Secretary's Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer
Department of Education

Recharging your battery

Education is one of the few professions that you get to stop and start all over again each and every year. Each spring, we watch another class graduate. We take a few months, regroup and the process starts all over again. Many occupations do not enjoy the benefit of a chance to recharge our batteries. Therefore, the purpose of this column is to give you a few suggestions on how you can recharge your battery over the next three months. 

REST

After a grueling school year, it is important to rest. That means different things to different people, but you should determine what “rest” is to you. For some, it is golfing or fishing. For others, it is a brief vacation or just a more relaxed schedule around the office. School Administrators of South Dakota hopes that rest means attending the Wild West Leadership Conference held annually in Deadwood. The point is: Before you can even begin to gear up for another year, you need to rest and relax at the end of the current year.

REFLECT

Once you have begun the battery-charging process by resting, a time of reflection can be beneficial. Before you begin planning for the upcoming year, reflect on the past year.  Take some time to gather information from the past year that would indicate progress towards intended goals. It might be time to gather some of the data that you have been curious about or talking to other administrators who are in similar sized districts and face the same issues as you. Another good way of gathering data is to conduct focus group meetings with parents, community members and former students when they are home for the summer. 

READ

If you are like me, professional reading is always a challenge during the school year.  However, summer provides you with time to do some reading that could help you lead more effectively. Certainly, professional journals provide a source of practical ideas that can be of assistance. I also would recommend that you challenge yourself to read a book that will provide insight into your work as a leader. Some suggestions are:

• The Tipping Point (a book about change)
• Bowling Alone (a description of how our society is changing - a heavier read!)
• The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (21 leadership laws to live by)
• The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork (guidelines to building and leading a team)

I also would suggest that you read a book together with your management team. Reading and discussing a book together can solidify your team and improve the leadership climate in your district.

In the Department of Education, we are grateful for dedicated leaders who are challenged each day by forces in and outside of the organization. I hope you feel challenged and affirmed in your work and that you will take some time this summer to recharge your battery, because September is just around the corner!