By Jeffrey Benson At staff meetings in most schools, the subject area teachers sit among their peers. They sit with ones who most understand their struggles to convey the content and skills specific to their disciplines: PE with PE, science with science, arts with arts. As a consultant to schools that work with challenging students, […]
Principals’ Corner
Principals.
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 inFeatured, Principals' Corner
8 Surveys For Your Stakeholders This Summer
I’ve failed to understand why teachers don’t survey students, parents, and community members more. Our line of work is one of the most interpersonal in the entire world, and yet we often leave our greatest resources untapped – the input from others. At the end of a secondary teacher’s year, they’ve spent what accumulates to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Principals' Corner
The Other 335 Days of the Year: Autism Awareness
The month of April in general shines the spotlight on Autism, but what about the other 335 days of the year? Will teachers, parents, principals, doctors, politicians, and organizations continue to spread awareness about Autism? I sure hope so and this article is my way of keeping the blue light shining bright so that we […]
Posted inFeatured
NO MORE YELLING AT STUDENTS!
It’s loud. I’m tired. I’ve tried getting these 35 students under control 3 times already this hour. I’ve had enough! Do your work! Pay attention! Listen to me! It’s time to go to the principal’s office! A recent article in The Guardian has labeled yelling as “emotional child abuse,” and it’s opened my eyes to […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Principals' Corner, Recruitment & Retention, Series, Uncategorized
Recruitment and Retention Part 2: To Keep the Best Educators, Focus on School Leadership First
[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’m blessed to work at the Soulsville Charter School. Our parents are fantastic, our facilities first rate and our student’s motivated and hard working. Yet it would all fall apart were […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Middle School, Principals' Corner
Chicago Public Schools: Going too Far
Imagine if an unknown adult came to your classroom to remove a child to question them privately. This happened last week at two Chicago Public Schools. The unknown adults were from the CPS legal department. The classrooms they visited were rooms where the teacher had refused to administer the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Students […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Principals' Corner
In The Classroom: Is Yelling The New Spanking?
Having gone to school in the seventies, I can easily look back upon my experiences in the public school system and compare them school system we view today; other than a building with teachers, I’m not sure one would even recognize the two entities side by side. One major difference is the form of classroom management; particularly the […]