Summary: <br> I don’t know about you, but it seems like every waking hour has been spent adjusting to a new normal, and the idea of relaxing almost seems unkind when you think of all the sacrifices people are making during times like this.<br> <br> <br> <br> Photo by Tadas Mikuckis – Creative Commons No known copyright restrictions https://unsplash.com/@tadasmikuckis?utm_source=haikudeck&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=api-credit<br> <br> <br> <br> In Oklahoma, school leaders have been managing distance learning for more than a month now. I know it’s the same wherever you are. School leaders are wrapping up their semesters this month or next. Many are still unsure what the summer will bring. Some states are lifting restrictions on social distancing while others are still responding to rising counts of hospitalizations or deaths.<br> <br> <br> <br> During times like this, it’s hard to keep perspective. Most days I find myself pulled between two extremes… <br> <br> <br> <br> On the one hand, the quiet and solitude of working from home means less travel, more walks in my neighborhood, and more time to practice music – one of my past times. <br> <br> <br> <br> On the other hand, I find myself fretting over a crippled economy, knowing that budget failures in states across the nation will equal fewer dollars for schools on tough times ahead.<br> <br> <br> <br> Staying Focused on What You Can Control<br> <br> <br> <br> When I hit this crossroads in my own mind, I have to remind myself of two truths: One, it’s important to understand possibilities, data, and projections so that you are aware of what may be ahead of you. <br> <br> <br> <br> Two, it’s important to remember what you can control and what you cannot. Although you are able to affect the moment you are in, you have very little control of what will happen in the future.<br> <br> <br> <br> Having said all that, I just want to remind you that what you’re doing today still matters. As Jen Schwanke shared in one of our previous episodes, be careful not to spend so much emotional energy on what may happen in the future that you miss out on the needs of today. <br> <br> <br> <br> Your students, teachers, and community members still need you in the present to reach out, stay connected, and provide necessary supports.<br> <br> <br> <br> Taking an Emotional Break<br> <br> <br> <br> But leading from a distance can also be tiresome. And this week I have been growing a little weary talking about uncertainties. In some ways, conversations on COVID-19 become circular – like the 24-hour media stations that keep rehashing the same themes over and over again, looking for new spins on the same stories.<br> <br> <br> <br> It’s not that the news is not important. It is. But sometimes you just need a break from it. <br> <br> <br> <br> That’s why I decided today to take a break from COVID-19 in the rest of this post. In what follows, I’m going to talk about something absolutely disconnected from COVID-19 or even school leadership. <br> <br> <br> <br> Instead I’m going to share with you some samples of music recordings I’ve been creating the past couple of weeks. <br> <br> <br> <br> Free Resources for School Leaders<br> <br> <br> <br> Now, the last thing I want to do is become the strange uncle you wish you had not invited to dinner because he wants to show you every photo from his last vacation. So if you don’t want to hear anything about my music, you can stop reading (or listening) right now! <br> <br> <br> <br> In the meantime, please check out the nearly 200 other free podcast episodes on school leadership at williamdparker.com, or find Principal Matters Podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/principal-matters-school-leaders-podcast-william-d/id1070576885" class="aioseop-link">iTunes</a>
