Abstract
As the key administrator of the school, the principal is expected to set the tone for a society of learners-teachers who unreservedly exchange information, thoughts and ideas. The situation is complicated further considering the paradigm shift in the field of pedagogy where prevailing conditions and circumstances keep changing drastically each and every day. Such issues as globalization and improved machination too affect the work environment so much such that the principal realizes that he needs to do quite a great deal of work in just a limited timeframe.
It can be quite challenging and creepy if time, (which of course is the most limited and most precious resource available to the administrator), if it is not well managed. Amid theses challenges, the paper will endeavor to strike a critical analysis of the time management techniques that can be used by the principal in his/her day to day responsibilities. This paper also explores into the kind of tasks the principal is faced with to examine the need for proper time management tradition in this administrator’s life.
Introduction
In order to better understand the techniques that the school administrator can best use to minimize the chances of being overwhelmed with daily duties, we would first be fair to appreciate the work done by this administrator in the daily interaction with the stakeholders in the school environment. The principal of today facilitates the staff and student learning thereby playing the role of leadership in a learning community. Among the major roles the principal deals with are coaching, teaching and promoting the professional development of other staff especially teachers. At this point, he/she is the instructional cheerleader of all those who fall under hi/her. Therefore his availability to the rest of the staff enhances motivation, sense of security, self-esteem and boosts morale.
The contemporary school environment is faced with a great constraint in resources intermarried with increased expectations from external agencies for accountability. Such agencies as state governments put a lot of pressure on the administrator thus increasing the need for an intensified effectual strategic planning, (Welsh, 2005).
These challenges can only be dealt with effectively if there is a clear interpretation of the regulations and strategies before a system-wide action plan is developed which can help n putting the policies into practice. Otherwise, it would be difficult to meet these challenges which are brought about by the continuously changing work environment.
For example the principal is expected to work in collaboration with other professionals in the academic sphere to come up with improved academic and behavioral performance supports so that performance in these areas is set upon well-identified strategic benchmarks and indicators. While all this is the responsibility of the school administrator, it is still his responsibility to make certain that there is a sound fiscal management for the smooth running of the institution and that academic excellence is his dire goal.
It therefore requires nothing less than full commitment of the principal to hit such a target especially given the fact that there is the personal life of the administrator which he is supposed to take care of. It is only at such a moment when the challenge of balancing personal life like family life and professional duty that systemic change requires solutions arising from detailed blueprints for identifying strategic benchmarks and indicators for high performance, (Quinn 2000). Considering the fact that the school administrator should be available to the staff and the students just as much as he should avail himself to his family
At the very core of his duty the principal will recognize that the members of his staff are as much learners much in the same way they are instructors, and for this reason they will need professional growth and advancement experiences and materials to sustain them in their work in the classroom and in their learning too. The principal is expected to have the ability and opportunity to craft and create a culture of continued learning for the staff.
He can himself coach, teach, and encourage the proficient development of his teachers. When the teachers are comfortable at work it gives the principal easier time at his work too. The administrator must be well prepared to provide sufficient support in terms of teaching materials, research information and diagnostic tools to the teachers. Yet for the teachers to develop professionally the process should include demonstrating instructional exercises, modeling and lessons.
Teachers who are supported and coached in general practice new approaches and strategies more regularly and build up greater skill with teaching fresh strategies than teachers who are never given any or the same kind of support (Showers, 1982). Therefore it is wise to provide the teachers with diagnostic tools as well as research information in addition to giving them instructional support materials.
With this put into consideration, time should be provided for reflection as an imperative part of making practice better hence investing in teacher learning. Attaching professional development to school learning goals through provision of opportunities for teachers to think together, plan and work for the beneficial continuity of the whole school. There is also need for the principal to continually improve his own professional practice to improve on competence.
The introduction of such bills as the No Child Left Behind in 2002 and the IDEIA- Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, there have been fresh set of challenges to the school administrator because the concerned agencies would wish to see the standards they have set being followed and the goals being met by this administrator. Despite having the mandate of the federal and the state legislation, these mandates still demand a complete overhaul of the administrative culture so that decisions used in educating the learners are data-driven and based on these set standards.
The pressure exerted on the principal does not end there since the federal and state laws will keep him on toes expecting him to meet rigorous standards and supply evidence of progress through AYP reports, (academic yearly progress reports). Leadership through Collaborative Strategic Planning: One School’s Journey By Sally Lewis and Sylvia Imler Volume 5 – Issue 3 Oct 17, 2007 – 9:58:32 AM
Being a Reading Leader
Goleman et al (2002) identify four styles of leadership which are available to the school administrator for a successful administrative work. These are important for both providing support to the rest of the staff and offering guidance to the head of the school as far as the direction of events in the school is concerned. Being a reading leader is a great challenge that will require the principal to ask himself several questions pertaining the management of time by him and the staff.
