Photo by pan xiaozhen
The Forty Hour team are officially declaring 2020 over.
We won’t waste your time reflecting on what has happened since this time in 2019 – suffice to say it was unexpected, unique and life changing.
As you go to perhaps the most well-earned Christmas break ever, make sure you give yourself some credit for the Olympian effort that leading a school in a pandemic is.
Those of us in New Zealand are further down the track towards a predictable world than some of you are. For what it’s worth, if you are still working inside of an uncontrolled virus district, you are in our thoughts – hang in there, but also put yourself first at least for the Christmas season. Your school needs you, and you need to be well – take a real break no matter what.
Steve and I will be back next year to keep pushing the project. There are some encouraging signs in corners of our game – PLD providers are offering ever more wellness based courses, the Ministry of Education is making the right sounds at times, and an increasing number of leaders are reporting taking deliberate steps towards leading sustainably. The Christmas break is a perfect time to progress your own plans in this area.
This blog has become pretty big now and we know that we need to start organising the content so that people can find the information they want. In the meantime, below are the top 10 posts from 2020, in order based on the total number of views – just in case you need some interesting holiday reading.
Take it easy.
Dave and Steve
- Flattening The Curve (dealing with change)
- Who’s Sitting in the Principal’s Chair? (imposter syndrome)
- The Four ‘P’s of Principalship (what matters most)
- Post-it Notes and Why They Matter (perception matters)
- Not All That Glitters is Gold (seeing what is good around you)
- Add the Big Rocks First (how to fit everything in)
- Connection (building connections as a source of value)
- Being Seen as a Person First (getting your team onside)
- Alice in Wonderland (starting each day well)
- Being Slacker Better (learning how to be sustainable)