This week’s tip: Breathe
How do you take care of yourself? Your staff? Your SAM?
Your work as a school leader, principal or SAM, is stressful and can never be completed. Think about it. No matter how much you do today there will still be more. That’s the nature of working in school. There is always more you can do to help others move forward.
Look at your TimeTrack. Have you scheduled any “BLUE” time? Blue is personal time. It may be counter-intuitive but taking 15 minutes of personal time can actually increase your effectiveness. When you are tired and out of energy you can react in ways that won’t move your work forward. You have to be on the top of your game, in the moment and present and when you work with teachers, staff, students and parents.
Think about the time during your school day when you are at your worst. Consider scheduling a “BLUE”, or personal break. Here’s a few ideas:
One SAM principal goes to her office at 1:30 PM each day, shuts the door, turns off the lights and rests for ten minutes. She returns refreshed and ready to do good work.
A SAM principal leaves his office and walks around the perimeter of his school grounds. He says this 10 minutes of quiet and solitude makes an amazing difference in his outlook and ability to focus on his work improving teaching and learning.
A SAM takes a ten minute mindfulness break at 2:00 PM each day. She goes to her car, reclines her seat, and concentrates on her breathing. She returns to the office refreshed and ready to do even more for students, staff and parents.
You can learn more about mindfulness by viewing HD videos from the 9th Annual, 2016, National SAM Conference. Here’s a link to Kristen Olson’s keynote: https://bit.ly/3H9QkOZ
All five keynotes and five selected breakout sessions from the l6th Annual, 2023, National SAM Conference are now available in HD video: https://bit.ly/3AlRxyX
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