"It's hard for principals to win over teachers if they haven't been one." Michael Winerip

It's a stressful time to be a new leader. With so many new mandates, accountability and budget cuts, leaders definitely have their challenges. At least new superintendents have administrative experience under their belts so, from an administrative level, they have seen these changes coming. New school leaders may not have that luxury.

School leaders have to learn a new set of skills when they move from one level to the next. At the same time they are trying to acquire that new skill set, they are working through the emotional side of accountability that everyone is experiencing. In teaching and learning, comes a great deal of emotion. Most teachers are very passionate individuals who care a great deal about their students, or at least, passionate about their subject.

It's easy to get bogged down in negative feelings for testing and accountability. High stakes testing always has the potential to put me over the edge but I try to not let it show. We don't need more chaos. We need calmness. It's important for those in leadership positions to rally the troops and get staff to laugh...every single day. We still need to find the fun in each day, even in testing time.

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