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00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Welcome to Control Shift Lead, a lighthearted and honest look into the monthly
00:00:04 --> 00:00:09 mindset of school leaders brought to you by AWB Education and Inspired Edification.
00:00:09 --> 00:00:16 Sit back and listen while we talk about planning, pivoting, hallway hilarity, and heartfelt moments.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 This is truly admin life unfiltered.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 Now here are your hosts, Jim Witchman and Adam Bush.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:27 Hey, everybody. Welcome back to Control Shift Lead. I'm Adam Bush here with Jim Witchman.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:32 And Jim, it feels like June for school leaders is always just a mix of celebration
00:00:32 --> 00:00:33 and immediate future planning, doesn't it?
00:00:34 --> 00:00:38 Not only is that, but it's also a great time just to take a breath. That's true.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 Yeah, it's very true. All right, well, let's get to our show today.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:46 We've got a fresh structure designed to empower every school leader that's tuning
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 in to the Control Shift Lead podcast.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 So from here on out, each episode, we're going to give you three things.
00:00:51 --> 00:00:55 We're going to give you something you can control, which is going to be an actionable
00:00:55 --> 00:00:59 step that you can take with you today. We're going to offer a concept to shift
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 your thinking and challenge your assumptions.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:05 And then we're going to equip you with a concrete strategy to lead your team
00:01:05 --> 00:01:06 and your own work with greater purpose.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:12 Music.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:15 So, Jim, I like this idea. I think this concept is going to work for us.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 You know, when I hear this, when I hear you read the intro like that,
00:01:18 --> 00:01:22 what I really like about it is it really kind of revolves around one topic,
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 and that's perspective. Yeah.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:28 So often, especially at the end of the year, we think that we can't control
00:01:28 --> 00:01:32 a lot of things, but we got to be reminded that there are a lot we can control,
00:01:32 --> 00:01:37 whether it be our actions or words, perspective in the way we're communicating with folks. Oh, yeah.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 Challenge that thinking a little bit by shifting a practice,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 shifting a perception that maybe we've had.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 And then also, how do we put this into play? Yeah, that's true.
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 That's true. So often we get, we hear podcasts or we go talking with people
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 and we have all these grandiose ideas.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:58 And then it's like, but, but what is, how does, how do we specifically put this into play?
00:01:58 --> 00:02:02 Well, and I think too, for school leaders, there's a lot of stuff we can't control, right?
00:02:02 --> 00:02:06 And that's just the, that's just the truth of the job, but there's a lot of
00:02:06 --> 00:02:10 things that we can control and having that opportunity to really focus on that
00:02:10 --> 00:02:11 and understanding what those things are.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 It's going to help us help us lead our teams, lead our buildings,
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 lead our school districts, whatever it is we're leading, it's going to help us move forward.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:22 I used to joke around and say a middle management as a building principal. Mm-hmm.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:26 While there is some truth to that, how we lead in the building really is up
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 to us. That's true. We have a lot more control than we think we do. That's true.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:33 For this section today, we're going to talk about things you can control.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:38 One of the things in the month of June that we can control is we're kind of,
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 you know, you get the people out of there, teachers out of there. I always make the joke.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 People ask me about, you know, while you work in the summertime,
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 like, yeah, it's perfect. Are you kidding me?
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 No teachers, no parents, no kids. This job is awesome. It's great.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 Phone calls. Yeah, it's just, you bet. It's great.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:57 However, having that opportunity to really focus on what you can do or kind
00:02:57 --> 00:03:01 of reset ourselves a little bit, sometimes you have to give yourself permission to do so, though.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 So I remember coming into June, the first day when the teachers are on their
00:03:06 --> 00:03:10 little break, I guess you would say some are in classes, some are in their vacation
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 mode, some are running kids around their own children and so forth.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:18 I remember the office staff and me were the only ones in the building,
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 maybe custodians, depending on where their crew was in there at a time. Sure.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:25 I would sit in my desk and just listen. Phones weren't ringing.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 There were no, Hey, do you got a second? Do you got a minute?
00:03:29 --> 00:03:34 It was just silence. And then there were times when I really didn't even know what to do.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 I had this great idea that I was going to get everything accomplished in one
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 day and then just kind of write it out a little bit.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 Obviously it didn't work that way, but I had to look at things a little differently.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:47 One of the things I found very helpful to me was I'd go to my whiteboard and
00:03:47 --> 00:03:52 I would just write down what I wanted to get accomplished that day and just
00:03:52 --> 00:03:56 kind of like, I'm going to start something. I'm going to start a project.
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 I think I'm going to finish it all within one day because administrators,
00:04:00 --> 00:04:05 you know, we don't, we don't get that opportunity to do so within that.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:13 What I started to do over time was also add to that whiteboard reflections of
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 what we accomplished this school year. Oh, sure. Yeah.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 So we can talk about academics, but we could, I always like to start with,
00:04:20 --> 00:04:25 what did we do as a system that made the place better for the students and the adults?
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 Not just the students, but leaning into the adults. What are those fun?
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 When do we laugh with each other?
00:04:32 --> 00:04:36 And how do I replicate that just to make sure that we're intentional about making that happen?
