4 Essential Strategies for Thriving in Your First Year as an Assistant Principal

Set the foundation for a fantastic first year and beyond! 

Did you know there are more assistant/associate principals and deans in PK-12 public education around the U.S. than ever before? This recent New Leaders blog post speaks to the significance of the role and 4 ways you can thrive in this first year. 

1. Be clear about your partnership with your principal. The authors suggest both you and your principal create and share with each other your respective “leadership user manuals.” (This is a simple template we’ve used at SAI). The user manuals provide “a comprehensive guide to each leader’s working style, communication preferences, strengths and weaknesses, values, and expectations.” Exchanging manuals and discussing them with each other is one pathway to clarifying roles and responsibilities as well as how you will work together. 
2. Build relationships with both staff and students. Be visible throughout the building and invite conversation with staff. Ask about their families, their interests, and their favorite foods and snacks. Ask how you can support their work. To build connections with students, consider shadowing students for a day or two. Experience the school from their lens.
3. Get comfortable having difficult conversations. You might consider these 5 Steps to Intentional Impact from the work of Anese Cavanaugh. This tool helps you prepare for what you want to say and the impact you want to have. Remember, what you tolerate, you get. Stay grounded in your why. It’s often (always) more stressful to let something fester than to address it.
4. Grow and lean on your professional network. Reach out to your mentor often. Everyone encounters situations where they need advice, a processing partner, or a shoulder to lean on. Give yourself permission to ask for help!! Your mentor wants to be a resource for you!

Give yourself grace as you navigate all that will be new in this first year. Celebrate all the learning and growing you’re doing along the way!! Read the full article here.