Before the first week is out, learn the name, position, and one interesting personal thing about each member of the school staff. Make it a game. Tell them your goal and ask for their help.
A school is a people place. Unlike classrooms full of students, the adult staff does not change every year. Their good will, their talents, their knowledge, and their skills must be cultivated and developed further every year if the school is to stay current with the research and move steadily forward. This continual development and growth of the staff is a primary responsibility of the principal. No one else is charged with understanding the growth needs of the staff.
Calling people by name is a powerful message that you care who they are and what they do. The fact is, if they perceive that you don't care to know them well, then they can just close their doors and wait for the next new principal to come along. After all, it won't be that long. And teachers have been doing that for years as principals come and go.
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