Writing this post was on my to-do list for Monday that I obviously didn’t get done until today:) Seriously, why did I even make a Monday to-do list? Anyway, here is what was on my list for Monday and/or this week after being off work for 2 weeks of holiday break:
- Write my to-do list in this blog to help other principals in need
- Update school Facebook page
- Update school website
- Send weekly update email to parents through SISK12
- Send teacher memo
- Check/update 2nd semester staff and school google calendar
- Board Report due Friday – still working on that
- 1st discipline report due in board report
- Write thank you not for parent that planted like 8 trees over the holiday break
- Finalize Instructional Excellence logs for Central Office
- Call parent who is going to install hand sanitizers
- Make chart for 2nd qtr./semester reading scores
- Assign readers for the rest of the chapters of our school-wide book club
- Contact MAESP committee for new principal recognition at the state conference
- Plan “Costumes for Community Service” day for Jan. 7th
- Finalize hotel and arrangements for visit to school to observe RTI strategies
- Survey 3rd and 4th graders for input on our monthly recognition assembly
So you get the point?! There is lots to do. This doesn’t even include getting into classrooms which I usually schedule or have an idea of where I am going to visit each day. Geesh!
So what else did I leave out? What was on your to-do list for back-to-school after break?
Melinda, thanks for sharing this list! It takes all kinds of duties to make a well oiled machine run. Thanking those who work and support your mission and your staff and students is all part of the important work. Now on to week 2 of the New Year!
Happy 2011,
from Maine
Cheryl,
You're the best and always so encouraging! Thanks! And this is really only 1/2 of my list and doesn't even include my personal list:)
Melinda
Your post is a good reminder that a principal's to-do list is long…and if you are really doing things right (putting it all on the list instead of trying to remember it all), it's going to be long. that's the nature of the beast. Your lost also looks pretty clear. It's doable. Things are broken down into manageable steps. Finally, it doesn't look like there is anything that couldn't wait until tomorrow if it had to. Emergencies happen, so I have always felt like working ahead of deadlines helped me keep my sanity.
I have always been an advocate of identifying all of the repeating tasks (the things i am going to have to do EVERY year, month, grading period, week) and put that on autopilot so that it feeds into my list automatically. I have a podcast on that scheduled to go up on my blog Jan. 11. (And thanks for including me on your Blogroll!)
Frank