xvHow often does a school leader reflect on what he or she does on a day-to-
day basis? When your day is filled with training and supporting teachers,
being visible in the hallways, defusing issues before they become union
grievances or media exposés, answering the latest urgent e-mail or fax
requests from a central office, dealing with allegations of corporal punish-
ment—you do not have much time to sit back and reflect on what you are
doing. When you arrive home at whatever hour, you can’t tell your LSS
(long-suffering spouse) that you need quiet time to reflect.
When school leaders do find the time to reflect, whether while on a
retreat or while preparing curriculum for a leadership course, they dis-
cover that on a daily basis they generally operate under certain personal
principles that shape their visions, decisions, and strategic planning for
the school. I did just this while preparing to teach a one-week institute
on strategic planning for candidates in the leadership program at Pace
University. The principles described in this book have been honed by
teaching this course for ten years.
These fourteen operational catchphrases are a menu of options for you.
They are explained and illustrated. The downside of several has not been
ignored. You may find that they help you develop your supervisory style
and persona.