New Webinar Focuses on Mentoring Novice Principals in Difficult Situations
AACTE will host a free webinar on principal leadership on Wednesday, November 28, from 3:00-4:00 p.m. EST. Please tune in to attend the Supporting Novice Principals on the Job: Mentoring Support in Difficult Situations webinar, part of a series on principal leadership sponsored by The Wallace Foundation.
Topics will include
- When to seek outside support
- Trust building in the mentoring role
- Questioning strategies for mentors and mentees
- Structures for principal mentorship
We welcome our following presenter Cory Erlandson:
Erlandson is a principal at Wilson Junior High School in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and a Colorado State University (CSU) Leadership Institute Fellow. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin (UW), he began his career teaching history, economics, and government at Wilson and Lincoln High School in 2003. Over time, he added a master’s degree from UW-La Crosse, earned National Board certification, and served as social studies department chair. He recently spent 2 years teaching middle school geography in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he was also able to instruct future teachers at CSU and work toward his principal licensure.
Erlandson is beginning his third year as principal and shares, “In leadership, I have come to believe that above all, judgment is most important. Whether a leader has months or minutes to make a decision, the ability to skillfully consider all the relevant factors, weigh the pros and cons, and see the future are the difference between triumph and disaster.”
In the previous webinar of the series, held October 24 (archived in the AACTE Resource Library), “Supporting Novice Principals on the Job: Balancing Work Home Life,” as co-hosts, we talked with Aubrey Mathews, a veteran administrator in diverse schools and a CSU Principal Institute Fellow. The institute supports a recent report by the Wallace Foundation, Improving University Principal Preparation Programs: Five Themes from the Field, indicating there is concern the course of study at preparation programs does not always reflect principals’ real jobs.
Presenters discussed how work home life balance impacts school leaders’ jobs and jeopardizes principal retention. University preparation programs often miss the opportunity to stress self-care practices and time management strategies that could support principals with these concerns. Presenters also talked about ways to support staff members in their own work life balance and strategies for daily balance.
Webinars will be recorded and archived for future use in principal preparation classrooms or for professional development of practicing professionals. Mark your calendar for additional upcoming webinars in the series:
December 12 at 3:00 p.m. EST
Principal Preparation for the Complexity of the Work
Tags: AACTE partner organizations, principal preparation