00:04:37 --> 00:04:41 I see that because it's really easy to get focused on the academic goals because,
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 of course, that's always going to be part of the work we're doing.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:47 But if we don't take the time to stop and just all of the other stuff that's
00:04:47 --> 00:04:51 going on within a school building and a school day, it's really easy to get
00:04:51 --> 00:04:55 hyper-focused in the goal work or in that academic goal work.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:56 I think that's a really good idea, Jim.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 You know, another thing I was thinking about, too, we're just getting done.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:03 In fact, my school district, we've got about a day or two here where we'll still
00:05:03 --> 00:05:08 have teachers that are in the buildings and they're out there for summer break. Kids are gone.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 But we have a lot of stuff that's going on around in the summertime.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 I mean, the state of Iowa, where we both reside, we have baseball,
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 softball, and that goes all summer long.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:20 But even that, you've got band camps, you've got show choir camps,
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 you've got cheerleading, got all of this stuff that's going on.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:27 And there's a great opportunity to just go and just see kids in action or just
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 chat with kids off to the side.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 You're not their principal at that moment in time, right? You're just another
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 person at the school district that's just interested in them,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 interested in their lives and what they got going on. And sometimes it's hard
00:05:38 --> 00:05:43 to get out of your office just to go do that stuff. It feels like we're breaking some rule.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 Like we shouldn't be, you know, we should be busy working. We should be planning.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 But honestly, just sitting out there watching practice for a little bit,
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 standing at the fence and having a little chat with one of the kids or one of
00:05:52 --> 00:05:56 the coaches, that's a good moment to be able to focus on that for yourself too,
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 or give yourself permission to do that. Yes.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:02 I remember I was a middle school principal. So when they would go up to like
00:06:02 --> 00:06:06 the ninth grade or softball or the baseball starts right away. Yeah.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 And I remember going over to the next building where the school was and just
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 sitting out in the fence.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 Not only did it take me back to the days of old. Yeah, that's true.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:20 Which is good. That's all right. Yeah. Yeah. It was also great for me to.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:24 Comment when they, when they saw me to connect with the students there a little
00:06:24 --> 00:06:28 bit more because they couldn't believe that I was there watching their practice
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 or showed interest in them as a human beyond the classroom.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 And I can, I mean, I can only imagine as a high school principal,
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 you can just walk out the door with the ball, the ball diamonds,
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 or you can go to the gym for the, yeah.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 Got summer basketball going on or something. Yeah, absolutely.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 Their opportunities are all over the place.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 You just got to get out of your office to go see them. Yeah.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 You have to get out of your office to go see them.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 So when we do get that opportunity or make the time is what I like to say.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 We make the time to listen to or watch practice and so forth.
00:06:55 --> 00:07:00 I think it is important that we, we kind of picture those, those athletes or,
00:07:00 --> 00:07:04 you know, those in the arts and the musicians and singers in the classroom so
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 that we get a great opportunity to see the whole child.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 Yeah, that's true. So one of the things we talked about giving yourself permission
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 and you were talking about being okay with the silence.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:18 It's also a time too, where you can kind of, kind of shut off school for a little bit as well.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:23 You know, be okay with taking some time for yourself. I know a lot of people,
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 they feel guilty about taking time off in the summertime, but in fact,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 I'm, I'm at the point now where the month of June, I'm gonna have to take quite a few days.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 Cause I get that angry letter from HR. It says, take your days.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 You're not going to give days back. Right.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:39 But I, I used to feel guilty about that, but honestly, that's what they're for.
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 And it's a good opportunity for me to recharge the old saying that you,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 you know, you can't pour out of an empty cup. Right.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:49 And I think that's really important for us to just take that moment for ourselves
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 to try to make sure that we're doing the right stuff.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:56 So I just got done talking about seeing the students as a whole child, seeing them as a human.
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 And so sometimes we forget to say, do the same for us. We're a principal,
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 so we shouldn't be seen in the grocery store at 10 AM. Yeah.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 When we might be grabbing a treat or whatever the case is, and that's okay.
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 Or, or being anywhere outside of the building in the middle of the day,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:16 as far as that goes a little bit, but just some having that vacation day to
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 Maybe mow your yard in the middle of a Tuesday. Yeah.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:23 Just something simple like that that could be really energetic to our batteries within this.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:28 So seeing ourselves as a human as well, not just the title is very important.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:32 Lesson to be learned here, what we can control when we're moving into the month
00:08:32 --> 00:08:38 of June is that we can control how we're resetting ourself, how we're trying
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 to redevelop that passion,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:45 that fuel that guides us within our buildings, within our leadership journey
00:08:45 --> 00:08:50 every single year, that part we can control. And we need to control that part.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 Take that time to be able to reset ourselves a little bit.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:57 I think it's important that we are paying attention to the little things.
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 So if I was a listener and I'm going to say, walk away from here.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:04 So what are the things I can control? Yep. I'm going to take care of myself. Here's the way to do it.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 Slow down, take a vacation day and stay at home.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 Go to the grocery store in the middle of the day. Do something,
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 mow the yard in the middle of the day.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:15 Here's something else that's kind of fun to do at school or even before school.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 Actually, have breakfast.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 Slow down. Let your stomach digest the food.
00:09:21 --> 00:09:25 What's breakfast? What is that thing? Ready for it. It's going to get better. Oh, buddy.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:31 What about a 30-minute lunch? Yeah. Maybe even 40 minutes. I've heard about those.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:36 And what if, what if we had that lunch with the office staff?
00:09:36 --> 00:09:41 Yeah. Because you never get the opportunity to sit down, break bread with people
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 you work with so closely on a daily basis.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:48 And even crazier, what if we had lunch with our custodial staff who's working
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 so hard? They're going to take a break.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 You should as well. Time it up.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:56 When we get to know each other as humans, the custodians, the office staff.
