By Maria Montalvo-Balbed Often, principals or school leaders with whom I am working ask me to provide them with no more than three implementable strategies to make an ELL population successful. I wish it were that easy to name just three “things” to help students automatically develop great listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. As […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Opinion
Preparing For Success: Helping Students Prepare For What Comes Next
I have two college-aged children, with my third a sophomore in high school. My husband and I, both teachers, planted the seed of ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ in all three of them early on. I remember playing blocks with my oldest and constantly saying things like, “Architects build!” or […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Principals' Corner, School Improvement
Smooth Sailing to School Leadership: Transitioning from Teacher to Administrator
By Dawn Imada Chan Congratulations! You survived the grueling application and interview process, signed your contract, and can’t wait to take on your first year as a school administrator. Here are some tips to make the transition a productive one and sure to set you off on the path to success. Relationships, Relationships, Relationships Your […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines
How to Ace a Teacher Interview: Preparation and Passion
By Victoria Ayam As an administrator what I look for in a candidate is passion. We employ teachers who are willing to change their students’ lives through education and can convey that in an interview. I want to have in my team lifelong learners and team players. I want whole teachers for the whole child. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines
Teachers, Ways to Prepare for the First-Round Interview
By Matthew Mingle Getting your foot in the door is just the beginning. Acing the first-round interview requires preparation, confidence, and a clear sense of purpose. Here are five suggestions to aid in preparing for your next interview: 1. Know your audience. If the person scheduling your interview does not provide information about the interviewer, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
What are we teaching our children?
When the end of a school year rolls around most teachers take the time to reflect on the school year that is ending. What succeeded and what didn’t? What should I do differently next year? What should I prepare over the summer to get a jump start on the new school year? Do I need […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Current Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, School Improvement
High School Recess: Should it be an Option?
Yesterday, our full faculty came together to discuss the pros and cons of our mandated advisory period held in the middle of the day. For 20 minutes, students check in with an advisor to discuss upcoming involvements in events, to conference about grade improvement plans, to engage in fun activities. I have a freshman advisory […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
My Mentor, Teacher, & Friend: Thank You
I recently had lunch with my mentor teacher, Ellen Meyers. It was more of a super-extended lunch, because we sat and talked for almost four hours. That was something we never got to do when we were teaching next door to each other. That afternoon, we talked about our children and families, but mostly we […]