From the AWSP President
Harness the Positive
To Find Examples of Success, Look No Further Than Your Students
Chris Visserman
Principal, Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park, Central Kitsap SD
As I write this message, I’m still catching my breath from what has become my usual morning routine of frantically trying to find coverage for our classrooms and several other positions within our school building. Principals have become experts at playing a shell game, moving pieces around and prioritizing the needs of our students in increasingly creative ways day after day. This has turned into a marathon of sorts. We have all likely reached a point where we feel asking our staff yet again for help with coverage is well beyond what would typically be expected from our already dedicated and accommodating colleagues.
On top of this daily grind of providing basic classroom coverage, we know firsthand the stress levels and challenges of meeting our students’ needs are real. The Omicron variant has dealt us yet another blow when it comes to knowing when we may finally see a return to normalcy, both at school and in our lives in general. Principals and school personnel at all levels are striving to adhere to ever-changing guidelines and protocols. The stress we feel is genuine.
Knowing this reality, I set out to find something to share with you beyond the usual self-care and staff appreciation resources we all have been tapping into. I challenged myself to find something tangible I can share with you to uplift your spirits and maybe even help you uplift the spirits of those around you. I think I may have found something worthy, and it’s been right in front of us all along. What is it, you ask? Well, first I must give credit where credit is due; you see this idea didn’t come to me during several hours of pondering over this topic. Instead, it happened while I was sitting at the commencement ceremony for our son at Western Washington University last month. During his commencement address, WWU President Dr. Sabah Ranhawa shared a very straightforward statement that resonated with me immediately. He said, “Our greatest source of pride is found in the success of our students.”
I sat in on several class meetings and was reminded very quickly about how much progress the teachers and students have made in creating positive classroom climates and building the confidence of our students who are still rebounding from the impacts of virtual learning.
This simple statement instantly caught my attention and I found myself making connections with my own motivation and morale as a principal and how quickly it improves when I engage in thought or discussion about the successes of our students. So with this new lens I set out to “see” and to “share” the many examples of students’ successes that surround us each day. This included observing students entering and exiting the school each day and making mental notes about those who once struggled, sometimes profoundly, and who are now thriving under our care. Or reading with a small group of students who, just weeks before, didn’t know even basic letter names or sounds.
I sat in on several class meetings and was reminded very quickly about how much progress the teachers and students have made in creating positive classroom climates and building the confidence of our students who are still rebounding from the impacts of virtual learning. Soon I found that if I looked for these examples of success and also encouraged our staff to do the same, our collective morale and the capacity to deal with the many daily challenges increased dramatically.
I encourage you to take a moment to do the same: to really see the many amazing successes of your students and staff and to do whatever you can to harness this positive energy to give us the boost that we need to see us through these challenging times. Our students are counting on us.◼
Chris Visserman is the 2021-22 AWSP Board President. He has been principal at Hawk Elementary at Jackson Park, Central Kitsap School District since 2010.
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Association of Washington School Principals
Washington Principal | Volume 2– 2021-22