00:09:57 --> 00:10:00 Then we start to see each other as, like I said, humans, people.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:05 We get to know our families. And all of a sudden, that culture becomes easier to support each other.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:10 And when we're talking about a culture of support, we're talking about everything,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 not just some, not just the principal supporting the custodian,
00:10:13 --> 00:10:17 but maybe Jim is supporting Aaron and Aaron is supporting Jim.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 It's a great opportunity for that. That's great. That is great.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 Absolutely something we should be focusing on for the month of June is perfect.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:27 Now, throwing out a little bone, principals, you really want to make,
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 hey, buy the custodian's lunch. No kidding.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 Buy the office staff lunch every now and then. That little bit of money,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 it's going to go a long way for you. Great.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:40 It's probably the best investment I've had as a principal. Yes.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 Hands down. Absolutely.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:50 Music.
00:10:49 --> 00:10:53 Okay, Adam, that was controlling. Now let's kind of lean into the next step of shift.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 Now shift can be a really uncomfortable place for a lot of people because we're
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 not talking about change. We're talking about shifting. Yeah.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:06 So paradigms kind of come into play. So how can things happen?
00:11:06 --> 00:11:11 And I think of a great example of a shift mindset is I remember when I went
00:11:11 --> 00:11:14 transitioning from one school to the next, and I was trying to get caught up
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 on emails a little bit. Yep.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 And I noticed that nobody emailed on weekends.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 I thought that was kind of crazy. Mm-hmm. I was telling my wife about this.
00:11:21 --> 00:11:25 Why isn't anybody getting caught up on emails? Am I the only one with emails? Mm-hmm.
00:11:25 --> 00:11:32 Well, it turns out that people just turned off. Yep. And we became family members on the weekend. Yeah.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:39 And then I learned that the sun comes up on Monday morning, regardless if the email's out or not.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 Yeah, work's still going to be there. Work is still going to be there. Yeah, absolutely.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:47 What I also learned is that when I'm sending emails out, I am actually draining
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 my batteries and I'm draining the receiver's batteries as well.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 Absolutely. Don't need to do it.
00:11:52 --> 00:11:57 So a shift is kind of into that thinking about how do we communicate with each other. Yeah.
00:11:58 --> 00:12:02 One of them is, so take this with you, don't email on weekends.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:07 Absolutely. turn it off, turn it off, turn it off. Don't email on holidays.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 Some have like evenings you were talking about the evening.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:15 Yeah. So, I mean, I was a former administrator that I worked with here a few
00:12:15 --> 00:12:20 years back. He had, he had put together a texting protocol with his leadership
00:12:20 --> 00:12:24 team as a, as a assistant superintendent was a role that he was in at the time.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 And I thought this was a really good idea just to try to make things easier.
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 And so it was like three things. It was like a one, 123 system, right?
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 If you needed him right now, you would just text the word emergency.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 That's it. We're not going to text anything else, which, you know,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:41 for FOIA requests and everything else, probably a good idea anyway for leaders
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 to remember to put less in a text. That's great.
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 But he would just send the word or you would just send the word emergency.
00:12:47 --> 00:12:51 And that meant to him, soon as I see this, I'm going to try to get to,
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 to be able to make a phone call quick because you need me right now.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:59 Second thing was a little, you know, a little less important was something like first chance.
00:12:59 --> 00:13:03 I think maybe even like just FC. It's all you're going to send was FC.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:06 That meant that as soon as you get an opportunity, I need to talk with you.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 There's something going on,
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 but it's not like the building's literally not on fire right now, right?
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 It's, we can get to this as soon as you get that opportunity.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 And then the third one was, I think it was WIC, when you can.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 And it might be the end of the day. It might not be till tomorrow.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 It's just, we need to chat on something.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:29 So when you can get back to me, but that three-pronged communication approach,
00:13:29 --> 00:13:35 shifting to that versus always feeling like I always have to answer the phone every single time.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:39 Sometimes I get a call from a principal and as I pop out of a meeting real quick
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 and I pop, okay, yeah. What, what, did you need something?
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 Oh, I just had a question for you. And like, oh, okay.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 I'm glad you're calling and I want to talk with you and I'll pop over and have
00:13:48 --> 00:13:52 that conversation. But I probably shouldn't have walked out of the meeting that I was just in.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:56 So having that communication protocol, something like that, or the expectations,
00:13:56 --> 00:14:01 like you're talking about the email piece, what a great expectation to have for our entire staff.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 Like none of us, we're not going to send emails. If it's an emergency,
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 it shouldn't be coming through an email anyway.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:11 So if we're just sharing information, do it during work hours or off and on
00:14:11 --> 00:14:15 close to a little bit before, a little bit after, but allow people to shut work
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 off the mental health components that go along with that.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:23 It's just huge. I remember some, I work with some younger or newer to the profession,
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 new administration profession administrators and...
00:14:27 --> 00:14:32 Assistant principals, if you will. They did not like the no emails on the weekend.
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 They grew into learning, understanding why and so forth.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:40 But when I think about the one, two, three, the emails, what you're talking
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 about is a practice that we are established.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 It's a practice that we're going to put humans first, but we're also going to
00:14:45 --> 00:14:49 keep it clear about when we need the support and when it's just nice to have.
00:14:50 --> 00:14:54 So we've got don't email on weekends, stay away from the holidays.
00:14:54 --> 00:14:59 Maybe even don't email after six or seven o'clock. Something like that.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 By the way, when I first started up as a principal, I would text in the middle
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 of night thinking that people had all their phones on silent.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 Terrible idea, by the way, because not everybody does.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:13 And then you're setting up a structure for when we do communicate, a one, two, three.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 And I believe I picked up on this, if it's an emergency, I need you now.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 So we're going to get it, type the word emergency.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 I mean, if it's something that's, what was the FC was?
