I welcomed Laura into my office and offered her a seat at the small conference table across from my desk. I sat down next to her and opened my observation notes. Smiling, I thanked her for coming in and handed her a written summary of the main points I wanted to discuss. One-by-one, I reviewed [...]
I welcomed Laura into my office and offered her a seat at the small conference table across from my desk. I sat down next to her and opened my observation notes. Smiling, I thanked her for coming in and handed her a written summary of the main points I wanted to discuss. One-by-one, I reviewed [...]
School districts across the US are creating new teacher evaluation systems that are supposed to better identify ineffective teaching and, in some cases, tie a teacher’s rating to student performance. My quarrel is not with the evaluation systems themselves however. My quarrel is with how they are being implemented. Here are three of the most [...]
From time to time we come across a resource we find really useful. Our colleague Dr. Shawn Joseph recently wrote a wonderful book, The Principal’s Guide to the First 100 Days of the School Year: Creating Instructional Momentum that is chock full of helpful tips and strategies for new, veteran, and aspiring principals. Here’s an excerpt: [...]
Life is funny. I have spent the last month talking to administrators and instructional leaders about the importance of strategic conversations with teachers. I have urged them to commit to speaking the truth and to remaining engaged even when it is difficult. And, I have been adamant that they try to work with every person on [...]
On the eighth day of Christmas, Mindsteps sent to me eight ways to learn from failure, the seven principles of effective instruction, six things I look for when I visit a classroom, five of the biggest mistakes I made as a new teacher, four differentiation mistakes to avoid, three ways to survive the December crunch, [...]
On the seventh day of Christmas, Mindsteps sent to me the seven principles of effective instruction, six things I look for when I visit a classroom, five of the biggest mistakes I made as a new teacher, four differentiation mistakes to avoid, three ways to survive the December crunch, two Webinars, and a free [...]
On the sixth day of Christmas, Mindsteps sent to me six things I look for when I visit a classroom, five of the biggest mistakes I made as a new teacher, four differentiation mistakes to avoid, three ways to survive the December crunch, two Webinars, and a free video of Robyn.
Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about educational reform. Schools are broken, the narrative goes, so we have to do something to fix them. The “something” currently in vogue is a combination of market-based reforms such as merit pay and value-added scores, mixed with a fawning adoration of charters and alternative routes to certification. [...]
The following tip sheet provides questions to help you plan for your climate, instruction, and relationships.
