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Providing Help for Teachers

Fri, 10 May 2013 22:06:45 +0000

A major aspect of a principal's job is to provide help for teachers in improving the quality of their teaching. All teachers have areas in which they can improve. There are so many different facets to being a teacher that it is impossible to be a master at everything. The observation and evaluation system is designed for principals to identify a teacher's strength and weaknesses and to establish a plan to improve each weakness. This can be done through a variety of different methods. What works for one teacher may not work for another. A principal must build trust, create a plan, adjust when needed, and work with each teacher to maximize their potential.

April Vocabulary Terms for Teaching

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:40:51 +0000

I have added three new terms to the teaching glossary for the month of April. This glossary is intended to add a level of depth and understanding to the published content on this site.

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Schools Decisions for April

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 15:10:48 +0000

Administrators and teachers face difficult decisions each day. These scenarios focus on specific decisions that an administrator or teacher may have to make. Each potential decision is keyed with a brief introduction, who will be making the decision, the grade level, a brief scenario, and finally a possible decision. These are only intended to provoke thought and discussion. Each real life situation is unique and may require a different decision be made. This month I am featuring two decisions that educators may face at any time.

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A Review of STAR Early Literacy

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:33:54 +0000

STAR Early Literacy is an online assessment program designed to assess PreK-3rd grade students in early literacy and early numeracy. The assessment is accurate and easy to administer. It provides quick, detailed information that teachers may use to drive instruction. STAR Early Literacy has several reports that provides various data that can benefit teachers. This program is an excellent tool for identifying areas that a student excels in, areas where they are proficient, and areas where they require intervention.

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Ten Factors that Limit School Effectiveness

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 17:47:43 +0000

School reform is continuously in the spotlight. Schools, administrators, and teachers seem to always get a bad rap. The truth is that most schools, administrators, and teachers are doing their best with what they have. There are factors that every school deals with that limits the overall effectiveness of that school. Most of these problems are not going to go away any time soon. However, it is important that in a conversation about school reform that these factors be considered. They do play a role in the quality of education that students receive. If you could eliminate all of those factors every student would maximize their learning potential.

What are Some Pros and Cons of Being a Principal?

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:15:34 +0000

Many people believe that being a principal is an easy job. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being a principal can be a demanding, time consuming, and stressful job. ...

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Student Rights Handbook

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:44:04 +0000

Every student has rights. However, courts have ruled that student rights at school are limited compared to their rights outside of school. Schools have more control over student speech so long as they are not abusing that power. Schools are also able to conduct searches of students without a warrant in cases where student safety may be a concern. Students need to be aware of what rights they may or may not have at school. A student rights handbook is an easy publication to put together explaining this to students. This handbook can be especially valuable if a student tries to challenge a school's decision concerning student rights. A court is more likely to side with the school if students are given a handbook explaining their rights before the issue occurred.

March Vocabulary Terms for Teaching

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:34:11 +0000

I have added four new terms to the teaching glossary for the month of March. This glossary is intended to add a level of depth and understanding to the published content on this site.

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Implementing a School Grounds Committee

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 23:39:27 +0000

A school grounds committee is a great way to promote school pride. It also gives students a chance to give back to the school and is a terrific way to ...

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Strategies for Hiring a Teacher

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:46:17 +0000

Hiring a teacher is an important endeavor. It is essential that the right person be hired. The interview process can be a taxing process for both the interviewer and the interviewee. The interviewer has a lot riding on hiring the right person. Hiring the right person can make an administrator's job easier, while hiring the wrong person can create massive headaches that hinder student learning. There are strategies for hiring a teacher that can assist in finding the right person. Keep in mind that hiring a teacher is a process that takes time. However, hiring the right teacher is worth the time invested.