00:15:22 --> 00:15:26 First chance. First chance. First chance. First chance. I love the first chance one.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 So, Hey, it's not an emergency, but whenever you get a chance,
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32 pretty important, but yeah, we need to talk to you. Absolutely.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 And then the WIC when you can, when you can. So when you set,
00:15:35 --> 00:15:40 you set up the structure and we could probably even relay it to the walkies
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 that we have in the school. Yeah.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:46 I've been in schools as a leadership coach. which I've been in schools where
00:15:46 --> 00:15:50 administrators would use the walkie-talkie to talk about students.
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 Terrible idea. Not a good idea. Walkie, because the radio is in every classroom.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 Absolutely. Everybody's hearing this. I've been in a system where the principal
00:15:57 --> 00:16:05 would radio the lunch order they want from the local restaurant for the secretary to go pick it up.
00:16:05 --> 00:16:08 By the way, that's a horrible practice if you do that at your school. Don't do that.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:13 But people hear this. Yeah. And so setting up a very, like a one,
00:16:13 --> 00:16:16 two, three process of what are you saying on the microphones?
00:16:16 --> 00:16:20 When are you saying it? Or the radios, I should say. And then the texting.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:25 This all can parlay into when we're doing our fire drills, tornado drills,
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 and you have to do the all clear, all call, zone check.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:33 Instead of having each zone tell me when they're ready, we have one person calling
00:16:33 --> 00:16:36 and checking in each one. That person is not me.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 Yeah. The lead principal, I'd say, designate a person. And I always had the
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 lead secretary, lead office administrator.
00:16:42 --> 00:16:46 And she would, when everything was ready, she would, when the building was clear,
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 she would call zone one, zone two.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:52 And the zone leaders could only say one of two things.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 Clear, not clear. Yeah. That's it. That's it.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 Good idea. Efficiency. And again, back to your one, two, three,
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 it's clear, it's common.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:04 We all know what we're talking about here with that. So shifting the mindset
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 from being, thinking that that's not an area that we really need to touch base,
00:17:07 --> 00:17:11 but really kind of lean into our uses with radios, our uses with emails,
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 and our uses with texting.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:16 Well, and the month of June is a good time to really put that plan into place
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 because you're going to roll it out in August with your staff when they come in here.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 And then you just got to be consistent with it. That's the other thing.
00:17:21 --> 00:17:25 I've talked about that with email in the past where I've told people like,
00:17:25 --> 00:17:30 hey, listen, if you're sending it to me in an email, an email is for sharing of information.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:34 That's it. It is not for a communication tool. It is not something to have a conversation with.
00:17:35 --> 00:17:40 It is simply sharing of information. So I will get to the sharing of information.
00:17:40 --> 00:17:43 But if you're needing an answer from me, it can't come through email,
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46 especially if you need it today or any time in the near future.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:51 It just it can't as much as I'd like to get back to every single email every day.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 Most school leaders, it's it's kind of a competition like, well,
00:17:55 --> 00:17:59 I haven't checked email in three hours. So what are you 60, 70? How many did I get?
00:18:00 --> 00:18:04 It's and that's just the truth. The other thing to think about with email communication,
00:18:04 --> 00:18:07 too, is and I've heard this from some other leaders that I've worked with too,
00:18:07 --> 00:18:11 or they say, you know, I, the only time I can get to email is after nine o'clock
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 at night. Well, how am I supposed to send emails?
00:18:13 --> 00:18:18 Well, every single email program out there allows you to schedule them. Sure does. Right.
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 So schedule the emails. It's fine if I have to do the work, cause that's what
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 my schedule allows me to do.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26 And I choose to do that. And that's okay if that's what it works for me.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:32 But again, I don't need an answer right now. I shouldn't want an answer at 9 PM at night.
00:18:32 --> 00:18:35 Cause if it's, if that's what it is, then this is not sharing information.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:39 I need to pick up a phone if it's that important that I've got to do it. You bet.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:44 So schedule that email to go out during that moment of time where we've decided
00:18:44 --> 00:18:46 it's okay to have emails go out, schedule those things.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 I believe we've evolved past this, but I do know of a couple of administrators
00:18:50 --> 00:18:55 who kind of put a feather in their cap for sending emails at four 30 in the
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 morning because staff would talk about it.
00:18:58 --> 00:19:04 The administrator learned that they weren't talking about it like he was a hero for working so hard.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:07 They were saying just kind of the opposite. This guy is not balanced.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:10 He's telling us to balance. That's right. He's not balanced. Correct.
00:19:11 --> 00:19:14 Yeah. And as administrators, we need our sleep.
00:19:15 --> 00:19:21 And we all joke because many administrators are looking at four to five hours of sleep.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 And when we say it out loud, it certainly is not a merit badge.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:28 And we laugh about it and shouldn't there either. It's not fun.
00:19:28 --> 00:19:31 It actually isn't funny, but it isn't funny.
00:19:31 --> 00:19:34 And we need to do a better job of supporting each other and making the norm
00:19:34 --> 00:19:37 be more of get that seventh hour of sleep.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:41 And if you're struggling with keeping your mind, slowing your mind down,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:43 there's great ways to remedy that.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:47 As a card-carrying member of my monthly session with a therapist,
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 that's a great way to start.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:53 But as colleagues, we also got to lean in on each other. So what is it that's
00:19:53 --> 00:19:56 weighing on you and let us help? Yeah, no, that's good.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:59 I think that focusing on that communication piece, like we said,
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 Jim, it's a shift for a lot of us.
00:20:01 --> 00:20:06 I know it is because you really have to spend some time and effort and energy to make sure it happens.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08 It can't just be a throw it on a piece of paper.
00:20:08 --> 00:20:12 You actually have to do it. You got to stick with it. You got to stick with it.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:18 It's really hard, but shifting that mindset of your staff, shifting that focus, it's going to pay off.
00:20:18 --> 00:20:24 With anything we do, if we're not practicing it at it, it's not going to get,
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 it's not going to improve. It's going to be exactly what you said.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:30 And then when things get really messy, we're going to fall back into the clunkiness.
00:20:30 --> 00:20:33 And then we are going to be a part of the problem of making it worse. Yep.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36 Absolutely. We have to be intentional. So we talk about what we can,
00:20:36 --> 00:20:40 that's another thing we could slide that back into what we can control is we
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 have to practice our shifting. Yeah. What we're doing with that. Oh, that's good.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:51 Music.
00:20:50 --> 00:20:54 All right. So Jim, section three of this podcast. All right.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:59 So we're going to talk about something we can take away for a leadership when we're leading.
00:20:59 --> 00:21:03 We're into June. We're into June. But August is coming right around the corner.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:09 So for me, I'm a district office administrator for the vast majority of the
00:21:09 --> 00:21:11 hats that I wear is in the district office setting.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:14 I'm doing some planning. We're trying to get some stuff ready to go.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:18 But I also know that all of a sudden, my principals are going to be coming back
00:21:18 --> 00:21:22 and right behind them, their teachers are going to be coming back and right
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 behind them, the students are going to be coming back.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:28 So I've got to prepare for August because once August comes around,
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 I pretty much need to get out of their way.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 It's time for them to get going. I'm glad as a district person,
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 you said, I got to get out of their way.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:37 One of the things that I've learned as a building principal that I've despised
00:21:37 --> 00:21:40 is emails from district office in August.
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 And it kind of goes back to that, what you're talking about,
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 sharing of information.
00:21:44 --> 00:21:48 If they're sharing information, that's fine. Just know that I'm not going to
00:21:48 --> 00:21:54 read them because my number one focus is I want the teachers to be 100% prepared
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 for day one of the school.
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 And I know that how our professional development is, it goes all over the place
00:21:59 --> 00:22:02 when it comes to, do we introduce anything new in August?
00:22:03 --> 00:22:07 My theory on that has always been no. Terrible idea to do so.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:10 So I apologize out there for the people who are doing that. And the reason why
00:22:10 --> 00:22:15 though, I want our teachers prepared to get to know their students with the information they have.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:18 Sure. I want that room prepared. I want lessons prepared.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:22 I want that experience of what is it going to look like that day one where we're
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 starting to build relationships.
00:22:23 --> 00:22:27 I want every child going home after the day, first day of school cannot wait
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 to get back the second day.
00:22:28 --> 00:22:31 And of course I want that for the second to third, third to fourth and so forth,
00:22:31 --> 00:22:33 but really leaning into that first day.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 All right. Well, then that gives us a really good idea here.
00:22:36 --> 00:22:40 I mean, when we think about August meetings, meetings, meetings,
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 meetings, they just never end.
00:22:43 --> 00:22:47 But if they're meetings, that's not really accomplishing what we're talking about.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:51 When we were talking about the show and getting things ready to go today,
00:22:51 --> 00:22:54 Jim, I thought you had a really good point there. I want you to explain that
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 here. It's not the meeting. It's an experience.
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58 It's the experience. We should be looking at August as an experience.
00:22:58 --> 00:23:02 When our teachers come back, we want that to be an experience, not a meeting.
00:23:02 --> 00:23:06 When our students come back, we want them to be, have that be an experience,
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08 not the first day of school.
00:23:08 --> 00:23:11 So how do we do that? That's really what we're looking at here.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:16 So often as a principal, we always say, we often say, we can't plan the agenda
00:23:16 --> 00:23:19 until we know what the superintendent's going to tell us to do that. Okay.
00:23:20 --> 00:23:23 So first five, six, 10, I don't know what a year it was as a principal.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 That first meeting was, I hated it.
00:23:26 --> 00:23:30 So I'm the principal and I hate it. I can't even imagine what it was like for
00:23:30 --> 00:23:34 a teacher. I come in and for two and a half hours, I vomit information.
00:23:34 --> 00:23:37 With a slideshow behind you. Probably. Well, no, I was in the 90s.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 PowerPoint was just starting to come out, you know.
00:23:42 --> 00:23:46 It was worse than that. It was just an agenda and bullets.
00:23:47 --> 00:23:51 And, and so then we, we've, we shifted and would we do something different?
00:23:52 --> 00:23:56 We, we, the teachers night, you know, a leadership team, we would put together
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59 an email, but it had all the information in there.
00:23:59 --> 00:24:01 And we would set a time for people to read it at their own convenience. Oh, sure.
00:24:02 --> 00:24:04 And we could have some questions, but the leadership team helped answer the
00:24:04 --> 00:24:06 question. So it wasn't a meeting.
00:24:06 --> 00:24:11 It was, you know, what do you need to know in this? Yep. So now we've filtered out a lot.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:15 There are certain things that we have to connect with. So thinking about an experience.
00:24:15 --> 00:24:19 So when people come back, what happens with every meeting, no matter what the
00:24:19 --> 00:24:23 topic is, what happens in that first meeting is people are talking. Yeah.
00:24:24 --> 00:24:26 Got to catch up a little bit. Got to catch up. Which is okay.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:28 It's great. Yeah.
00:24:28 --> 00:24:34 So why not make that experience longer than the first five, 10 minutes of them coming together?
00:24:34 --> 00:24:37 And then you're getting frustrated because you're trying to get them under control
00:24:37 --> 00:24:41 and like, oh, you wouldn't let your classroom do this and blah, blah, blah. Yeah.
