Leadership – The Principal's Desk

5 Ways to Strengthen the Teacher Evaluation Process

October 23, 2018

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, … More 5 Ways to Strengthen the Teacher Evaluation Process

5 Ways Principals Can Brighten a Teacher’s Day

September 6, 2018

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. Happy … More 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

July 7, 2018

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 70 … More 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

June 22, 2018

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, Kentucky, and Colorado, walked out of the classroom to protest low wages. It is growing increasing difficult for teachers to be able to afford to … More The 5 Elephants of Education

5 Ways to Finish Out The School Year Strong

May 10, 2018

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

5 Ways to Create an Enriched Learning Environment for ALL Students

April 27, 2018

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

5 Ways to Reimagine Your School’s Vision Statement

February 28, 2018

A school’s vision statement is often overlooked, hidden, or inexplicitly non-existent. It can be found on most school’s websites, hidden among bells schedules, lunch options, teacher websites, and PTA pages. Teachers, administrators often don’t know what is written in their school’s vision statement. Parents don’t either. Students … well, you get the picture. However, shouldn’t … More 5 Ways to Reimagine Your School’s Vision Statement

5 Ways to Increase The Wellness of Teachers

February 22, 2018

Wellness is a hot topic these days. Educators are under more stress than ever before. It seems like every time we turn around, schools are in the news for all the wrong reasons: abuse, poor performance, scandals, violence, and crime. This list goes on and on. Working under these conditions can be very stressful on … More 5 Ways to Increase The Wellness of Teachers

5 Ways to Foster Teacher Leadership

January 19, 2018

The bedrock of a great school is shared leadership. All stakeholders must have a seat at the decision-making table. This ensures that the vision and direction of the school is decided upon collectively and in the best interest of all parties. Teachers are key players in the process and need to be encouraged to step … More 5 Ways to Foster Teacher Leadership

5 Reasons to End Grade Retention

December 30, 2017

“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