Think back to your first day at your current position. What do you wish you could tell your former self? What advice would you offer? What resources would you provide?
A dear friend is beginning her first headship on July 1. We worked together many years ago as young teachers, and we’ve kept in touch during our teaching and leadership journeys.
When she called to tell me her exciting news, the first thing I said (even before “congratulations”) was: “You have to go to the NAIS Institute for New Heads (INH).” That experience had a great impact on me, connecting me with a cohort of other heads of school, and I knew it would help anyone new to the position.
I then wondered: What other advice should I offer? To get some ideas, I asked two heads who both just finished their first year of headship, plus a colleague who attended INH with me. Here’s what they said.
“Get to know your board early, and let them know you. This was essential to my first-year success. My assistant scheduled a one-on-one breakfast with each trustee, and across 10 weeks, I met with all 24. I asked each trustee, ‘What’s one thing you want me to know about our school?’ I also wanted to explore common and unique interests, family stories (especially if they were school parents), and my early leadership plans.”
—Douglas Brophy, Head of School, The Town School (NY)
“Establish relationships before you need them. Having strong connections with your new community will be the foundation from which your leadership will grow. Make a list of who you want to establish or re-establish a relationship with (board, students, administrators, teachers, other local school leaders, first responders, etc.), then prioritize that list.”
—Douglas Hamilton, Head of School, Lawrence School (OH)
“Know that it’s not about you. It’s important not to come in with a personal agenda. That said, you can expect stakeholders to ask you for one. Progressive pedagogy teaches us to get to know our students and then build a curriculum around and alongside them. School leaders need to take cues from the community and the culture, and then shape a collective vision.”
—Rod Stanton, Head of School, The School in Rose Valley (PA)
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