00:24:41 --> 00:24:44 Been there, done that. I get it. So let's lean in onto that energy.
00:24:45 --> 00:24:49 Yeah. We can stifle it, sit down, keep your mouth closed and vomit information,
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 or we could capitalize it.
00:24:51 --> 00:24:55 So that first, give me an hour and a half, that 90 minutes, that 90 minutes
00:24:55 --> 00:24:58 was an experience. It was connecting with, it wasn't those, I wouldn't call
00:24:58 --> 00:25:02 them hokey icebreakers, but they were, they were activities that were with intention.
00:25:02 --> 00:25:06 Yep. So we would be talking about reminding people what we said August was going
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 to be like, because we already told them in May.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:10 So there was no surprises. It wasn't, hey, what book did Jim read?
00:25:11 --> 00:25:16 And I know a lot of people like to do themes. I was never the theme guy because
00:25:16 --> 00:25:19 I didn't want a school years to be a start, stop, start, stop.
00:25:19 --> 00:25:21 I wanted to be, this is just what we do here.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:25 And, and so if you do have a theme, making sure that it's not a start stop,
00:25:25 --> 00:25:28 it's just continuation of the work you're doing.
00:25:28 --> 00:25:31 Well, why wouldn't it just be defining your, your purpose and your passion?
00:25:31 --> 00:25:34 I mean, isn't that just your theme? Really? Yeah. It's why we're back here, right?
00:25:35 --> 00:25:38 Exactly right. We lose that a little bit, that purpose of passion.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:41 So why don't we depend on that first 90 minutes to kind of redevelop and what
00:25:41 --> 00:25:44 does that 90, I mean, that, that purpose and passion look like.
00:25:44 --> 00:25:47 So we want to get people back to their emotions of being a child.
00:25:47 --> 00:25:50 We want to get it, remember those stories. And why don't we share those stories?
00:25:50 --> 00:25:53 Because we don't tend to do that during the school year. No kidding.
00:25:54 --> 00:25:57 But we can start being intentional with setting the stage of having the conversation.
00:25:58 --> 00:26:03 What was your example would be, what was your childhood memory when you were 12 years old?
00:26:03 --> 00:26:08 And sharing that experience of playing wiffle ball or kick the can. Yeah.
00:26:08 --> 00:26:11 And then you have a population of teachers who says, ask the question,
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 what is kick the can? Exactly.
00:26:15 --> 00:26:17 And now we're taking, what was your favorite game to play? I mean,
00:26:17 --> 00:26:22 just music you listened to back then, and then all of a sudden we start connecting.
00:26:22 --> 00:26:25 And now we're giving them conversations to have throughout the year when we're
00:26:25 --> 00:26:29 in the lunch, the staff work room or whatever the case is within that.
00:26:29 --> 00:26:32 So I believe that we have an opportunity to build an experience.
00:26:32 --> 00:26:35 That's a good idea. And then for those other meetings that we talked about,
00:26:36 --> 00:26:39 they're just short. Well, and you're talking about sending stuff in an email.
00:26:39 --> 00:26:41 Again, we were just talking about it. What's the purpose of email?
00:26:41 --> 00:26:43 Well, it's to share information.
00:26:43 --> 00:26:46 And there is, there's a lot of information that has to be shared.
00:26:46 --> 00:26:50 We have some new legislation. We need to figure out what that looks like. I get it.
00:26:50 --> 00:26:53 There's always going to be the sharing of information at the beginning of the
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55 year. There's not much we can do about it.
00:26:55 --> 00:26:59 And I'm thinking from my seat in the district office, I have stuff I need us
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 to get started on and get going.
00:27:01 --> 00:27:06 But again, a lot of that stuff can be in an email or one of the things that
00:27:06 --> 00:27:09 my district has done the last couple of years, which I think is a really good idea,
00:27:09 --> 00:27:13 is for any of that new stuff, any of the legislative stuff, we'll just,
00:27:14 --> 00:27:18 our district office team, we'll We'll throw together a slideshow and just record us narrating it.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:23 Send it out as a movie, basically as a movie file to all of our staff.
00:27:23 --> 00:27:26 And like, hey, when you get a chance, we'll build in some time within the day
00:27:26 --> 00:27:29 for you to do some, you know, we always have the annual trainings and all of
00:27:29 --> 00:27:31 that stuff to take this in.
00:27:31 --> 00:27:35 You know, get that opportunity. If we're sitting in a big auditorium full of
00:27:35 --> 00:27:38 people and we're presenting slides, half the stuff people aren't going to remember anyway.
00:27:38 --> 00:27:42 Correct. Even if I give them a note page, they maybe get the note page back
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 to their desk. Maybe. Maybe.
00:27:44 --> 00:27:47 But if I'm sitting there on my own time and I can just play this,
00:27:48 --> 00:27:52 you know, it's, and I'd say that's in a riveting cinema or anything,
00:27:52 --> 00:27:55 but it, it at least does the purpose that we need it to do.
00:27:55 --> 00:27:59 But again, it's valuing the time of staff and just putting those things out
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 there for people to get to it when they're ready to get to it.
00:28:01 --> 00:28:04 So think about what the information that you typically share with,
00:28:04 --> 00:28:06 with schools and maybe principals as well.
00:28:07 --> 00:28:11 I've always tried to figure out how much of that information do they actually
00:28:11 --> 00:28:16 need in August or could some of that be shared in September and October? Sure.
