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…

Show Notes, Episode 46: From first year AP to AP of the Year with Dr. Tia Jones Pt. 1

About this show:

What does it mean to be an assistant principal? What is your job? What are the essential skills? One of the reasons being an AP is so challenging is because there aren’t really clear answers to these questions. Outside of busses, books, and butts, there isn’t a strong consensus for what makes a great AP. This is one of my motivations in starting this podcast – it sometimes feels like the assistant principalship is this ever changing role of mixed-up expectations, and that doesn’t seem fair. I hope through this podcast we can bring some clarity to the role and to the essential elements of being a great AP. Today, we have a wonderful guest who can help us do that.

Notable Quotes

Tia Jones

“I always tell my students that my role is to make sure that you are safe, and that you are learning. Those two things are going to happen, and it is my job to make sure that happens. And i doing that, you are not only supporting the students, but you are also supporting the teachers”

“Over the years I have learned that it is always about those relationships… what it comes down to is the relationships you build with your students, your teachers, as well as with your teachers. What I have learned is that a lot of things take care of themselves when you build those relationships”

“One of the things I definitely try to do each and every time I talk with a student is making sure that I connect with the parent prior to the child getting home”

“When we talk about the relationship piece, it doesn’t have to be just work. I want my teachers to know that I care about them at school, but that I care about them as a person. I want the best for them for home, as well as for what they do for our students at school.”

“I would like for them to take away the intentionality. Being intentional about anything that you do, but when it comes to working with the teachers for the benefit of our students, being intentional with your time, being intentional with your actions, and being intentional with your relationships”

Frederick

“I think that one of the big transition points from being a new leader to gaining that experience and taking that step to being a great leader is realizing: I’m not managing my time, I’m managing my priorities. Which is a really cool thing because when you are trying to manage your time, your time is really running you, but when you can make that shift to: I am going to manage my priorities, now you are in the drivers seat”

“Email can’t build the relationship, but you and I sitting here together talking, that builds the connection”

Links:

Tia’s Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/tiajonesed1

Tia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tia-s-jones-2ba62b29 

My email: [email protected] 

The Assistant Principal Podcast website: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/appodcast.html 

Sign up for the daily leadership email: https://mailchi.mp/c15c68e6df32/specialedition 

Website: www.frederickbuskey.com

Blog: www.frederickbuskey.com/blog (reposts of the daily email)