Working with angry parents is a part of the job of all school administrators. There are few things more anxiety producing in the profession than working in your office and hearing “I need to speak to the principal now” being yelled loudly from the lobby of the main office. Many of these intense meetings areContinueContinue reading “5 Ways To Work With An Angry Parent”
Category Archives: School Culture
5 Important Reminders for your Principal Interview
Becoming a school site administrator is one of the biggest steps an educator can take in their career. Leaving the classroom for the front office is a big decision. Some teachers wait decades to make the switch, while others do it much earlier in their career. The interview process for a principal position can beContinueContinue reading “5 Important Reminders for your Principal Interview”
5 Ways to Attract Highly Qualified Teachers
A school is only as good as the teachers that work at it. In order for students to reach their highest potential, they must be taught by knowledgeable, caring, and thoughtful teachers. Ensuring that every student has a highly qualified teacher needs to be a top priority for all school and districts. Here are fiveContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Attract Highly Qualified Teachers”
5 Educational Concepts We Need To Eliminate In 2019
For the past two years, I have written a culminating post on education practices and ideas that need to be retired. I am pleased to report that the 2017 and 2018 articles have been read and shared over 50,000 times by educators around the world. So, without further ado, here are five educational practices andContinueContinue reading “5 Educational Concepts We Need To Eliminate In 2019”
5 Ways to Strengthen the Teacher Evaluation Process
Teacher evaluation systems differ from district to district, and from state to state. There are differences in the amount of observations, timelines, yearly goals, and rubrics. However, the purpose of teacher evaluations should remain constant: to provide teachers the valuable feedback they need in order to continue to improve their craft. Sadly, according to research,ContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Strengthen the Teacher Evaluation Process”
5 Ways Principals Can Brighten a Teacher’s Day
The job of a school principal is complex, broad, and challenging. We often focus on the notion that students need to be at the center of everything we do. While I am not disputing this, I do believe that principals need to focus a lot of their energy on the teachers at their sites. HappyContinueContinue reading “5 Ways Principals Can Brighten a Teacher’s Day”
5 Things New Principals (and principals that are new to their school) Should Never Do Their First Year On The Job
Becoming a principal for the first time, or moving to a new school, is an exciting venture for any educator. Principals must do everything in their power to set themselves up for success. According to the 2012-13 principal staffing survey from the US Department of Education, over 20 percent of principals left their schools and over 70ContinueContinue reading “5 Things New Principals (and principals that are new to their school) Should Never Do Their First Year On The Job”
The 5 Elephants of Education
Education has many 800 pound gorillas, elephants in the room, and barrels full of monkeys. One can say that it is a regular zoo. 1. Teacher Pay I believe that the biggest elephant in the room is the lack of adequate pay for our nation’s teachers. This past year, teachers from Oklahoma, Arizona, West Virginia,ContinueContinue reading “The 5 Elephants of Education”
5 Ways to Finish Out The School Year Strong
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 andContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Finish Out The School Year Strong”
5 Ways to Create an Enriched Learning Environment for ALL Students
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, withContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Create an Enriched Learning Environment for ALL Students”
THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK 