It’s October, which means it’s a beautiful month of colorful leaves, costumes, and candy, but for school leaders, it’s one of the most exhausting times of the year. The fall dip is hitting schools left, right, and center, so in today’s episode, I’m showing you what you can do when you start experiencing the fall dip.

You’ve been going full blast since July, hiring, onboarding, planning, preparing, meeting, and getting things moving. October comes around and things are humming, but we’re exhausted. So, if you want some tips for getting through this tough month, this is the episode for you.

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You’re now at the point in your school year where you’ve been at it for a few months. This means the initial honeymoon period of excitement and enthusiasm has likely worn off, and your mind is racing about how there’s so much left to do and not enough time to get it all done.

We’ve been led to believe that we need to have a combative relationship with time. We say things like, “I don’t have time,” or “Time slipped away from me,” and we use time as a scapegoat for why we’re unhappy or for not accomplishing the things we truly want to do. The truth is we’ve been sold on this oppressive framework of time, but we can begin building a beautiful relationship with it instead.

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What are you worried you’ll lose when school is back in session? This is a question I recently posed to my Facebook community, and the overwhelming response I received from school leaders was regarding their time. That’s why we’re diving into managing your thoughts about time on this episode, specifically as it relates to meetings and finding substitutes.

As school leaders, you live in a world of meetings, whether that’s with teachers, parents, stakeholders, or your district – the list goes on. Another pain point that many principals experience is spending time securing substitute teachers. While these aspects of your job might make you think you’re losing valuable time, I’m offering you a more empowered way to think about these situations today.

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This week, I’m inviting you to decide, at the beginning of the school year, to meet regularly with your teachers. I know it seems like one more thing to add to your already full plate as a school leader, but I promise it’s extremely valuable.

You likely intellectually understand the power of meeting with your teachers. It’s a solid practice that serves your entire school community. However, you also probably realize that it’s one of the first things to fall off your plate as the year ramps up and things get busy. Regardless of emergencies, student disciplinary issues, or parent meetings, you can make time for it, and I’m here to show you how.

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I’m delighted to introduce you to my client, Erin Bowlby, this week! She wanted to wait until she completed her first year of school leadership to come on the podcast, and now that she’s been coaching with me for a year, she’s ready to share her story with you.

Erin has been in the education world for 13 years, but she started her school principalship journey a year ago. She knew she needed help and support as she navigated school leadership for the first time, and she’s rewinding her experience all the way back to the beginning to offer some nuggets of wisdom she’s discovered along the way.

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