hit: communication with principals

[Deborah Martel <marteldeb@HOTMAIL.COM>]

>From: David Lininger <tss003@mail.connect.more.net>
>To: Deborah Martel <marteldeb@HOTMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: Target: communication with principals
>Date: Wed, 09 Jun 1999 10:42:36 -0500
>
LM_NETTERS:  THis was a good one.
Debbie
> >
> >1.  What overall message do you want to convey when reporting to
>principals?
>The library is an important part of the school, and needs to be considered
>before making changes.
>
> >2.  What information should be included?
>Anything that gets the message across. Circulation statistics, usage
>statistics, etc. show that the library is important and is being used.
>
> >3.  What information does a principal want to know?
>Mine wants to know what's going on, both positive and negative. She wants
>to keep little problems from becoming BIG problems.
>
> >4.  What techniques/tricks do you use to capture the principal's
>attention?
>I put out a newsletter (print last year, email this year) and each month
>give her a usage printout.
>
> >5.  How will your report/announcement differ from the millions of other
> >papers that he/she gets daily?
>Probably not a great deal. Since it comes regularly, she is looking for it.
>
> >6.  How does the method of presentation  affect the reaction of the
> >principal?
>Mine likes a paper to take to Board meetings, so I give her the printed
>monthly report.
>
> >7.  Does the way in which you highlight information create a positive,
> >negative, or neutral impression?
>This principal recognizes that reporting a problem is not a negative
>attitude, but rather a positive one. I worked under a principal that
>thought the opposite. Obviously, if all you ever do is point out problems
>you will be seen as having a negative attitude, but it you also point out
>the positives you will create a better impression.
>
> >8.  What are the advantages/disadvantages of holding regularly scheduled
> >meetings with the principal?  How often?
>Depends on what types of people you are, and how well you get along
>otherwise. This principal stopped in daily the first week of school, just
>to say hi and see how things were going. Now she stops in only
>occasionally, but she knows that she will hear from me when she needs to
>hear. She also hears other teachers talking about the library, so she knows
>what's going on.
>
> >9.  What benefits occur when the media specialist communicates the needs,
> >goals, and plans of the program?
>The needs, goals, and plans will happen a lot faster if the powers that be
>know about them. Even though some administrators would like us to think
>they know everything, they only know what they are told or can see for
>themselves.
>
> >10.  If there is a communication problem, who should approach who to fix
>it?
>The person who thinks there is a problem. If you don't think your principal
>pays any attention to what you say, you need to talk to the principal about
>it. It might be that the action you want is being planned, but the plans
>are still a little up in the air, so nothing is being said yet. It might be
>that the principal simply is not one to run the mouth without having
>something official to say.
>
>Several years ago my daughter split her tongue open. When the doctor saw
>her at the emergency room, he looked at her tongue and walked out of the
>room without saying a word. 15 minutes later he was back with two possible
>plans of action, complete with advantages and disadvantages of each. If we
>hadn't know the doctor, we might have assumed that he was being rude or
>uncaring when he left without saying anything. We knew, however, that he
>doesn't talk unless he has something to say, and at that point he really
>didn't have much to tell us. When he came back he had something important
>to say, and we listened. He didn't give us any false hopes or fears. A good
>administrator is also like that. There are enough rumors in a school
>without the administration adding to them. Hence their silence.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>
>David Lininger, LMS
>Hickory County R-1 Schools
>Urbana, MO 65767
>tss003@mail.connect.more.net


_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
    All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
 listserv@listserv.syr.edu         In the message write EITHER:
 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
 3) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv
 For LM_NET Help & Archives see:  http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=