Harness the power of the 5-minute staff check-in

At the end of my first year as a middle school principal, I thought I’d done an amazing job. It was May 2020, and I felt like I was on my way to the Principalship Hall of Fame: leading through pandemic conditions none of us had ever experienced before, putting structures in place for student success, laying the foundation as a first-year principal for what I imagined would be an illustrious tenure. 

And then I read the responses to my end-of-year staff survey. It was a true balloon-pop moment. 

The practices I was so proud of were just not hitting the mark for my staff. The feedback said I showed favoritism and that there was a clique-ish feel to the building – the opposite of what I was trying to build. After managing my own emotional response, I sought clarity through reflection. I asked myself, ‘How can I grow from this?’ ‘How can I model a growth mindset?’

I realized I’d been so focused on instructional leadership – ensuring we had a solid structural framework in place, emphasizing the instructional aspect of my role – that I hadn’t given enough time or attention to the cultural aspect. In the chaotic moment of the pandemic, I thought structure was the answer. But what we needed wasn’t more control. We needed more connection. I needed to be more clued into the experiences of the teachers in my building, and I needed to start by listening and learning. Here are 3 of the shifts I made:

1. Develop a 5-minute check-in routine.

In my second year, I began going around every morning to check in on everyone. Even if we only engaged in small talk – “Hey, good morning. How are you doing? How was your weekend?” – I didn’t miss it. These check-ins became part of my routine, and I carried the practice into my next principal role at the high school level. This practice helps teachers feel connected and heard. And when it’s time to have a courageous conversation, initiated by me or a staff member, those moments feel easier because of our rapport, and we’re more quickly able to move forward in collaborating to support students. I’m not able to be in every classroom every day. So I need staff to feel like they can come to me with honesty.  

2. Bring voices of change to the leadership team.

When I first became a principal, I made the mistake of building a leadership team based on convenience – people who raised their hands when I asked for volunteers or staff who had a lot of seniority – but those weren’t always the people who wanted to push the status quo so our school culture could grow. The check-in routine and broader relationship-building efforts also help me identify the voices we need in leadership.

At the high school, I started with a leadership team of 10 people. Then we expanded to 15, and next year we’re going to 30. We divide our team into sub-teams: one for instruction, one for student success, and one for climate and culture. That way, we’re addressing all angles – grades, attendance, spirit week, shoutouts. And this all came from learning that it’s not just about having enough voices; it’s about having the right voices at the table.

3. Remember that culture starts with you.

Of course, student outcomes remain my top priority. But I’ve learned that those outcomes don’t improve until the culture does. We need staff buy-in. We need a culture of learning – among adults – before we can see it take root in our students.

The longer I’ve led, the more I’ve realized: Culture doesn’t shift because of a mandate. It shifts because the adults in the building start to move differently, and that starts with leadership. Culture building isn’t about surface-level changes or flashy programs; it’s about doing the work, day in and day out, to model what we want to see. That starts with asking ourselves: What am I modeling for others?

Just as we ask teachers to meet students where they are, we, as leaders, have to meet teachers where they are. Every adult in your building will have a different entry point into change, and it’s our job to help them find it.

One of my core commitments as a leader is never asking my staff to do something I haven’t either demonstrated or equipped them to do. I can’t expect teachers to be better literacy instructors if we haven’t provided strong strategies. I can’t ask them to integrate new approaches in math or science if we haven’t first given them the tools. Our job is to ensure that our people have what they need to be successful, not just structurally, but culturally as well.

You don’t need a retreat to start leading differently. You can begin with a 5-minute check-in. You can bring the right voices to your leadership team. You can realign your PLCs. You can rebuild your literacy framework. Whether small or significant, these daily actions are what move culture forward. If you want to shift your culture, start small. Then build. Add a new brick each day. And know that the work you’re doing – through failure, reflection, and the courage to start again – is how real cultures are built.