This year I followed through with a decision I had in mind last year. Admin decided, that we would take soccer away as a consequence since it was causing so many problems. Once I got the green light, I went ahead and sent out the email to all the duty teachers letting them know that there will be NO soccer for 1 week for grades 3 and 4.
Tag: PYP
Our constant battle with parents!
Why are parents becoming needy and hard to deal with year after year? Why is it always their child and no one else’s? Over the last 11 years parents have changed. I must say that I’ve seen all sorts of parents from my 1st to my 10th year teaching and has continued now into my 1st year as an AP.
Parent Conferences
We just finished our two nights of parents conferences. I must say, as a teacher it had a total different feeling than being an AP. As part of the admin team, we walk around, up and down, all through the hallways making sure everything and everyone is fine. Looking into classrooms and being able to read my staff’s facial expressions and giving them a thumbs up was a great a feeling. One advice my principal gave me was to keep a pen and post it with me to jot down parent’s complaints/requests. For the whole night we never sat in our offices as we wanted to be visible to the parents and staff. At one point, we got four staff members asking us to roam around their area at a specific time when those “difficult” parents came in. So we made sure we were there for them, checking in on them and making sure their conference went smoothly. I didn’t know we had so many difficult parents that staff needed us there just for comfort. Being a teacher you are not aware of what is happening in other classes or grades or how parents are except your own 23 parents. .
The first hour passed and there was not one complaint! YAAAY. My yellow post it was empty woohoo!! Then the second and third hour was just the same. Everyone was smiling, complementing and speaking highly about our staff. PHEW! Our night was a success. I didn’t sit down for 5 minutes! I was all over the place and when I would cross paths with my principal, we would check in with each other for 5 minutes to compare notes and continue walking, smiling and checking up on everyone.
Coming to work the next day with 4 interviews to do, meetings to attend and staff to check up on was truly exhausting, my goodness! Day 2 of PT conferences was another success, my post it was still empty. NO complaints!! Parents were smiling, less staff needing us to roam their hallways and all just went smoothly. To continue smiling and making small talk was hard and tiring. However, I managed and enjoyed it, despite it being exhausting and not being able to sit for more than 3 minutes before someone wanting you or calling your name. It was worth it for as long as our staff and parents were happy.
As admin what do you do during PT conferences? Are you in your offices from beginning to end? Would love to know.
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.
Get to know me!
Myself in a nutshell. Born and raised in Kuwait. I received my high school and bachelor degrees from academic institutions in Kuwait. Married with two children. My passion while growing up was always to be a teacher. As my aspirations grew, I set my goal towards becoming assistant principal and, ultimately, principal, which I have partially accomplished thus far. Growing up in Kuwait as a minority was not easy. I am ensuring that any negativity I endured as a child is not repeated in school with other students. I take the responsibility of shaping future generations very seriously in mind, body and spirit.
Name : Dana Shuhaibar
Birthday: October 5th
Nationality: Kuwaiti, Middle East
Experience in teaching: 10 years
Experience in Assistant Principal: 3 years and going
Schools I taught in: Bayan Bilingual School for seven years (BBS.) I taught Grade 3 for five years and Grade 4 for two years. I moved with my daughter when she entered KG1 to American International School of Kuwait (AISK). I taught there for three years in Grade 3 and was the Team Leader for two years before becoming Assistant Principal.
Education:
- M.S., Interdisciplinary Studies and Educational Leadership Certification, Buffalo State SUNY – June 2011
- B.A, English Education with a teaching certificate, Gulf University of Science & Technology – December 2006
- HS Diploma, American International School of Kuwait- June 2001
Credentials
- Principal Training Center-enrolled 2016 (2 courses completed)
- Principal Training Center-enrolled 2017 (Graduated)
- TESOL Kuwait Conference –November 2013
- PYP “Introduction to the PYP Curriculum Model” Certificate – October 2013
- ICDL Certification – January 2009