Since time management is close to self management, the principal must ask himself what he is doing at the moment and belabor himself on establishing the connection between the set priorities and the tasks he is engaged with so that execution of the common vision does not become a dream unachievable. This is a commendable step towards proper organization. Otherwise it would not be difficult to discover, by answering this question, that there is a wide disconnect between the set top priorities and the way time is actually spend.
In order to further minimize any chances of time wastage along the way, the principal must ascertain that his actions and the priorities he sets match those of his staff or team. For the school administrator, time allocation will vary because, just as any other busy environment, the school or the learning institution is on constant change and such factors as staff turnover, time of the year among others will play a big role in determining time allocation adopted by the principal.
Goleman and the others suggest that it is imperative, if the leader wishes to be successful in the leadership, to cultivate the most appropriate leadership skills that will enable him to carry out his duties proficiently, easily and help him avoid unnecessary time wastages. They suggest that in order for the leader to minimize the time of solving bigger issues in the future, he must be democratic, coaching, affilliative and visionary.
By being visionary, the leader will be able to delineate the direction and course of the institution even if the means of reaching that destination is not yet defined to him. By being visionary the administrator will be free enough to find his own way toward a goal common to all the other staff members and still have the belief in success.
Collecting first-hand information helps a great deal. In fact, academic research indicates that the school administrator who takes five minutes of his time and dedicates them to at least every class in his school just in passing is much more successful as he is able to collect first-hand information and minimize on time wastage. This therefore falls under the umbrella of being a coaching leader, and if the administrator develops this leadership style, will encourage teachers to set long-term goals through identification of their strengths and weaknesses.. In addition to that the leader will also endeavor to equip his juniors with relevant technical assistance.
Academic research has further shown that the most proficient principal is the one who spends time in the classroom. By spending their time in the classroom the principals are able to be acquainted with what is going on and therefore be able to deal with issues on a timely basis so that there is no time wasted on establishing the root cause of problems. The democratic principal will not want to leave his staff behind but will include them in setting of goals by asking for their ideas on these issues. By and large it is fresh in the mind of the principal as the leader of the school that through caring for the emotional needs of the teachers it can really help in time management.
Creating a Time-effective Team
As Griessman suggests, the principal needs not keep quiet but must know that one way towards better time management is by making the whole team a time- effective entity. Fear of delegating duty to the juniors should not arise as part of his available priorities. Rather, he should reflect his juniors’ (teachers’) time as part of is valuable assets or inventory that need to be managed. Since success of any business depends on how well the assets are managed, the success of the entire school will therefore depend on how best the time of the staff is managed.
He must see the 5 or so hours each teacher works as giving rise to a total inventory of 100 hours per day (that is, if the total number of teachers is 20 for instance). And this is a point where the principal should not assume that his members of staff know how to manage time. He must step in and give direction.
Secondly, time management should start at recruitment where recruitment is based on good time management skills. Self-disciplined individuals who are self-starters must be very effective time managers. They are not only good at setting priorities but they know how to keep the priorities they set. It can be quite tricky but this issue can be included in the interview at recruitment time.
Ensuring that all the staff members perform tasks at their best and highest level of proficiency is a good booster to overall efficiency. This is much complicated but the administrator must first of all establish what his staff members’ best is. Taking a learning snapshot is sufficient to
Learning Snapshot is a system that entails focusing on one interaction, technique or learning skill through a 5 to 10 minute episode in a classroom. For instance, if he is attempting to establish there are interactions among students, he may literally take notes of these students carrying out their duties or working in groups. Or better still, he may take their picture. The classroom teacher can be given the picture together with the note recommending it as a positive technique of instructing students.
The advance in technology has posed a challenge to many organizations including schools as most organizations are moving toward becoming flat. Although it is true that technology has made work more easier than before, it is also true that this trend where organizations want to become flat lays a lot of work on one person in the long run, (Sally & Sylvia 2007).
Practical Tips Balancing family and Work
Leadership is a challenge that if the principal does not manage his time properly he might find himself carrying the school home every evening or carrying the family to school every morning. Or worse still he might start receiving allegations of neglect from any of the sides. If he neglects the school then it might imply failure in leadership as the head administrator and thus the school may not be lucky to achieve its long-term or short-term objectives. The administrator needs to come up with a strategic plan that is data-driven and collaborative. Clear spiritual focus has been connected to success and good organization and giving clear direction to individuals, (Eikenberry,1930).
