My husband has been a high school teacher for twelve years. During his fifth year, several of his students from the soccer team were killed in a car accident. The driver lost control of his car, went through a barrier, flipped the jeep and landed in a ravine full of water. A few years later, […]
Principals’ Corner
Principals.
Yes, Teacher Leadership is for you! – A TER Book Review
Book: Insights into Action, by William Sterrett Publisher: ASCD, 2011 The beginning of every school year is often fraught with non-stop action: getting those last minute lesson plans in place, meeting (and remembering the names of) new students, settling on a management system for your classroom, and getting used to standing most of the day […]
Shifting Our Mindset Around Teacher Evaluations
[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”] During my first two years teaching I have to admit that I often thought of myself as a bad teacher. But fortunately I had an incredible mentor in my instructional facilitator, […]
#InspirationalEducator – Cheryl Beckwith
[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”] How do you teach for 43 years and still have fun? Cheryl Beckwith, Colorado Rockies MLB All-Star Educator does that every year. Each new school year is a blessing for Cheryl, […]
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 […]
How Can We Build "Cultural Capital" With Our English Language Learners?
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 […]
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 […]
Five Things You Think Principals Want to Hear (and What They Really Want to Hear)
By Jessica Bohn Having conducted many teacher interviews, I sometimes see a pattern emerge from candidates’ answers during job interviews. Sometimes it is thought that if teacher candidates use the current buzzwords, they are sure to make a good impression. However, the reality is that most principals have conducted countless interviews and can see through […]