00:28:17 --> 00:28:19 So, I mean, I really don't know the answer always to that, but I always think
00:28:19 --> 00:28:24 about there's a, I mean, take your legislator information, that movie.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:28 Maybe that time isn't built in in August, but maybe it's built in in September,
00:28:28 --> 00:28:30 October or something like that. Could be.
00:28:30 --> 00:28:34 Even like the, some of the communications that we talked about with the control
00:28:34 --> 00:28:39 and the shift earlier, keep it alive later on or something, you know, help revisit it anyway.
00:28:39 --> 00:28:42 But yeah, again, if it's not pertinent to the start of the year,
00:28:42 --> 00:28:45 I mean, every once in a while we'd have some legislative changes that unfortunately
00:28:45 --> 00:28:48 we do have to do right out of the gates, right? Correct.
00:28:49 --> 00:28:52 But no, you're not wrong. I mean, that's not overload people because it is the
00:28:52 --> 00:28:55 old saying of drinking water through a fire hose. There's a lot of that,
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 especially for our new staff.
00:28:57 --> 00:29:00 You know, not only are they trying to learn everything, they're trying to also
00:29:00 --> 00:29:02 learn your school. I mean, it's a different language sometimes.
00:29:03 --> 00:29:07 And that's a great point to bring up is that the new faces that are coming in,
00:29:08 --> 00:29:10 we have these new teachers. they're nervous and they're excited.
00:29:11 --> 00:29:15 The last thing I want to do is give them a two-hour meeting of vomiting information back there.
00:29:15 --> 00:29:18 Make them second-guess their choice for coming to high school.
00:29:19 --> 00:29:21 Yes, exactly. We want them.
00:29:21 --> 00:29:25 We know they're going to be exhausted. We know all this. So let's lean into that.
00:29:26 --> 00:29:30 I think sometimes when we share the information, when we're not in the classroom,
00:29:31 --> 00:29:34 the sharing of the information becomes more of a checklist of,
00:29:34 --> 00:29:36 I shared it. I'm done. I'm moving on to the next.
00:29:37 --> 00:29:41 And we got to remember that it's not going to be heard if we don't say it in
00:29:41 --> 00:29:46 the language of the listener, the timing of the listener, and is the listener prepared to listen?
00:29:46 --> 00:29:50 Again, what are our staff, our teachers are thinking about the very first coming
00:29:50 --> 00:29:53 back? It's going to be, who am I working with?
00:29:55 --> 00:29:58 Reconnecting. And that first day of school, that's it.
00:29:59 --> 00:30:04 That's it. I can still remember the first days for me as an administrator when
00:30:04 --> 00:30:07 I'm, you know, when I've taken a new position or a new job or something,
00:30:07 --> 00:30:11 and I'm, I'm in front of staff for that first time and how nervous I was.
00:30:11 --> 00:30:16 And now I'd kind of think back to him like, why, why was I nervous about it?
00:30:16 --> 00:30:19 Let's just start right away. This, we're going to be us. We're going to move
00:30:19 --> 00:30:22 forward. This is the way we do things around here. And it's not a show.
00:30:22 --> 00:30:26 I don't have to put on some big magic act up there. If that's the case,
00:30:26 --> 00:30:28 then I've, I might need to redefine what I'm doing anyway.
00:30:28 --> 00:30:32 A buddy of mine, Jeremy Brayton, we work with him. Absolutely.
00:30:32 --> 00:30:35 He gave me the phrase, when you're going to a new school.
00:30:36 --> 00:30:44 You learn. Then you lead. And then once you get some rhythm going, then you serve.
00:30:44 --> 00:30:48 So he's talking about you don't come in and making decisions based upon your
00:30:48 --> 00:30:50 experience. You got to learn about the environment.
00:30:50 --> 00:30:54 You lead where it's needed and how it's needed. That doesn't mean dictate anything.
00:30:54 --> 00:30:57 It's like kind of what we talked about here. The communication systems,
00:30:58 --> 00:31:00 the experience versus the meeting.
00:31:00 --> 00:31:04 And while you're leading, you're building capacity. And once the big capacity
00:31:04 --> 00:31:06 is being built, you really are serving where you're needed.
00:31:07 --> 00:31:12 And, and I think that those three learn, lead, serve. It's great advice.
00:31:13 --> 00:31:17 Really kind of talks about more than anything else with that first month,
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 two months can look like.
00:31:19 --> 00:31:23 I tried my best to have the first two months planned out in June.
00:31:24 --> 00:31:28 Now there's some tweaking on that, but the gist of it was there so that when
00:31:28 --> 00:31:31 the staff was back, I could be present for them.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:33 Yeah. Not be shuttled away.
00:31:33 --> 00:31:42 Music.
00:31:42 --> 00:31:46 Well, Jim, that kind of wraps up this episode of Control Shift League.
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48 Give us a recap real quick of what we talked about. Sure.
00:31:49 --> 00:31:54 Perfect. Yeah. Control Shift League. So for Control, remember we talked about catching up on you.
00:31:54 --> 00:31:58 Like what are you going to do to catch up on you when the pace is a little slower.
00:31:58 --> 00:32:02 Make sure we celebrate even the small things, whether it be.
00:32:02 --> 00:32:05 Checking out what's the athletics that are happening around your building,
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 the clubs and everything.
00:32:07 --> 00:32:10 Eat breakfast, eat lunch, and even consider buying those custodians and office
00:32:10 --> 00:32:12 staff lunch. I like that one there too.
00:32:12 --> 00:32:17 And shift, we talked about how we use email and how we communicate with the
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 one, two, three, with the emergency,
00:32:19 --> 00:32:23 with the first chance, with the, when you get a chance kind of text,
00:32:23 --> 00:32:27 you know, emails and, and how that parlays over to the, the radio,
00:32:27 --> 00:32:28 the walkie talkie thing. Yep.
