Summary: <br> This week I reconnected with Principal Jen Schwanke, Principal of Indian Run Elementary, author and education consultant, for reflections on what re-opening has looked like for her school in Dublin, Ohio. <br> <br> <br> <br> Photo by sudama – Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/35468150609@N01<br> <br> <br> <br> Together we explored some lessons she’s already learning that may be helpful for your leadership. Listen to the entire podcast episode for even more valuable takeaways in Jen’s own words. Here’s a condensed summary of our talk together:<br> <br> <br> <br> Lessons Learned in Re-Opening School with Jen Schwanke<br> <br> <br> <br> Jen Schwanke has been an educator for 23 years, teaching or leading at all levels. She is the author of two books: You’re the Principal! Now What? Strategies and Solutions for New School Leaders, and The Principal ReBoot.: 8 Ways to Revitalize Your School Leadership. She has written for Choice Literacy, Education Week Teacher, Principal, and Principal Navigator. Follow her on Twitter @jenschwanke.<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> WDP: What are some lessons you’ve been learning while leading in a pandemic?<br> <br> <br> <br> Jen: Be careful with the comparison game. It’s easy to look at others and ask if you should be doing what they are doing. Stay focused on your community and what you can control, not what you cannot control. Remember the essentials that work in the conditions you have managed before. Teachers are struggling, not only with teaching, but if they are parents, they are also managing the learning of their own children. <br> <br> <br> <br> As my school started all remote, some families have opted to stay remote through the end of first semester. This meant reassigning some staff to support these fully remote learning options. Reassignments have been a challenging but important time. Soon students will return for in-person instruction with only a percentage of the population returning on certain days. As numbers change across the state, guidance also changes. <br> <br> <br> <br> Sometimes this has created a lot of stress for schools as they adjust to different messages coming from health officials. Thankfully, students are resilient. When students return, teachers will be focusing first on new processes and procedures. <br> <br> <br> <br> WDP: Even with careful planning, I’m sure you’ve had to manage resistance. How have you managed resistance in these new expectations?<br> <br> <br> <br> Jen: First, our district leadership has been modeling well for us. By creating a hybrid model that is slow, deliberate and careful, all parents are getting a little of what they want. When resistance comes, there is an answer (including talking points) for how to navigate the questions. The majority of people do have a lot of patience and grace. But it has been helpful to create a website where parents can go to see plans and samples. <br> <br> <br> <br> Also, we provided sample student schedules for how they can manage learning at home. With sample schedules in hand, teachers were able to build their lessons to support and match those expectations. I’ve also had to learn how to push back on the overwhelming number of vendors trying to sell digital and curriculum tools to teachers. As these came into the school, we provided a list of approved providers so that teachers were not purchasing or subscribing to unvetted resources.<br> <br> <br> <br> WDP: How would you describe how students are coping?<br> <br> <br> <br> Jen: Every student is different. Some love distance learning while others loath it. Some have parent support. Others have less support. If I had to choose, I would say students are feeling OK. They are coping just like the rest of us with something they cannot contro...
