Peter Simpson

1
Peter Simpson

• My Story A Journey

2
Who am I ? - Credibility!

• Principal since 1986
• Anama School - Sole charge 1986-87
• Glenroy School - Sole charge 1988-90
• Waikuku School - 5 teacher 1990-94
• Belfast School U5 1994 Present day

3
Other Stuff!

• NZEI Principals Council 1991-1999 /2000-2006,
  Chairperson 1997-1999.
• NZPF Executive 2000- present day, currently
  Junior Vice President.
• CPPA Executive 1991- present day, President
  1999/2000.
• Woolf Fisher 2006
• NZEI Study Award 2003 B Tch/Lng, Dip Ed Man
• Married to Adrienne 2 daughters 1 grandson
• I have a few friends!!

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Time Management

• Stephen Covey
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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The Clock The Compass.

• How fast were going vs Where we are heading!
  OHP
• Doing more things faster is no substitute for
  doing the right things Quote.
• The right things are the rocks.
• Efficiency vs Effectiveness.

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Efficiency

• Notes and checklists.
• Calendars Appointment Books
• Daily planning, prioritising goal setting.

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Effectiveness

• Weekly planning.
• Important - not urgent.
• Balance
• Self Leadership (in control)
• The Rocks!!!

8
Professional Leaders

• You are now a Principal not a teacher.
• YOU ARE THE PROFESSIONAL LEADER.
• How you see your job needs to change.
• You need to let go of being a teacher.
• Not all the skills you learnt to get you to being
  a Principal will help you to do this new job.
• Everything in life is temporary.
• Think about children how easily they let go of
  different stages in their life.

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My Story

• The Biggest Influences
• Stephen Covey Time management The Rocks.
• The Winner Within Pat Riley NBA Coach of LA
  Lakers (G.P.Putnams Sons, New York 1993)

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Team Work

• Taught me the importance of team work as a
  leader.
• Great teamwork is the only way to reach our
  ultimate moments, to create the breakthroughs
  that define our careers, to fulfil our lives with
  a sense of lasting significance. Pat Riley
• If as a leader you dont care who gets the
  credit, then great things will happen. Anon.

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The Next Step

• Belfast School going well.
• Woolf Fisher 2006.
• Harvard University Graduate School of
  Education. The Course.
• Malachai Pancoast.

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Harvard Programme

• Session How to work less, play more and still
  get the job done in a normal school week
• Theory In every profession the higher up you go
  the easier the work gets!!
• EXCEPT PRINCIPALSHIP !

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Now a Manager / Leader not a
Technician

• Remember not all the skills you have learnt on
  your way to being a principal will help you to do
  this new job.
• As the Manager / Leader of learning/education in
  your school you need to be where the game is
  being played In the classroom.
• Show up.
• Observe.
• Give feedback Protocols / relationships /
  culture.

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Getting to the Game

• Workload very demanding.
• Whos going to do it
• Are you a bureaucrat ? ruled by the desk.
• Addiction for paper.
• Timetabled classroom visits need to become a
  ROCK!

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State of your Office

• Should be impeccable, look like a conference
  room, be designed for 1 activity talking to
  people.
• When you or I or anyone else walks into our
  office, is it in such a mess that the energy
  levels drop? Need to make it impeccable.
• Talking and typing are not the same thing Talk
  to your teachers.
• Job of the Principal is to work on the system
  not in the system Coach doesnt play the game
  on the field.

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So Who does most of the other work? your
secretary/ PA.

• Most important job in the organisation/administrat
  ion is the secretary / PA.
• Are you in competition with the secretary for the
  job of running the school!
• The Secretarys job needs to be well defined so
  that they are not constantly being interrupted or
  doing other peoples jobs.
• adminreview.schooldocs.co.nz
• Executive is in charge of saying what, secretary
  is in charge of when and how.

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Continued

• Secretary needs to know more about whats going
  on than anyone else.
• Secretary gathers, stores, organises your paper
  work.
• YOUR OFFICE REMAINS IMPECCABLE!
• O S W I I ?
• (Oh Shit Where is it?)

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Continued

• Secretary reviews the paperwork with you and
  recommends action. Then takes the paperwork with
  them when the meeting is complete.
• DO THIS TOGETHER EVERY DAY no matter what.
• Be specific when diarying events.
• Do what your secretary tells you to do.
• Open door policy can only see you when the
  policy says they can! Anyone can see anyone in
  the organisation but at certain times.
• Secretarys time is valuable leave them alone!

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Game Day

• Spend time preparing for the game.
• Dedicate (?) days per week as game days.
• Interacting with the teachers and coaching (watch
  pupil discipline and teacher performance
  improve.)
• Preparation Day (office day) ? days per week for
  all the admin tasks, meetings, policy etc.
• www.schooldocs.co.nz
• As structured as possible.
• Build in reserve days.

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The Rules

• Give away the things you are not good at, get
  others to do them.
• Only do what youre good at. Build skills in your
  team. Some things you have to do. Own learning.
• Would you pay someone what you earn to do what
  you are doing? If NO, not your job!
• Secretary takes call and makes appointments.
• Relationships.

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The Rules continued.

• Keep your word about when you are available.
• Do what you say you are going to do
• If you dont you become difficult to work with,
  people dont take you seriously.
• Just because someone asks for you doesnt mean
  they should get through to you.
• Making yourself available to people you care
  about means making yourself unavailable.

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The Rules continued..

• Prioritise about having a life.
• Covey Sharpen the Saw.
• Do not take work home with you at night.
• Do not take work home at the weekends.
• Giving it a ride!

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Other Tips

• This is a process
• Malachai Pancoast says
• -A year of practise to implement.
• -3 years to master.
• -Start with the fundamentals.
• -There will be breakdowns.

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General tips.

• Make a point of building good relationships with
  everyone if you can but particularly your BOT
  Chair, he or she can be a great ally. If this is
  right others will follow more easily.
• Find a mentor/colleague-another Principal who you
  can talk things over with and get some guidance
  from. (Network)
• Pick your fights (What is the hill you are
  prepared to die on!!!!!)
• Listen first, before you respond. Try to see
  others point of view. Dont take criticism
  personally!!!!
• Get to know the school culture ( how things are
  done around here), know where the power in the
  school lies.
• Be Strategic (do your own), make it manageable
  and balanced

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Finally

• Your staff are the best resource the school/you
  have. Get to know them, their lives, interests,
  what makes them tick. They will do anything for
  you if they think you like them and have faith in
  them.
• Have fun with them, a drink, play a practical
  joke on them. A team that plays together stays
  together