00:32:29 --> 00:32:33 And then lastly, with the lead, thinking about August and start planning in
00:32:33 --> 00:32:37 June, what August could look like as an experience versus meeting,
00:32:37 --> 00:32:40 that's your one chance to get everybody together and lean in.
00:32:40 --> 00:32:44 And when I say lean in, I'm talking about when they come in and they're talking
00:32:44 --> 00:32:48 about re-catching up on or catching up on how things are over the summer,
00:32:48 --> 00:32:52 that we use that to lean in and get to know each other just a little bit better.
00:32:52 --> 00:32:54 Use that fuel for the fire for the year.
00:32:54 --> 00:32:57 Correct. That's awesome. How are you going to catch up on yourself this summer,
00:32:57 --> 00:33:02 Adam? Well, tell you what, going to go on a little bit of a trip at some point in time.
00:33:02 --> 00:33:05 My wife and I, we're 25th wedding anniversary this year.
00:33:05 --> 00:33:10 And the sad part is, and when we got married, I was busy coaching baseball.
00:33:10 --> 00:33:13 So we got married on a Saturday and Monday back in the ball field.
00:33:14 --> 00:33:18 So this is probably the closest thing we've had to a honeymoon 25 years later.
00:33:19 --> 00:33:21 And so she's put up with me this long. I think that's probably the least we
00:33:21 --> 00:33:23 can do, right? That's the least you can do.
00:33:23 --> 00:33:26 Yeah, absolutely. Kids coming home, all of that good stuff too.
00:33:26 --> 00:33:29 How about you? Where'd you say you were going? We're going to go to Puerto Rico.
00:33:29 --> 00:33:33 Puerto Rico. Yeah. Well played. I've been out of the United States once,
00:33:33 --> 00:33:36 my wife once as well, but yeah, I just kind of looked around for a place.
00:33:37 --> 00:33:39 Because Puerto Rico is. We're still here. Yeah. We're still here.
00:33:39 --> 00:33:41 One of the reasons why I did that one.
00:33:41 --> 00:33:43 Got it. Got it. Got it. How about you?
00:33:44 --> 00:33:47 Well, I'm actually reading more fiction than I ever have. Most of it's been
00:33:47 --> 00:33:51 leadership books or World War II, nonfiction.
00:33:51 --> 00:33:54 Yeah. But I'm working on doing a little bit more of that. and then
00:33:55 --> 00:33:58 My wife and I have a son going off to college, and we're trying to get as much.
00:33:58 --> 00:34:01 It probably don't seem as much we'd like, but we do get to see them a little
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 bit, going to the University of Iowa, go Hawks.
00:34:03 --> 00:34:06 And then we have 29 coming up, so we're on our 29th anniversary,
00:34:06 --> 00:34:09 and we're looking for a quick little trip to either Chicago or Vegas.
00:34:09 --> 00:34:12 Other than that, I get the opportunity for work. I'll be in West Virginia.
00:34:13 --> 00:34:16 I'll be in Virginia. I'll be at a culturized institute in Chicago,
00:34:17 --> 00:34:18 which I'm really excited about that.
00:34:18 --> 00:34:22 I'm doing some speaking out there with Jimmy Casas and the associates and Garth.
00:34:22 --> 00:34:26 That is actually, I'm really excited about the number of schools coming out
00:34:26 --> 00:34:29 to connect with me and do some like many workshops out there. That's neat.
00:34:29 --> 00:34:33 So my, my energy bucket will be pretty filled. And then August,
00:34:33 --> 00:34:36 a lot of keynotes speaking in August, which I'm really blessed to be able to
00:34:36 --> 00:34:39 be a part of the first day of school for many schools.
00:34:39 --> 00:34:41 No, that's awesome, Jim. That's really good.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:45 Well, that brings us to the end of another control shift lead.
00:34:45 --> 00:34:49 And our goal, as always, is going to be to empower you with tools you can control,
00:34:49 --> 00:34:54 some fresh perspectives to shift your thinking and actionable strategies to lead.
00:34:54 --> 00:34:56 We appreciate you spending some time with us today. Thanks again,
00:34:56 --> 00:34:59 Jim, for joining me here. This is always fun when we get together.
00:34:59 --> 00:35:03 Yes, yes. This is Jim Wichman and Adam Bush wishing you a productive end to
00:35:03 --> 00:35:06 your school year and a start for a good planning for the summer.
00:35:07 --> 00:35:11 And no matter what, under any circumstance, please remember, you're never alone.
00:35:12 --> 00:35:15 It's true. You matter. Thanks a lot, Adam, for allowing me to be a part of this.
00:35:15 --> 00:35:16 You bet. Look forward to connecting again.
00:35:19 --> 00:35:24 Thank you for joining us on Control Shift Lead, brought to you by AWB Education
00:35:24 --> 00:35:25 and Inspired Edification.
00:35:26 --> 00:35:30 Please check back next month for another lighthearted and honest look into the
00:35:30 --> 00:35:32 monthly mindset of school leaders.
00:35:32 --> 00:35:36 Please take a moment to like, comment, rate, or review our show.
00:35:36 --> 00:35:40 We would love to hear the feedback and your stories of school leadership.
00:35:40 --> 00:35:44 If you want to find out more about Jim and Adam's work, please check out the
00:35:44 --> 00:35:46 links in the show notes to get connected.
00:35:46 --> 00:35:50 Otherwise, thank you for doing the work that only a few are strong enough to
00:35:50 --> 00:35:52 do. We will talk with you again next time.
00:35:52 --> 00:35:57 Music.