A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 9, 2020

A recent Chalkbeat article highlighted the results of some surveys that alluded to this issue: And engagement with schoolwork was relatively low across the board, reflecting the challenges of keeping students engaged in a chaotic time and of teaching from a distance.

Tradition 545

Tradition Cultures Teaching Research 545

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 7, 2020

Will the lessons learned during the pandemic be applied to create a better learning culture for kids? Cornelius Minor recently penned an article titled Why #BlackLivesMatter in Your Classroom Too. How will social distancing work? How will you focus on mental, just not physical, health of students and staff?

Leadership 431

Leadership Tradition Cultures Teaching 431

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 26, 2018

It was this shift that got me thinking about how tools could be used to amplify the fantastic work of my teachers, administrators, and students to showcase efficacy in improving school culture. Plaques, banners, newspaper articles all make for powerful pictures that can be quickly shared. It all comes down to this. Image credit.

Artifacts 393

Artifacts Leadership Cultures Community Engagement 393

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 2, 2019

Just because something has been done in the past, or is a traditional component of school culture, does not mean it is an effective practice. For some practical alternatives to dishing out zeros check out the latter portion of the article by Norrell titled Less Than Zero. doctor’s note, death in the family, etc.).

Leadership 419

Leadership Lesson Plan Cultures Tradition 419

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 14, 2017

I pulled a few connections from an article by Bruna Martinuzzi that address this topic. In my opinion, empathy should be a core component of curriculum in schools and the culture of any organization. A culture of excellence is created through relationships built on trust and sustained through empathy. Below are some highlights.

Leadership 353

Leadership Cultures Research Education 353

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 19, 2021

For SEL to be more than a buzzword or fad, it needs to be embedded into school culture. Be sure to check out this article that outlines the specifics behind Venola’s Pause & React tool. Let’s start with students. A focus is excellent, but it’s the actions that truly matter. To begin, a relational foundation has to be established.

Pedagogy 489

Pedagogy Lesson Plan Classroom Management Cultures 489

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 4, 2015

For a maker culture to succeed and thrive in a school, leadership matters. I learned some of these lessons unbeknownst to me as they were only brought to my attention after making to learn became an embedded component of our school culture. Selecting the right person to lead the initiative is pivotal.

Library 407

Library Museum Leadership Cultures 407

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

One must realize that change is really hard and a commitment to see the process through is vital if the end goal is cultural transformation that endures over time. Image credit: [link] The key goal for any change initiative is sustainability that results in an improved learning culture. Leadership is not a popularity contest.

Leadership 308

Leadership Cultures 308

NCHE

MARCH 25, 2024

Very few scholarly books, including those that prove to be the most important and influential, ever reach the public; journal articles remain invisible. Some of those articles are written for mass-market publications, while others focus on specific topics and outlets ranging from nursing to Black culture to material artifacts.

K-12 312

K-12 Primary Sources Archiving American History 312

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 31, 2020

Up to this point, the majority of conversations I have witnessed on social media, news pieces, and articles have focused on students' health and safety. For the big decisions that will dramatically alter school culture post-COVID19, it is imperative that all stakeholders be represented, and their input is taken into consideration.

K-12 454

K-12 Cultures Education 454

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 3, 2018

As I was researching for some solid pedagogical links, I came across this wonderful article that Todd Finley wrote for Edutopia titled Rethinking Whole Class Discussion. Let me take a step back now and share some insights on why classroom discussion is so meaningful.

Pedagogy 411

Pedagogy Tradition Research Humanities 411

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

For the past couple of years every day is treated as Digital Learning Day as we have moved to create a teaching and learning culture rich in authentic activities where students are engaged and take ownership of their learning. Jelani Rogers wrote an article about the unique ways that students are inviting dates to prom ("promposals").

Educational Technology 293

Educational Technology Cultures Learning Science High School 293

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 11, 2013

Check out this great article from the School Library Journal on this project. Check out this nice article by the Center of Digital Education on the space that Laura has created. Laura Fleming is having a substantial impact on the culture here at NMHS. Currently she is now working on a similar program for students here.

