This term has been so busy, with all the usual term three activities and events, but with the added complexity of learning a new school. The troubles of working out exactly who does what. Being the new face in school means all the staff recognise you from when you were introduced on day one, but having 100 odd new colleagues to meet, learn about, and match names and faces to (I'm getting there, but a long way to go yet!). What are the rules, boundaries, systems and procedures. As in any new job, it's the little things that trip you up. The things that you assume are done the same way that you are used to, but then you find out that they needed to be done differently. Fortunately, thanks to my faculty and Senior Management Team, I've managed to avoid most of those pitfalls.
I have never really appreciated the school Staff Manual as much as I have this term. When I joined Waitakere College I didn't even know what questions to ask, so I learned things by trial and error (more error at first!) but by the time I left I knew both the questions and the answers, and so was able to help out newer staff with almost any question they had. Now I'm a newbie again. This time, however, I know what I want to find out, and so am able to look it up in the Staff Manual. Before it was a case of "I don't know what I don't know", but now it is "I know what I don't know, and so I know what questions to ask so that I do know".
If you are ever going to be promoted to running a department in a new school, starting in Term Three is a good time. Yes, you have the heartbreak of abandoning your classes mid-year, just when you'd got them all how you wanted and working how they needed. And in your new school you'll take over classes who are feeling unloved and abandoned by their former teacher, whatever the reason for them changing was. But you can deal with that. The advantage is that you are taking over a department that it, by and large, set up and running. The plans for the year are in place, courses are running, students are enrolled and class sizes have been dealt with. There is actually very little management to do! This gives you a great opportunity to focus on settling into the school, working out what you need to find out, and set a good basis for yourself with your teaching. For me, moving from all the jobs I did at Waitakere College to just the one job title at Lynfield College meant I was able to focus more on the learning opportunities I provided for my students than I have for a couple of years! Being able to establish a reputation with the students as firm, fair, interested in them and willing to listen to their issues around learning is the starting point to leading a group of teachers. After all, the students are our customers, and the customer is always (well, mostly!) right!
Now, leading into Term Four, the Faculty Leader role is amping up. Yearbook, Faculty Report, Prizegiving, Budget and the Timetable are all issues that are rearing their heads. New challenges and new experiences. That's why I took this job. Bring it on and let's make a difference out there.
