Before we get started, I have two quick announcements

1.     I’ve been hearing a strong interest in how to support beginning teachers. I went into some key practices last year in episodes 214 and 215, so if you are in the mode to think about how to support your BTs (and ECTs), give a listen to episodes 214 and 215

2.     The July 22 episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast we feature a panel discussion with myself and five assistant principals. Some are national/state AP of the Year awardees and others are just wrapping up their first year as assist principals. The focus of our discussion is being a first year AP! We would love to hear from you. If you have questions, topics, advice, or stories, please consider sharing. Please email them to me at [email protected]. I would love to be able to name contributors but will only do so if you explicitly give permission for us to include your name and affiliation. We are recording on July 15, so don’t wait.

Okay, now onto the episode…

Hello Colleagues and welcome to another 5 for Friday episode of The Assistant Principal Podcast!

Today’s shout out goes to Caitlin and the whole team at EB Academics. Caitlin was kind enough to interview me on episode 243 of the Teaching Middle School ELA podcast. Caitlin is a wonderful interviewer, and we had a powerful conversation about the four essentials:

• Your support network
• Healthy morning routine
• Transition from work
• Reflection

I’ll put a link to the show in the notes. Again, Caitlin, thanks for a wonderful discussion.

Today’s episode of Five for Friday recaps the strategic leadership emails for the week of September 11-15, 2023. 

After several weeks of themed messages, I was back to my more usual pattern of diverse thoughts. Maybe this is a good time to provide a peek into my processes. When I began the daily email in April 2020, and through 2021, I wrote a daily message whenever it came to me. In 2022 I began writing a week at a time, which led to an increased number of themed weeks. As this school year kicks off I’ve booked time every Monday to do the following week’s emails so that we can be further ahead in case something happens and to give Mara more time to schedule things as her schedule has become more intense.

These changes have led to more themed weeks as it is easier to write five messages around a central theme. It also makes for an easier podcast episode, but I do miss capturing an idea that I get during the week and expanding it into a meaningful leadership lesson and intention.

Over the past two weeks I had multiple things stimulate thoughts and I was able to plan ahead and come up with this week’s random thoughts. The fun thing about doing it this way is that when I record the podcast, I challenge myself to find some central them or message and often times there is something unexpected which pops up.

Okay, let’s roll through this week’s messages…

Is there a central theme in these messages? Remember, I didn’t plan a theme this week, but what emerges as I write this script is the importance of beginning with ourselves.

It may sound selfish at first, especially as much as I advocate that people are the purpose, but you cannot take care of others without taking care of yourself. This week you received five lessons about caring for yourself:

• When breakdowns occur, pause and reflect.
• Check your purpose as a first step to checking your school culture.
• As part of working hard, attend to your own revery – that’s where you will nurture greatness.
• Tap your creativity and avoid the prescriptive, rut inducing approach to leadership.
• Clean out the mental clutter which takes up space without serving you.

Take care of yourself this weekend. Engage in recovery and feed your soul.

That is this week’s Five for Friday rendition of The Assistant Principal Podcast. 

Thank you for including me on your leadership journey. 

You can learn more about what I do on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ 

Please remember to subscribe and rate this podcast. Rating the show helps others find it, and if you want to be a superfan, consider leaving a review. Again, you’ll be helping others find the show and you’ll be making me smile. And maybe you will even find yourself getting a shoutout at the top of the episode.

I’m Frederick Buskey and thank you again for joining me on this episode of the Assistant Principal Podcast. Cheers!

Link to my interview on the Teaching Middle School ELA Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-middle-school-ela/id1458448897?i=1000626080589 

Danny Bauer’s LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/danielevanbauer_fundamentals-education-blbs-activity-7100109406238830592-pGxN 

Frederick’s Links:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting 

Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/ff61713840