Principals...Take this One Step During Summer that Can Have More Impact on the School Year than Any
Invest the time upfront in interviewing and hiring the right teachers for YOUR campus needs. In additional to spending the time on the front end with screening, interviewing and hiring, this is the time you can set your expectations as you build the team that meets the needs of your unique campus. Take the time to have genuine conversations with your potential candidates and clearly articulate your needs and expectations. Then, allow the applicant to do the same. Ask them what they need from a principal to be successful, to meet your expectations. Don't stop there. After you and your candidate have a conversation about clear expectations, ask for a commitment from the teacher. For example, in addition to the ends and outs of punctuality, professional dress and communications etc, I always need a commitment to believing in my students- ALL students. I ask for a commitment to put in extra hours before and after school as needed, to remain positive, to chose to walk away if they find themselves in a situation where teacher talk has turned negative. Note, I never ask new teachers to commit to turning a conversation, this is an expectation I ask teacher leaders to commit to before taking on the role. By taking the time to have these conversations ahead of time, two major steps are accomplished. One, you have a conversation to go back to if you ever need to redirect a teacher. Two, this intense level of commitment sets the tone for the amount of work it takes to be a successful teachers and weeds out so to speak, candidates that are less passionate than you need. Put in the work upfront and your campus dynamics will be better for it all year long!
