New principals can fall prey to “task overload.” What’s more, the transition from working with teachers as peers to working as a supervisor can be disorienting. Experts Ron Williamson & Barbara Blackburn share advice in six critical areas of the new job.
Relationships are built when children know that caring adults are on their side. If teachers team up with parents and families, they can help create success for even the most difficult students. Amber Chandler shares the strategies that work in her MS classroom.
Author and literacy consultant Regie Routman is a passionate cook who loves to make fresh fruit tarts. Here she draws connections between learning to bake and learning to teach, using her Optimal Learning Model as a framework. Fruit tart recipe included!
Teacher Evaluation / Working Draft
by Kevin Hodgson · Published 06/14/2015 · Last modified 11/26/2019
Soon Kevin Hodgson’s school will begin including student feedback in teacher evaluation. But Kevin is curious now. He shares a survey he created for his 6th graders to gather their views of learning in his ELA classroom. See how well he met expectations.
Herding educators together for one-size-fits-all professional development often misses the mark of teachers’ real work, says Emily Vickery. Teachers now have tools to tailor their own professional learning “to maximize our growth.” Helpful resources included!
Co-Teaching Teams / Two Teachers in the Room
by Elizabeth Stein · Published 06/07/2015 · Last modified 12/13/2019
The essence of co-teaching consists of collaboration, communication, and compassion, says coach Elizabeth Stein. When any co-teaching pair makes these three ideals their everyday targets for teaching and learning together, they’ll have a successful partnership.
Playing with Stories is THE book for those in love with stories and those who believe that we “think in story,” says reviewer, poet and retired principal Mary Langer Thompson. Author Kevin Cordi shares strategies for building stories solo, with a partner or within small groups.
At Kevin Hodgson’s school, Quidditch is not just a fun game created by its sixth graders 15 years ago. Quidditch is also a path to learning many cross-curricula skills. See how Harry Potter’s magical game becomes part of the real curriculum each Spring.
Book Reviews / Professional Development
by MiddleWeb · Published 05/28/2015 · Last modified 06/11/2015
The breadth and depth of the topics covered by John Murray offer school administrators an excellent overview of what works when putting professional learning into practice, says reviewer Matt Renwick. “As straightforward as an educational resource gets.”
Educators who read policy pundit Rick Hess’s new book The Cage-Busting Teacher will find plenty to disagree with, says instructional specialist Curtis Chandler, but “they will also learn quite a bit about their potential and influence as an educator.”
