Today's guest blog is written by Dublin, Ohio Principal Jen Schwanke, author of You're the Principal! Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders (ASCD).

For school principals, July is lovely.  In most cases, everything moves along at a slow, manageable pace.  There might be a couple weeks of vacation with family and friends; after that, there is time to catch up on professional reading, make careful decisions about the building for the upcoming year, and complete any outstanding tasks that remained on the to-do list from the previous spring.  It feels productive.  It feels really, really good. 

And then August comes, shattering the peace with all with the necessary rapid-fire preparations leading to the first day of school.  It brings the myriad needs of all sorts of people who seem to need something right now.  That's when you, the principal, will begin to feel a bit like a tree.  A tree that has been suddenly, unexpectedly covered in busy, needy, hungry woodpeckers. Suddenly, your quiet and calm office turns into a turntable of people coming to see you--staff members, parents, and everyone in between.  They have questions; they need decisions made; they point out problems that seem to require an immediate response.  It is relentless and rattling.

I've experienced this August whirlwind for many years now, but even though I know it's coming, and even though I actively prepare for it, I'm still always caught off-guard by the abrupt shift in pace.  To help keep myself moored, I remind myself of some basic ways I might react to the escalating needs that surface in the beginning of the school year.  These tools may help you, too.     

Utilize wait time.  When taken aback by a question, it often helps to give yourself some time to think--or for the problem to solve itself.  You can respond honestly by saying, "I apologize that I can't make this a priority right now.  I promise I'll get back to you when I have the time to devote to your question."  Time will help you be more thoughtful and thorough in your response, of course, but you may also find that a viable solution has emerged on its own with the passage of a few hours or days.  

Deflect. Many times, a problem that comes to you can be easily and effectively handled by ...

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