Mental health support can be a key to preventing on-campus violence, but what can schools do to protect students and staff in an emergency? Behind the walls of schools located in urban centers, rural landscapes, and suburbs, US students and teachers have been practicing for the worst situation possible. Since the tragedy at Columbine High School … More 5 Ways to Conduct Safe Intruder Drills
The research is very clear on teacher collaboration: it works. A recent study by Ronfeldt, M., Farmer, S., McQueen, K., & Grissom, J. (2015), surveyed over 9000 teachers on the subject of teacher collaboration. Over 90% of the teachers surveyed indicated that collaboration was beneficial to both teachers and their students. However, there are teachers … More 5 Ways to Work With a Reluctant Teacher Collaborator
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 are … More 5 Ways To Work With An Angry Parent
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 be … More 5 Important Reminders for your Principal Interview
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 five … More 5 Ways to Attract Highly Qualified Teachers
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
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
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
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
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