There may never be a single prescription of reaching at a balanced life for the administrator. The principal however has an option of combining self, career and family into an integrated whole. Creative solutions must be developed to approach the challenge. Whichever strategy is taken, the skills used will probably involve thorough planning, good organization, proper communication, delegating and setting of limits to balance professional and personal life.
Building up a support network by asking for help and external contribution from his children, entire family, neighbors, staff members will help in creating back-up plans and contingency in addition to providing room for emergency plans.
The principal is entirely geared to succeed and therefore another great achievement for him would be to shun any jot guilt and rather let logic guide him throughout on his course of action.
In order for him to have sufficient time to deliberate on these matters well the principal must establish limits and create room for the much-important personal space. Boundaries must be set to protect him from actions of other people. This can help to best define how hew takes charge of his personal space and the available time. It is also a good expression of how far his powers and responsibilities extend.
Having the notion of being a perfectionist can be daunting especially where one has set great expectations and the results are otherwise contrary to these expectations. It therefore implies that the principal should set his own standards and try as much as much as possible to live by these standards.
Being successful at the family level as a parent and partner and at the professional level as a leader means being successful oneself first. The principal as a successful individual in these areas must therefore create time for himself and find some relaxing moments to relieve any tension and stress.
Getting organized and Being flexible
Change has been known to be the only permanent thing in any environment and as a leader the principal must be flexible and allow understanding to rule him and be prepared to embrace any responsibility that comes with the change. By setting priorities in the right order he can face the challenge of being caught unawares by any changes in the working environment or family level.
The principal must leave worries behind and take quality time with his family and create strong relationships with his partner and children. These relationships which are incidental act as great instruments to his general success. Children must be left in capable hands where they will feel comfortable and confident.
The National Association of Elementary School Principals recommends a number of tips time management for principals who are so busy: The principal should track his time for a day and keep a record of what he does, when he does it, and the amount of time it takes to do it. One may not be able to improve on time management until he knows and understands his current time expenditure.
- He should set times and their limits for custom tasks for instance reading and answering mail and phone calls. It would then be easier to deal with these tasks by focusing on having them done rather than deliberating on what to do next.
- Setting goals will help the principal to develop strategies and consequently save time.
- By organizing his office, the principal will know where things are and thus save time he would spend looking for them.
- The principal must also take his time to plan by spending about ten minutes each morning to organize the things he knows he wants to accomplish. Then to make sure that he actually accomplishes them he should check them off as he does them.
- Another good option is carry out the most difficult tasks at the time of day when he is at his worst. He must not forget that he should never hesitate to delegate.
- When unexpected visitors call in, the principal may wish to limit time with them by conversing with them while standing to make the conversation short.
- Taking a break off of at least 10 minutes each day will aid in refreshing just as discussed above.
Conclusion
In the present working environment and the dynamic education environment that the modern principal faces poses a real challenge in terms of how best he can manage his time and achieve to fulfill the expectations of those stakeholders in this field. The successful leader must go further than self-awareness and reach a point of self-management. Being conscious of one’s motivations, personalities and idiosyncrasies can be crowned to success by having self-control and better time management skills. Seeking adequate training can enhance professional development for the administrator and enable acquisition of better decision making skills hence better management.
The above discussed are of help in time management but they are a matter of personal initiative on the part of principal. He must therefore be ready to take a step and say no where it is required even if it seems to be hard a decision.
References
Pree, M, (2000), Does leadership have a future: Yancey, De Pree Leadership Center P.19-32.
Quality of Life Ideas resource center. Top Ten Tips on Time Management. Web.
Duke, D. (1992).. Concepts: Effective Administration. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 4, 131-144.
Bass, M. B. (1987). Performance and Leadership beyond expectations. New York: The Free Press.
Leithwood & Begley, P. (1990). The influence of values on administrator.
BlasĂ©, J. (1993). Effective school-based leadership: The micro politics- Teachers’ perspectives and growth.
Duke, D., & Canady, R,L. (1991). School Policy. New York: McGraw Hill.
Stiggins, R. & Duke. (1986). Five keys to growth: Teacher evaluation.
NAESP: National Association of Elementary school Principals. Web.
Lewis, S. (2007). Sylvia & Imler (ed.). Collaborative Strategic Planning: Leadership: One School’s Journey (5) 3.
Eikenberry, H. (1930). School Principals: The Professional Training The School Review, 38 (7) 498-509. University of Chicago Press.