Blair Dravitski

Yeah, it's a really honest question.

For my staff, it's about being transparent.

I've got a lot of inexperienced teachers, a lot of young staff who, it can be really challenging.

First two years of teaching is really hard.

But at the same time, we try and be really clear around periods of intensity.

So things like report writing, it's always a little busier.

Terms two and three, there's a lot more sickness, both from kids and from staff.

So just being transparent and being honest.

You know, my staff are fully encouraged to call in sick if they're not well.

There's no guilt, there's no shame, there's no whakamā around that.

It's just about making sure that they are aware of their rights and responsibilities.

We try and make sure that meetings are efficient and effective.

We don't have meetings for the sake of meetings.

But at the same time, I even send out an email

for each holiday I will not contact you for the two weeks that you are off you are on your own I'm available if you need me but I don't want to add to your workload and that relaxation that engagement and how they choose to develop themselves so some do choose to get ahead of the schedule and get some planning done others need the first week off some do some work in the second week but from a school expectation it's up to them how they navigate that there's no I don't have any callback days I don't

reach out and have email expectations.

Even to parents, I make it very clear that I'm available, but please leave our teachers alone during the break times.

Absolutely.

And the comment before around the parents emails, the emails home to parents, that's something that when they start getting the replies, they start realising that that investment is short, but it's hugely valuable long term.

So those are the things that when you get a return on investment, then that's when you start realising where your time's best invested.