School leaders often find themselves coping with unexpected events that create turbulence and uncertainty. During the pandemic, these challenges have expanded and intensified. Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn share six researched steps to help leaders respond effectively.
As Russia begins its invasion of Ukraine, many adults turn to the news to stay informed. Our students do too. Expert Frank Baker considers where kids get their news these days and shares resources to help them follow current events in an era of sensationalism and disinformation.
While supervision has a place in schools, the purpose is not to improve instruction, writes principal and author Matt Renwick. Leading like a coach supports teaching and learning, and principals will be in a prime position to do this vital work if they develop three coaching skills.
Boost learning and fun this spring with quirky calendar celebrations collected by ed consultant Anne Anderson. Whether it’s observing National Optimism Month in March or Paper Airplane Day in May, adding exclamation points to the arrival of spring is a win for everyone!
Staying abreast of cutting edge research is challenging for busy educators. Curtis Chandler spotlights two areas of current study that really impact student success – Trauma Informed Pedagogy and Collective Teacher Efficacy – and shares his own wish list for future inquiry.
Multimodal literacy autobiographies encourage students to reflect on the many ways they have developed literacy skills and offer valuable insights that help teachers shape instruction. Educators Erin Knauer and Kathryn Caprino share tips and examples to get students started.
Involving your students in creating public service announcements (PSAs) not only promotes media literacy, writes Frank Baker, it builds teamwork skills, energizes kids to conduct research into authentic social issues, and gives them opportunities to write with real purpose.
Novels in verse offer quicker reads with instant character connections, vivid imagery, pathways to complex issues, strong narratives, and much more. ELA teacher Kasey Short shares how to use them in class and introduces lots of titles for your middle graders.
Using Google Sheets is an efficient way to keep track of student data and meet other progress monitoring needs, writes NBCT Kathleen Palmieri. Once the initial set up is completed, you’ll find many uses for this quick data check that justify your time investment. Here’s how!
When Dina Strasser feels at a loss or stymied in something she is trying to do for her students, she often turns to her list of options to gets things done – developed during her 20 years working with school districts and their occasionally labyrinthine bureaucracies.
