it’s an opportunity to learn and change lives. The year is filled with emotions as you acclimate to your new responsibilities. Be sure to take one day at a time. Learning is not an event. It is a process. Your first year as a principal is part of your learning process. It will be overwhelming, and sometimes you may want to quit. Therefore, set goals, adjust as necessary, and stay the course. 

Don’t be discouraged because of the many mistakes you are about to make. Find a mentor! Furthermore, many experienced principals can tell stories of their pitfalls, bad decisions, and more. However, they learned from the errors and kept going. As a first-year principal, don’t be afraid to reach out to the ones that came before you. Congratulations on your new gig!

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Five Tips to Recover and Rediscover Yourself 

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Recover and Rediscover

How does an educator recover and rediscover oneself? As the school year comes to a close, school administrators and teachers look forward to the summer months. It is a time to unwind and try to get some personal things done. Let’s look at the summer months a little differently. Here are some tips to recover and rediscover yourself.

Become a Healthier Educator

 Tips to recover and rediscover are another part of becoming a healthier educator and human being. As teachers or administrators, you know that time is a luxury. There is never enough of it! For example, you have probably made statements like these. “ I can’t get anything done!.” Or you have said, “I’m so busy that I don’t have time for myself!.” Then there is the statement, “ I wish there were more hours in the day..” Before you know it, you are unhappy, overwhelmed, and stressed by everyday life and work issues. 

Self-care and Wellness

One tip for recovering and rediscovering yourself is to encourage educators to focus on self-care, healing, and wellness. Self-care requires personal reflection, too. It can lead to physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Once healing occurs, you can reboot your life in a new and healthier direction.

Next, it is time for you to recover what’s left of you. Then, there is room to rediscover self. Please note that self-care is not the only way to heal or recover. Sometimes, you may need additional support or assistance by seeking professional counseling.

Both recovery and rediscovery take time. A new and healthier you will not happen in a few days or months. It is a process, not an event. Please think of how much time it took to become unhealthy. So, becoming healthy again takes time and requires having a plan. Here are some tips to get you started on recovering and rediscovering yourself.

Here are tips to recover and rediscover: You must work on yourself, by yourself, and for yourself.

Recognize Your Struggles

Tips to rediscover and recover yourself include remembering you’re human. Many of us want to be strong and invincible. We are afraid to admit our weaknesses or failures. This is especially true in the workplace. Neither teachers nor school administrators want to admit to a supervisor that they do not have the physical or emotional bandwidth to complete a task or handle a specific situation.

You are Human

It is also difficult to admit that it’s challenging to be all things to everyone in our personal lives. Always remember that you are human! You have strengths and weaknesses. Guess what? It’s normal, and you should not beat yourself for being ordinary. Recognize your areas of struggle and feel comfortable informing others. 

Do What You Want

Do what you want to do. Step back for a minute. Maybe step back for a few more minutes. Think about what would make you happy. Yes, you’re an adult with plenty of responsibilities. Perhaps you have children, a spouse, or aging parents. But where do you fit in this equation? When do you matter?

Moreover, how do all of the responsibilities make you feel? You’ve lost sight of yourself. You can’t be everything to everyone. Learn to say “NO!” It’s time to do you! 

Limit Distractions

Limit distractions in your life. Yes, there are always distractions that take up your time, too. For example, how often are you reading emails, sending text messages, or checking your social media accounts? As an experiment, make a note each time you check emails or social media. You will be amazed how the minutes add up. Responding to text messages can wait unless it’s an emergency.

Set aside a specific time in the day to respond to emails or indulge in social media. Also, look at your daily schedule for tasks you can delegate to others. Hand it over! Just tell the person it’s a part of your recovery and rediscovery. Move the distractions out of your way.

Set Goals

Set goals for yourself. Write a wishlist of things you would like to do. Then, prioritize the list. What is most important to you? Furthermore, what will make you happiest? Create a schedule of free time. Then, stick to the plan! Fill your free time with a hobby, such as watching movies, exercising, etc. Most of all, don’t let others hijack your free time. It’s your road to recovery and rediscovery. Remember, it’s time to do you! Spend time with yourself.

Learn to Rest

Lastly, learn to rest. Your mind and body cannot be on ten all of the time. Eventually, a part of you will break down. Then, the time it takes to recover and rediscover yourself will take longer. If you step back to assess your life, you’ll discover things you didn’t know. Also, you may find some things that you don’t like about yourself.

Conclusion

Make a list of things you want to do or accomplish. Accomplish your goals by giving up distractions and delegating what you can. Schedule your free time and have fun. Learn to say no to people who usurp your time. Afterward, you will be on your way to a full recovery and rediscovery of yourself.

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There is Life After School Leadership

Being a school administrator is tough. The role of a principal or assistant principal requires much stamina. For many, they are overwhelmed, and they teeter on burning out. I see many social media posts of school leaders stating they are ready to walk away due to the overwhelming responsibilities of the job. However, they are afraid to leave because they assume they cannot work in other fields. What they do not know is that there is life after school leadership.

For this post, I created a video to describe some of the career possibilities an administrator can pursue based on their skills. In this video, I speak about my journey when I lost my career as a school principal. Over time and through trials and experience, I realized I had to think outside my box and develop a new mindset. Through the journey, I discovered my life after school leadership.

There is Life After School Leadership

Watch the video to learn more about my life after school leadership.

After watching the video, reflect on your next move as a school leader. Decide what is best for you and your family. Assess all parts of your health, including your mental, physical, and financial well-being. Weigh the pros and cons of your role. Revisit your “why” or purpose to see if it is relevant or has/should it change.

Being miserable, overwhelmed, and highly stressed is not an option. That’s no way to live life personally or professionally. Stay or leave is a big decision, and I understand the fear. However, life decisions are never easy. Take time to think, reflect, rethink, or consult. Always remember, there is life after school leadership.