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Principaling in a Pandemic Supporting staff to adjust and adapt BY KATIE NOWAK
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hen the 2019-2020 school year started with the excitement of greeting our students to the building, we had no idea we would finish in remote learning, last seeing our students in person on Friday March 13, and saying goodbye virtually. Over my 16 years in education, I have dealt with a variety of situations, students in crisis, changes in curriculum, staffing issues, budget cuts, a campus wide reconfiguration process, but nothing even comes close to the experience of ‘principaling’ in a pandemic. In a whirlwind, schools upended their structures, practices, and classrooms from in-person learning to remote learning virtually overnight. Principaling in a pandemic put our leadership and problem-solving skills to a new test of responding around the clock to a myriad of issues, from technology, health concerns, food for families, adjusting to online learning and new tools, professional development for staff, adjusting curriculum and grading policies, all the while trying to meet the needs of all students, staff, and families who each had their own unique situations during the COVID-19 statewide stay at home order. Fortunately, in 2018, our school district embraced and implemented the R Factor with our staff and students. Applying our R Factor skills as a leadership team in our district, allowed us to respond to the unprecedented event of the coronavirus school closure and to support our staff in adjusting and adapting to this event, and ultimately, taking care of each other and our students. R Factor: The Importance of Our Response The R Factor is a culture, behavior, and decision-making framework used by staff and students to develop exceptional life skills to successfully navigate their school and life experiences. One of the premises of the R Factor is E +R=O, Events + Responses=
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Outcomes. Having a discipline driven or intentional response can greatly impact the outcome of a situation. There are six disciplines of the R Factor: press pause, get your mind right, step up, adjust and adapt, make a difference, and build skill. If you’d like to learn more about the R Factor you can check out the Focus 3 website, or read Urban Meyer’s book, Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Program. Principaling in a pandemic definitely required pressing pause to get your mind right, to step up and take action, all the while adjusting and adapting our response to the situation. Remaining calm and focusing our efforts on what we could control was key. In order to be successful for our students, the first step was supporting our staff in this situation and helping them adjust and adapt to the ever-changing situation of the COVID-19 closure. The following supports for staff are what I found to be successful in navigating the spring’s quarantine and remote learning experience. Taking Care of Staff to Take Care of Students You may have heard the metaphor that you can’t pour from an empty cup. This is certainly true for staff; hence, caring for and supporting them allows them to be the best for our students. One of the first actions I took to support my staff was a weekly Google check in form as part of my Sunday Staff Newsletter. The Weekly Check In asked about a lot of topics like how they were feeling, supports needed, technology celebrations, and great “borrowed” ideas. The questions were modified over the weeks to also include lighthearted items: a good book to read during quarantine, a great show to binge watch, and a favorite outdoor space to visit. We also shared some of the survey results with other staff to share ideas. Monitoring the results weekly, allowed me also to see who might need a personal call and/or a card sent in the mail, or perhaps even a meal delivered.
