Part 2: Leading in a Time of Crisis – a Conversation with Principal Margaret Zacchei
“The main thing we tried to do was articulate short term goals rather than trying to think that we could solve everything at once. And initially, those were how to deal with the crisis, and then longer term goals have to do with instruction.”
Principal Margaret Zacchei
Today on Getting Unstuck
Most of us are living in an unprecedented time. Not since World War II, have we experienced something that can literally impact every person on the planet. Getting through the COVID-19 pandemic is taking incredible resources and resourcefulness. It is also forcing us to look at one another and work with one another differently. And one place of work where that is extremely evident is in U.S. schools
What follows is one conversation in a series of conversations we’re having with educators across the country on how they are leading their schools in this time of crisis. Because these educators are extremely busy helping their schools and communities to pivot, we’ve intentionally limited these conversations to 15 minutes.
It’s our hope that these conversations will provide nuggets of solid advice and emotional support to other educators on the front lines of change.
In this episode we hear from:
Margaret Zacchei, Interim Principal, Wethersfield, CT
Listen for:
Beyond coordinating the logistics of online instruction, the work is all about
Maintaining flexibility in the face of ever changing information
Navigating the challenge for the planning teams of collaborating online
Focusing on meeting short-term goals: meeting the basic needs of all populations; clearly communicating information; accepting that at this time, less is more; expressing gratitude; and recognizing that you need to take breaks
“The main thing that is so important is I am constantly reaching out to my staff to ask “What do you need? What kind of learning do you need? What kind of support do you need? Where are you feeling overwhelmed, and where can we have other team members step in?”