One of the biggest attractions to working in a school is the nostalgic feeling we get from living a routine that has been followed since the beginning of time — well, our time, anyway.

First thing in the morning, we check email and messages, call for substitutes, check the calendar, and get ourselves situated for the day. Next thing you know, the students start arriving. The principal may have appointments scheduled, or a parent may drop in unannounced. A teacher may stop by with a question. The phone rings. Someone needs a visitor badge. It’s all expected. It’s just another morning in the school office.

And then, as the seconds tick by, that eerie feeling begins to set in.

The calm before the storm.

You know it’s coming.

Things are running just a little too smoothly. There are no crying students. No upset parents. No last-minute coverage needs to arrange. The phone isn’t ringing every thirty seconds. Nobody is standing at the counter waiting for something.

You may even get to finish that coffee while it’s still hot!

And then…

The other shoe drops.

First, the call comes over the intercom from first grade.

“We need the custodian in first grade IMMEDIATELY!”

Immediately?

Of course.

You grab the radio and start tracking down the custodian.

Oh, and Johnny is on his way to the nurse.

No problem. You pivot.

Then the emails start coming in.

The system is down.

We can’t take attendance.

Is anyone else having trouble logging in?

Do you know what’s happening with PowerSchool?

You haven’t even finished reading the fourth email when you realize you’re now apparently the technology help desk.

You start composing an email to the teachers with the update from Tech.

Technology is aware of the issue and—

BEEP.

The intercom.

The principal is signaling that it’s time to get ready for a fire drill.

Of course it is.

You whirl around to grab the clipboard and the radio, trying to remember where you put the fire drill information, when you look up and see wee Jimmy standing in the doorway of the main office.

He’s holding a single sheet of paper.

Attached to it is a Post-it note.

“20 copies please!”

You stare at Jimmy.

Jimmy stares at you.

You look at the clock.

You look at the fire drill clipboard.

You look at your computer screen with the unfinished email to the teachers.

And somewhere behind you is that cup of coffee you were so sure you were finally going to finish.

This is the moment when you ask yourself:

Why do I voluntarily come into this circus every day?

The truth is, the only certain thing about working in a school office is that nothing is certain.

You can have your calendar perfectly organized, your desk cleared, your phone charged, your copier ready, and your coffee within reach.

It doesn’t matter.

School has a way of changing the plan.

But while we can’t control the chaos, we can certainly control how we manage it.

And one of the best ways to do that is to establish some ground rules.

Not rules designed to make the front office unapproachable. Not rules intended to make teachers feel like they need an appointment to ask for a pencil.

Just simple guidelines that help everyone understand how the office works.

When is the best time to bring in routine copy jobs?

How much notice is needed for a large copying project?

When should teachers submit supply requests?

What’s the best time to stop by with a question that isn’t urgent?

How should staff communicate a student concern?

What constitutes an emergency that needs immediate attention — and what can wait until the office has a moment to breathe?

These things may seem obvious to the person working in the office every day, but they aren’t always obvious to everyone else.

Your teachers are busy teaching. Your administrators are managing the school. Your custodians are keeping the building running. Your nurse is taking care of students. Everyone has their own version of organized chaos.

That’s why communication matters.

Setting expectations at the beginning of the school year can prevent a lot of frustration later.

It gives everyone a better understanding of what the front office can realistically handle and, just as importantly, gives the front office permission to prioritize.

Because when everything is marked URGENT, nothing is.

There will always be a Johnny on his way to the nurse.

There will always be a custodian who is needed immediately.

There will always be a computer system that decides Tuesday morning is the perfect time to stop working.

There will always be a fire drill.

And yes…

There will always be a wee Jimmy standing in your doorway with a Post-it note asking for 20 copies.

We can’t eliminate those moments.

But we can make the chaos a little more manageable.

So before the school year gets into full swing, take a few minutes to let your staff know how the front office works. Set some reasonable guidelines. Communicate them clearly. Be consistent, but be flexible when the situation calls for it.

Because the goal isn’t to control every minute of the school day.

That’s impossible.

The goal is to create just enough structure that when the inevitable storm arrives, you aren’t standing in the middle of it wondering where to start.

Feel free to use this flyer as your jumping off point to create share your ground rules: Front Office Expectations for Staff