President’s Perspective

Courtesies That Build Positive Influence

Brian Kirkendoll, AAEA Board President

Hello AAEA, I would like to introduce myself and tell you how honored and excited I am to serve Arkansas administrators and the AAEA. I am beginning my fourth year as the principal of Alma High School. I served as an assistant principal at AHS for seven years prior. I have also served in principal and assistant principal positions in the Cedarville and Paris School Districts. I taught at Alma High School and Bigelow High School prior to entering into administration 16 years ago. I am a U.S. Navy veteran and served on active duty for 6 years in the submarine force and as an intelligence officer in the USNR. I retired as a reservist after 21 years of service in 2013. I have been a part of the AAEA Board and AASSP Board for 11 years. My wife Tanya and I have been married for 28 years and our daughter Ansley is a sophomore at Arkansas Tech University.

Traits I still believe in, which have the power to build tremendous positive influence.

The power of and benefits of a handwritten card or note are appreciated by those who receive them. Few people still practice this or have never taken the time to give thank you cards, letters of affirmation, or letters to those they care about. However, people routinely do this for family members on special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. How long has it been since you received a handwritten card or given one to someone? I routinely send cards to teachers on birthdays, monumental events, and just because. The power of a positive handwritten note is meaningful and I hope more of us can pick up this practice once again.

Another professional courtesy that seems to have lost its way is contacting principals and superintendents when people are interviewed for jobs. This should go beyond a reference for due diligence purposes. If a teacher or faculty member applies for a job in your building, and they are serious contenders, I hope someone always calls and tells their current supervisor about it. The professional courtesy of simply saying “I am going to recommend your staff member, and I just wanted to let you know,” is not as common as it used to be. I always call, and I have always appreciated being called.

As we put COVID-related issues behind us, I think we can all improve on some professional courtesies of the past. Many of you have never waned on these while others may not have really thought about it. During the 2022/23 school year, if you decide to engage in sending positive notes to your staff or make professional courtesy calls, the results could be beyond what you realize. Also, they could be contagious. I look forward to seeing you in July at our annual AAEA Conference and please reach out to me if I can assist you in any way.