Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day (Alice Morse Earle)

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Humans working in serene harmony together towards a common purpose is pretty rare in my experience.

I tend to have blinkers on most of the time (things happen around me all the time about which I'm blithefully unaware), but even at Macleans College I had some tetchy moments with a couple of staff.  

It can't always be smooth sailing, and it's never going to be perfect because when humans rub up against each other there are tensions.

I've come close to it a few times, and it's worth pursuing to an extent, but the emotional intelligence index is not consistently high within any school staff.

That said, a charismatic leader certainly helps.

Colin Prentice's leadership and strong moral compass at Macleans College is the main reason I felt a palpable feeling of esprit d'accor - a spirit of harmony, while I was there.  

As I said, it's pretty rare.

The best listeners listen between the lines (Nina Malkin)

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Here's a few more things needed to be a good listener:

• Some ears
• Eye contact (focus)
• Seek first to understand
• Look and learn (be observant)
• 'Hmmmm', 'Mmmmm' (avoid the temptation to interrupt)

None of that is hard. So why are the majority of people so pathetic at it?

Surround yourself with people who are going to motivate and inspire you (Charles M. Marcus)

Photo by Vladislav Vedenskii
on Unsplash

Back to the brick factory this week.

I use that metaphor from time to time - comparing a school to a brick factory. The idea comes from William Goldman's great book about making movies in Hollywood, Adventures in the Screen Trade.

By using the metaphor (making movies and working in a brick factory), he's able to capture superbly and succinctly the challenges, complexities, unpredictability and chaos involved in making movies.

That has also always seemed a good metaphor for teaching in my opinion.
 

I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention (Diane Sawyer)

 

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There is a ship and it sails on the sea, loaded deep as deep can be (Bob Dylan and Joan Baez)

Photo by Elina Emurlaeva on Unsplash

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

That's an apt quote from Jimmy Dean (a country music singer and TV personality). It describes how I feel as I navigate my way in new schools, which all come with their own unique cultures and personalities.

I think it's good advice to school leaders, as well. 

If we took a holiday, took some time to celebrate, just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice (Madonna)

Photo by Adrian "Rosco" Stef on Unsplash

Finally, the Term 3 grind has come to an end. The winter term felt interminable.

However, the flu season and busy school events soon blur out of focus as soon as the two week spring holiday break rolls around.

Holidays are when real life takes over for a while - family times, adventures, work down on the farm, road trips...

Pretty soon we'll be back at the brick factory, but for now, let's celebrate!

I don't feel bad about letting you go (Billy Bragg)

Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash

From time to time, I am still asked if I miss being in a senior leadership role (twice last week). I get why I'm asked because after seven years as an English teacher that was my life from 1990 to 2023 before returning to life solely as a classroom teacher.

Former school principals who have that particular career trajectory is nothing new. Partly it's because it's such a lonely road where only other principals understand the stresses and strains. Which can be completely overwhelming.

I'll always remember a lunch I shared with other principals in Taranaki where everyone apart from me talked about their heart conditions and the procedures they'd had. It was super scary and a good warning although I did do another seven years as a campus principal/ district principal.

All of those staff issues (serious and trivial - they are unrelenting), the demands from disgruntled parents, the discipline issues, the endless meetings, the petty jealousies, the back stabbing, all of that offsets the positive aspects over time.

I think it's an impossible job to do really well and remain sane without selling your soul - at least it was for me. Why would I want to go back to that?