July 2018. Three very intense weeks while I began to put what I had learned into practice. We began with a full staff meeting. The agenda had been planned in advance by the school director and myself, with input from the teachers and administration staff. This is important – we want all staff to be involved in decisions which concern their working environment.
I spent some time getting my time management system in place. I drew on input from Sandy Millin (Taking Back Time) and the academic planner from Productive Flourishing. To start with, I used their free pages, but then bought the academic planner, and I am so pleased I did. I use it to guide my thinking as I begin to get my head around all that needs doing.
During the first weeks, I met with each teacher for an initial apraisal meeting. I wanted to get a feel for where they are in their teaching journey, and how I can help them develop. I also started the first observation cycle. Week Four would have seen me finish that, however, I got pneumonia, of all things, and ended up spending that week in bed.