Library 342

Library High School Tradition Cultures 342

TeachThought

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

This article explores the transformative power of a collaborative, unified approach, emphasizing the need for intentional, purpose-driven collaboration. It outlines strategies and principles for fostering a culture of mutual respect, trust, and shared vision, highlighting teachers and principals’ critical roles in student success.

Professional Development 227

Professional Development Cultures Leadership Tradition 227

A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 30, 2017

I recently read an article titled The Neuroscience of Trust by Paul Zak. Before I expand on a list of strategies that can assist in developing trust and building relationships I want to definitively state the one behavior that unequivocally creates a culture devoid of trust….micromanagement. Research validates this statement.

Cultures 283

Cultures Leadership Research Education 283

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 28, 2018

Effective leaders consider not only specific requirements of the position and research, but also many unique components such as culture, environment, and the community. The best leaders take the time to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and needs of those who they serve to build a culture of success. Case in point.

Leadership 317

Leadership Psychology Cultures Humanities 317

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 7, 2019

Thriving cultures focus on empowerment, support, feedback, and autonomy to take risks to build self-efficacy. Below is a summary from an article by Jenni Donohoo, John Hattie, and Rachel Eells. Achievement is important, but there are many other facets of school culture that can be improved. Begin with the end in mind (i.e.,

Artifacts 339

Artifacts Leadership Cultures Research 339

Edthena

OCTOBER 12, 2023

Improving school culture is high on many school leaders’ lists of building priorities. But cultivating a strong school culture doesn’t happen without intentional thought and planning. Why is this key to improving school culture ? Check out the highlights of what we’ve been reading below, as well as links to the full resources.

Cultures 106

Cultures Psychology Professional Development Classroom Management 106

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 20, 2018

Makerspaces have moved from fringe initiatives to vibrant components of school culture. Here is a little bit that Josh Bersin shared in an article titled Digital Leadership is Not an Optional Part of Being a CEO : Culture is key. This can happen when you build a collective, transparent, and profoundly shared culture.

Leadership 288

Leadership Cultures Professional Development Tradition 288

Cult of Pedagogy

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Kim Marshall is the force behind the highly regarded Marshall Memo , a weekly, subscription-only summary of 8 to 10 of the most impactful articles in education. “In one of the articles we summarized, Craig Barton says we learned in teacher school that open-ended questions are best, right?” ” explains David-Lang.

Pedagogy 277

Pedagogy Cultures Library Lesson Plan 277

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 14, 2020

In an article for ASCD , I laid out three specific areas that are critical to effective communication: Transparency - Leaders can tackle the constant perception battle by providing more frequent and accurate updates about the daily work occurring in schools. Leaders have the power to shape the culture of our schools.

Leadership 402

Leadership Tradition Cultures 402

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 3, 2019

Lolly Daskal wrote a fascinating article highlighting the characteristics that embody the insecure leader. Needless to say, this is not healthy for school culture. Real leaders own their culture, for better or for worse. Great leaders who empower those they work with are confident. Poor ones are insecure.

Leadership 246

Leadership Cultures Education 246

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 20, 2019

It is important when reading a blog post or article to look beyond what in theory sounds good, but in practice might not lead to improvement. It also extends well beyond social media to articles, books, keynotes, workshops, and presentations. Going BYOD sounded like a great idea based on what I had either read or saw online.

Professional Development 292

Professional Development Cultures Research Teaching 292

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 13, 2018

Growth in all aspects of school culture is something that has to be the standard. It begins with getting out of actual and perceived comfort zones to truly start the process of improving school culture. Image credit In a recent article Joani Junkala shares some great thoughts on the importance of stepping outside our comfort zones.

Cultures 261

Cultures Tradition Humanities Education 261

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 31, 2011

This morning I read a great article on PBS Media Shift by Audrey Watters entitled " Why Schools Should Stop Banning Cell Phones, and Use Them For Learning." Up until this past year the rule of thumb was that students could bring their phones to my school, but they could not be on, seen, or heard.

