SamTastic Weekly Tip: 9/21/15 - Find your leader’s low point of the day

This week’s tip: Find your leader’s low point of the day and schedule a 15 rejuvenating break. It will increase the likelihood that your principal will be effective in working with others to improve performance. Taking time to be “centered”, mindful, is a great leadership move.

There is no correlation with working longer and positive impact. In fact, the reverse is true. Principals and principal supervisors are driven to make a difference. Often they think that working longer will get them to their destination: improved teacher practice and student learning. This just doesn’t work.

Schedule a mental/physical break for your leader at the time of day he/she is “out of gas”. It could be as simple as shutting the office door and turning out the lights for 15 minutes. Other ideas: walk the outside perimeter of the school; take a power nap; listen to classical music for 15 minutes in the car; drive to Starbucks and order a cup a coffee.. .anything to give the leader a mental break. You will be amazed how this can improve the leader’s attitude and impact. You will be happier, too!

You don’t have to make every event on TimeTrack INSTRUCTIONAL to have a positive impact. PERSONAL time is not only good.it is necessary.