Setting boundaries...

The past couple of months at work have been horrendous. I had honestly hit the point that I wasn't sure I could keep doing my job and was beginning to think about how soon I could get out and move on to another job. (A job that didn't require me to be nice to mean, angry, mentally ill people.) The stress of the world comes to schools and principals and teachers are the whipping posts or the wailing walls or whatever you want to call it for the community. I'm used to the fact that people take their frustrations out on me and that's just part of my job but quite frankly, this year is worse than ever. As the stress at home is felt by the children -- it shows in their behavior. Parents don't want to hear about it and quite frankly refuse to believe their little darling is capable of mayhem. Teachers become more and more stressed and frustrated. Teachers hate to call parents with bad news...Teachers need more attention.... So, it's just been extremely difficult and frustrating. In fact things had become so difficult I would start an email at 8 a.m. and at 3:30 the same email would remain open on my computer unfinished and unsent.

I was also dealing with a number of people who felt that they could walk into my office at any time without regard for what I was doing or who I was meeting with. They just didn't understand that the open door policy didn't mean free for all -- it means you can schedule time to talk with me!

I felt I was spending my days doing things that were deemed urgent by many but truthfully weren't focused on what my real job is!

Anyway, you get the picture... things have been rough all over! So, I had been praying and thinking about what to do. I was blessed to get to go to a training for principals and their secretaries about how to organize and prioritize your work so that you get the important things done each day and spend time on what will really make a difference in the core mission of the school.

This training taught us how to focus our work time, how to set boundaries and limits on those things and people who waste time and/or eat up time but aren't really important, and ensure that I can get to what's most important each day.

So now, my secretary arranges my appointments; my door is closed when I'm working and no one except the assistant principal and the office staff can disturb me; my desk is clean and free of piles of paper; my time is divided between the office and the classrooms more equitably so I can be in classrooms and spend time with teachers and children. I am now focused on coaching, supporting, and guiding the adults in the building to support the students. Parent meetings are scheduled and set by my secretary and parents do not get to barge in and yell without an appointment (unless there's an emergency). A couple of staff members who liked to drop by and chat and who took up huge amounts of time (seemingly unaware)aren't happy because they can't wiggle their way in without good reason - which tells me I've done the right thing.

I am leaving work at a more reasonable hour. The important tasks are being accomplished; students and teachers are getting the important attention and support they need; and I'm modeling a healthier way of working for my staff. Most importantly, I don't want to quit my job -- I think i can stay. My oncologists would be so proud and would tell me I've done the right thing!!

I feel like this training and my wonderful secretary and her support are a huge blessing from Heavenly Father! My prayers have been answered and my burden has been made lighter.