My school has a strong data driven culture. We use data not just to identify grade level or class wide trends, but trends with individual students. Because it’s not enough for me to know that the entire class scored, say, an 80 percent on a specific assessment. I need to be able to identify high, […]
High School
Posted inBook Review, Featured, High School, Literacy, Opinion
The Advantage of Disadvantage, Part I – Book Review
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell Publisher: Penguin Books, Ltd., Oct. 2013 [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I remember years ago watching a piloted TV show that was based on a […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
5 Reasons Summer School Is Better Than Regular School
My first exposure to Summer School teaching was the acting performance of Mark Harmon (as Mr. Shoop) in the 1987 Carl Reiner comedy, Summer School. It might not have been an Oscar-caliber performance, but it has stuck with me for the better part of my life. I wasn’t even a teenager the first time I […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School, Principals' Corner
Working for My Public School Is Just Like Working for the Mob
I am a mob movie fanatic. I’ve watched all of the classics (to my husband’s dismay), from Godfather, American Gangster to my all-time favorite, Goodfellas. Even though I know how the movies will end, I still get a rush right before the villain is outed and the mob boss brings the harsh retribution. Long after […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Happy Writing; Finding Your Purpose
Pharrell Williams, has been around for quite a while seeking his fame in music, yet it wasn’t until his recent hit song “Happy,” that Pharrell became a household name. When interviewed and asked what he thought of his long awaited rise to fame, Pharrell stated that he used to write songs that lacked purpose. He decided that […]
Posted inHigh School, Literacy, Opinion
Sharing a Blessing in Teaching
Do you know what it means by giving/receiving a “Blessing”? This was a new concept to me when I heard this phrase a few years ago, but I have since come to understand the importance of its meaning. What is a blessing? It’s approval, it’s unconditional love, it’s showing someone that you do not necessarily approve […]
Posted inHigh School, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
In Order to Change a School a Transformational Leader is a Must
Imagine this scenario. You walk into a school building as a new principal of the building. It’s the third week of July and you have exactly two weeks to get the school ready. As you go to your office you are greeted my smiling faces. You feel great. As you get settled into your new […]
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 […]