As a campus leader we sometimes feel and look like this.
By Friday afternoon we are drowning in paperwork. Will we ever find our way to the building exit?
Sometimes I think the office monster comes in at night and piles things on my desk. But the truth is it was like that when I left yesterday.
As administrators we stress the importance of having an organized classroom. We know students thrive under a certain level of structure. Establishing procedures and expectations is all part of creating a positive environment for learning. This also works when turning around a entire campus. An organized campus is an incubator for healthy schools. The everyone feels better and are more confident when there is consistency.
Central office meetings, parents, reports, building issues, discipline, disgruntled teachers, vender, State and federal requirements, and safety issues are among the many issues a campus leader must oversee. Where is the time to get organized? Administrators hardly have enough time to breathe? Where do we get started? It’s like trying to eat an entire cake in one bite. Even if we manage to get the entire cake in our mouth we can’t chew it so we choke.
We eat a cake one bite of one slice at a time. So let’s get organized one piece of one section at a time. Start by asking yourself these questions.
- What is the most important or most pressing issue at this time? You may feel there are several but choose one. Remember you can only chew one bite at a time.
- Is this a reoccurring issue or a one-time crisis?
- What procedures need to be put in place to help address this issue?
- Do the procedures require training and working with a team?
- Can the administrative assistant take care of some of the work?
Remember “Roman was not built in a day”. Don’t get overwhelmed with trying to find a place or procedure for everything. Sure, it is nice to eventually color-code things, create charts, assign duties to team leaders, and have cubbyholes or bins for materials. It starts on piece one sections, one issue at a time.
As the campus leader begin establishing a positive campus environment by establishing an organized work area in your office and in the campus strategic planning room or a war room. Remember an organized strategic planning room is an incubator for campus success and strong teacher leaders.
Organization begins long before teachers and students enter the campus. Being organized is the foundation for building strong positive teacher leaders.