Educational Technology 317

Educational Technology Cultures Teaching Education 317

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 19, 2018

In a recent article Marta Aldrich looked at a few studies highlighted below: When it comes to the impact of school-related factors on student learning, research shows that school leaders are second in importance only to teachers — but also can have a multiplier effect on the quality of teaching.

Leadership 360

Leadership Professional Development Pedagogy High School 360

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Where principals once relied on the media, press releases, and websites, we now have the ability to get out links to media articles and website updates as well as pictures and video that highlight school programs. As my network has grown, so has my growth as an educational leader. We are making learning relevant, meaningful, and creative!

Leadership 302

Leadership Pedagogy Cultures High School 302

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 16, 2017

In many cultures the status quo is so entrenched that shifting mindsets and behaviors can be daunting. In his article he states the following: " The fast-paced, dynamic world of rapid change that used to be confined to distressed organizations is now everyone’s world. Leading change in any organization is a difficult task.

Leadership 249

Leadership Humanities Cultures Research 249

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 6, 2019

You can read the article HERE. My “ah ha” moment came in March of 2009 after having read a newspaper article about Twitter in the Staten Island Advance. This article switched the light bulb on as I finally saw value in how a tool like Twitter could help me become a better leader. The connection was to communicate.

Leadership 297

Leadership Cultures Education Teaching 297

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 16, 2012

The resulting article described New Milford High School’s many accomplishments pertaining to the use of educational technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. Transforming a school culture based on significant shifts in pedagogy requires opportunities to learn how to effectively integrate technology. So what changed?

Professional Development 266

Professional Development Pedagogy Cultures Educational Technology 266

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 28, 2016

Each day various people chime in stating his or her disapproval of such words when an article focusing on its merits arise. Does the meaning in someone’s opinion really matter or is it more about the outcome as it pertains to the learning culture of our schools? One word that I want to talk about is rigor.

Critical Thinking 241

Critical Thinking Cultures Teaching Research 241

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 7, 2014

It was at this point that I began to take more risks to create a better teaching and learning culture at NMHS. I did a great job maintaining the status quo, which was a school culture that prepared students for a workforce that no longer existed. This is how both observers and myself measured my effectiveness.

Leadership 279

Leadership High School Cultures Tradition 279

ED Surge

FEBRUARY 21, 2022

McClure: Maybe you could put your professor hat on and talk a little bit about definitions because, obviously, we're seeing a lot of articles coming out using terms that you're probably very, very familiar with. Right now, culture is probably the most important thing that leaders can be thinking about.

Cultures 112

Cultures Education Humanities Psychology 112

Sapiens

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

A multidisciplinary team of researchers explains historical, cultural, and ethical issues they considered while developing a 3D scan of a South African site to be shared with the world online. This article was originally published at The Conversation and has been republished under Creative Commons.

Cultures 73

Cultures Archaeology Heritage Artifacts 73

A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 26, 2016

To this day I still remember the article that I read about Twitter in the Staten Island Advance one cold Sunday in March of 2009. As someone who was totally against the use of social media for both personal and professional reasons, that article was intriguing to read as it essentially reinforced my negative perception.

Leadership 215

Leadership Tradition Cultures Research 215

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 4, 2018

Built on the foundation of leadership and school culture, a redesigned learning experience fundamentally shifts the teaching and learning paradigm to one that's personal. Learn from Tom and Eric as to how research-based and evidence-driven practices can transform the learning culture in your classroom, school, or district.

Leadership 218

Leadership Cultures Teaching Research 218

Geography Education

MAY 1, 2024

’ This article highlights great, everyday examples that shows how cultural patterns and processes change and why they matter. Places and cultures are proud of what they see as their accomplishments that are foundational to their heritage. But perhaps we should reconsider our ideas about so-called ‘national dishes.’

Heritage 130

Heritage Cultures Economics Tradition 130