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”
Tag Archives: Leadership
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”
5 Ways to Reimagine Your School’s Vision Statement
A school’s vision statement is often overlooked, hidden, or inexplicably 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’tContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Reimagine Your School’s Vision Statement”
5 Ways to Increase The Wellness of Teachers
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 onContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Increase The Wellness of Teachers”
5 Ways to Foster Teacher Leadership
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 stepContinueContinue reading “5 Ways to Foster Teacher Leadership”
THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK 