One of the very first questions my principal asked me was, “What does ES need after being an AP for a year?” So many things started running through my head and I didn’t know where to begin or what to say. I listed four or five things and then she asked, “Which one is the most important one you think that needs immediate action?” I immediately responded with, “a behavior plan.”
Tag: PTC
Reflecting on my first year as an AP
For the last twelve days I have been reflecting over the past school year. I have completed my first year as an AP and I felt as if I was on a roller coaster. There were many ups and downs and I found myself going round and round.
Thinking back on the year there are some things that I would do differently. In the moment, it’s difficult to analyze all situations. I don’t think anyone even with years of experience would have an answer for everything. Being in education there isn’t a day that repeats itself. There is never a dull moment because you are always on your toes.
Switch off & reenergize!
Thank God for the weekend. I just had one of the roughest weeks I have ever had. I am glad it’s over. There are so many things going on at once and at times it’s hard to keep up with. Friday is family day, one day out of the week should honestly be dedicated to spending time with your family. I wanted to disconnect from work and not be reached by anyone from work. Is it wrong to feel that way? So I decided to leave my work phone at home. It’s my time, my family, my sanity. I barely see my family during the week so I owe it to them to give them my undivided attention to them without any distraction.
AP Job Description in 10 minutes
We had 10 minutes to eat and decompress and instead the KG AP and I sat down and wrote our very own AP job description. We listed what we do minute by minute from the moment we enter the school till the time we leave. Yes our official working hours is from 7:15 till 3. But we are always here by 6:30 am and we leave by 4pm at the earliest. There are days that that we leave at 5pm depending on what we have to do since there is never any time during the day.
Creating Schedules for 2018-2019
I was told when I got the AP position that I had to increase Arabic as per the ministry’s request. I have been thinking about this since beginning of last June and the ways to make it happen. The time has come and it was time to work on schedules for 2018-2019. It feels like yesterday I was working on this year’s schedules. My God, time is flying!
The +1 Principle Article
I just read an article by John Wink about the +1 Principle. I find it interesting how as administrators we keep adding onto our staff’s plate without removing anything first. When I was a teacher I felt that tasks were being added left, right and center without any tasks being removed for us. However, this year the admin team are trying to remove tasks before adding anything. We meet, discuss, and see if it’s worth implementing or not. We evaluate what would be the outcomes if we do.
To send or not to send reminder emails.. that is the Question?!
I rarely send emails to my staff unless I really need to. However, when I do, I expect my staff to read it from beginning to end as there would be important information for them to know. It’s mostly friendly reminders and I tend to do them all in one email and send it rather than sending them emails every few days. A few days pass and I get the same question asked at least 2 or 3 times from different teachers. I look at them and bite my tongue and feel like saying, “Clearly you did not read my email, otherwise you would have known the answer to this.” Instead I put a smile on my face and answer their question(s). Sometimes there are instances where I ask my staff, “Where is this?” or “Did you not do this?” and their answer would be like “Oh oops, was I supposed to do give it in or do it?” Again I think to myself, “Really, did you not read my email?!” In a very hard but diplomatic way, I respond by saying “Yes, you were supposed to as I mentioned it in my email I sent yesterday.”
Continue reading “To send or not to send reminder emails.. that is the Question?!”
My new role…
This is it. New year, new chapter in my life, new challenges, new everything … AAAAAAAAHHH! Its all so nerve-wrecking. I arrived to Kuwait on Wednesday night and Thursday was my first day at work, officially as an ES assistant principal. Mind you I was unable to sleep properly. The anxiety I felt were insane and totally new to me. I probably slept for 2 hours.
The next morning, I picked up the KG AP and went grocery shopping for our new staff arriving that night. We made sure we got them things that will get them by for that night. We had planned many shopping trips for them. We bought the things and took them to sort them out and deliver them to each apartment. Later that morning was my first Admin Council meeting. We all greeted each other, spoke about our summers and began the meeting. It felt weird being there with the rest of the team and jumping into conversations when needed. That night all 8 of us went to the airport. We greeted the new teachers as they walked out of the sliding doors and towards the AIS sign. It was a wonderful feeling introducing myself or a principal introducing me. I tried to make them feel comfortable and answered all sorts of questions they had. Most importantly, I was able to get them connected to message their families and to let them know they arrived safely, and that they were in good hands. We were there from 9pm until 2am making sure everyone arrived and got what they needed.
