Empirical research informs us that students retain more information when performing hands-on tasks and getting actively involved in the learning process. Active learning increased student engagement, student learning outcomes, and helps students develop teamwork and collaboration skills. Creating and utilizing literacy centers is a great way to engage young students in active learning. Center work … More 5 Ideas for Literacy Centers
The end of the school year can be an emotional time for teachers, students, and administrators. All parties are tired, but hopefully satisfied with the progress made during the past nine months. While it would be easy to coast through the last few weeks of instruction, it is best for all to push through and … More 5 Ways to Finish Out The School Year Strong
It is imperative that building principals create a school environment that is inviting, engaging, and conducive to learning for ALL students. One fundamental belief based upon the work of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences is that ALL students are gifted and talented in some (many) area(s) beyond the findings of any formalized assessment measure. Sadly, with … More 5 Ways to Create an Enriched Learning Environment for ALL Students
The educational technology business is a multi-billion dollar industry. Every year, districts spend tens of thousands of dollars on new programs, devices, tools, and gadgets. Sadly, many schools receive these new programs, devices, tools, and gadgets, and let them sit in boxes or unused on desktops. Not only are precious funds being wasted, but opportunities … More 5 Ways To Increase Technology Use for Teachers and Students
“Give them the gift of time”. “They just aren’t ready”. “They’ll do so much better with me again next year”. Sound familiar? Students have been being held back a grade for decades in the attempt to reteach them skills that they did not master during the current year. The American Educational Research Association puts grade … More 5 Reasons to End Grade Retention
It has been a year since I published the article, “5 Educational Concepts We Need to Eliminate in 2017”. It has been read and shared over 40,000 times since its publication. The feedback received from this article has given me much to write about over the past year, with many other articles from The Principal’s … More 5 Educational Concepts We Need To Eliminate In 2018
Leadership teams spend hours and hours each school year looking at assessment data. Data will help teachers and administrators target individual students and standards for intervention. However, assessment data is only part of the picture. There is a wide variety of data out there that needs to be analyzed in order to truly transform schools … More 5 Pieces of Data Your Leadership Team Should Be Analyzing
Many educators indicate that mastering classroom management is one of the most difficult parts of the profession. Teachers who struggle with poor classroom management skills will never get their students to learn at their highest potential. Their students are seen off task, talking to their friends, defiant, and disrespectful. These students are often assigned consequences … More 5 Ways to Decrease Disciplinary Issues in the Classroom
Conducting classroom walk-throughs (CWTs) is not a new concept. Educators have been walking through classrooms, gauging instructional practices for years. Unfortunately, CWTs are often conducted due to mandates from downtown and not from the internal desire to improve educational practices. Administrators go through the motions of walking through without the school getting the benefits of … More 5 Ways to Make Classroom Walk-Throughs More Powerful
Social media has changed the way that we approach communication and networking. Educators around the world are learning and sharing together. While many educators have taken to social media like a fish to water, there is still some resistance and anxiety. Most of this anxiety comes from not knowing what to post or how to connect. … More 5 Ways for Educators to Use Social Media