The next morning we took them grocery shopping and the AP’s met to discuss the following days’ activities and schedule. It was all wonderful yet overwhelming. My main goal was to get them settled in and make sure they got everything they needed. We kept telling them not to worry about their class or school, that these two weeks are for them to make their flats feel like home, and to get their lives sorted out before anything else because that will be paramount to making them feel comfortable starting at school.
The next day we took them for breakfast at a very yummy Lebanese restaurant, then to the biggest mall in Kuwait from 10am-5pm. While they were shopping, the Admin team met to go over the next few days. Meeting at Starbucks and working in this new role, with people passing by, looking at us, felt surreal to me. Was I really here? Am I the AP? Is this happening? I felt as though I had grown up so much, so quickly.
We made sure we were visible to our new staff while they shopped and we worked, in case they needed anything. It was an amazing feeling being there, discussing their day plans and what we needed do for them. Being a teacher and then an AP is a plus for me as I know both worlds, and can empathize with what teachers need, and what they would like for us to do to help them integrate and adapt.
Overall the experience has been great. I am loving every minute of it. Yes, there are challenges but so far it’s been easy to iron it out for them. As long as our new staff are all happy and smiling, and their transition has been smooth, then all this exhaustion is worth it. I can’t wait to see what’s planned ahead for me.
Dlightfully D.
Families Support
I wouldn’t have been able to do my PTC without the support of my husband, family and closest friends. Especially my mother, who always took care of my children after my husband had to hand them over to her to go back to his work. I have them to thank for making my dream come true. Had my husband not pushed me like he did, I highly doubt I’d be where I am today.
This is my experience of my last ten years. I will now start a new chapter in my career with many new challenges, where I will fail, learn, succeed and move forward. I cannot wait, and I’m so excited that my level of elation is undoubtedly laced with anxiousness as well. I’m so eager to begin. My dream has come true, and everything I planned for, I actually did. I did it. I made it. I enjoyed every moment, even the struggle. And here I am.
Thank you for taking the time to hear about my journey. I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of it with you as I go along. I would love to hear yours as well. Please do share.
Let’s see what’s in store.
Wish me luck.
Dlightfully,
Dana
PTC Take #2
It was time to fly to Miami. I got there two days before the course started with a plan to get over my jet lag, but this time, it was impossible. This time around was much harder for me. Doing it the year before in the lens of a team leader was so much easier and different than doing it in the lens of an AP this time round. I felt it was so intense and tough. This was the real deal, like everything they were saying in the course was actually to me, as an actual AP. They are talking to me. I have that power. It freaked me out in all the best and worst ways. But I never took my eyes off the ball. Not even for a second.
I learned so much though, and I took thorough notes and did all my homework like a good girl 🙂 I will admit though, I took the two courses this summer so much more seriously than last summer. It was intense and overwhelming, and yet felt so good and different all at once. I saw friends from the summer before, met new ones and made new friends. It’s all about the networking. Meeting so many educators from around the world and being able to share with them my fear, my experience, my excitement was phenomenal. I got lots of tips and pieces of sound advice from those I connected with. I took away so many things to help me transition from one position to another.
One thing I learned from the PTC experience was that I am not alone. So many different people are either fighting hard for what they want, facing the same problem of overcoming such huge emotions to get what they want, or feeling the same feelings in their own way. It was reassuring to know I wasn’t alone at all. Many offered to stay in touch and email whenever I had a question, or to just share whatever is going on with them. It was wonderful to know they cared and that I had a network of people from the PTC that were interested in hearing about my journey. I felt a bit more at ease after completing my last course than when I had first started.
At most of my classes I happened to be the only Arab. It felt strange at first but then I got used to it. Being able to speak about Kuwait and share information about my culture was also a beautiful feeling. I felt proud of where I came from, who I was, and where I was going.
I completed both courses and finally graduated. But I plan on going back for more. After all, you can never be overeducated.