A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 24, 2016

There has been a great deal of knocks on professional development as of late and rightfully so. More often than not, professional development is something that is done to educators as opposed to an experience that they truly value for growth. Learning is the ultimate goal for our students, not development.

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Professional Development Leadership Research Teaching 403

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 26, 2019

Remember when we had to get all of our professional literature and information from journals, books, conferences, over the phone, or people that we came in direct contact with? Educators now have access anytime from anywhere to people, ideas, resources, strategies, and feedback. What specific challenges do you face in education?

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Education Library Social Justice Professional Development 367

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 12, 2020

The COVID19 pandemic unearthed many harsh realities for education across the globe. Inadequate WIFI and the availability of computers at home for kids to use for learning caught many educators off guard. Leadership must and will be different. Drive-by professional development did not work in the past.

Pedagogy 533

Pedagogy Professional Development Leadership Cultures 533

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

No matter your position in education, you have gone through some form of professional development. In many cases, the act of being “developed” comes in a variety of standard types such as workshops, mandated PD days, presentations, conferences, book studies, or keynotes.

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Professional Development Artifacts Leadership Research 417

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

Cross-posted at The Educator''s Royal Treatment. As I mentioned in a previous post I have been working on a educational technology presentation for principals in a NJ school district. 21st Century Leadership Shift Happens (must see video for any educator unfamiliar with the tends and impacts associated with technology and social media.

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Education Educational Technology EdTech Professional Development 345

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 17, 2020

The COVID19 pandemic has radically disrupted both society and education as we know it. Through it all, though, we have seen triumph and perseverance that serve as powerful motivating forces that can be used to collectively develop a new normal that might even be better. Hence, it is crucial to start to develop critical supports now.

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Leadership Pedagogy Professional Development Community Engagement 546

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 31, 2021

Continue to advance learning and equity in your schools with professional development. We have seen so many educators innovative their practice in such a short period of time, especially regarding the purposeful use of technology. Learning is the fuel of leadership. Prioritize time, standards, and SEL needs.

Leadership 546

Leadership Professional Development Cultures Education 546

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 17, 2021

At the individual level, intrinsic motivation drives educators to actively seek opportunities that support their diverse learning interests and needs. Professional development days, mostly packed into the beginning of the academic year, are still the preferred mode to support staff while adhering to specific mandates.

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Professional Development Leadership Elementary School Tradition 467

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 19, 2014

During my ten years as a school leader I dreaded professional development days in my district. I am not sure any educator looks forward to these monotonous experiences (developed under the guise of learning!) I attended many of these events just to meet the required hours of professional development.

Leadership 356

Leadership Professional Development Tradition Cultures 356

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 25, 2020

The pandemic has really put a strain on educators, yet they continue to rise to the occasion on behalf of kids. The majority of educators fall into the latter. If you can't, consider developing a schedule where administrators and other support staff can fill them in lieu of teachers. Something has to give.

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Leadership Pedagogy Professional Development Tradition 530

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 22, 2013

We can all agree that professional development is essential in any profession, especially education. It is an opportunity to become better at what we do as well as gain knowledge on new pedagogical techniques, learning theories, leadership strategies, technologies, and federal/state mandates. Something has to give though.

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Professional Development Leadership Government Education 349

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 1, 2015

Ensure ongoing professional development – I cannot overstate the importance of this suggestion enough. Teachers need training on how to develop pedagogically sound lessons and quality assessments aligned to higher standards. Professional development should be ongoing and embedded throughout the school year.

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Cultures Artifacts Professional Development Leadership 395

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Inclusion is essential for special education (SPED) because it promotes the social and academic development of students with disabilities, fosters a sense of belonging, and prepares them for life outside of school. It aligns with legal and ethical imperatives, is often cost-effective, and encourages teacher development.

Teaching 489

Teaching Junior High Professional Development Leadership 489

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 19, 2018

It is really about helping kids develop many of the qualities and characteristics in life that cannot be measured with an actual number such as leadership, commitment, perseverance, motivation, self-discipline, teamwork, resilience, enthusiasm, and reliability. Coaching is so much more than the result of a game, match, or competition.

Leadership 365

Leadership Professional Development Pedagogy High School 365

A Principal's Reflections

MAY 1, 2013

Educators across America are grappling with what the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) mean for their instruction and have key questions around successful implementation: What are the core components of the CCSS and how do they impact me? Educators will leave with tools, including lessons and assessment tasks for immediate use.

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K-12 Education Professional Development Lesson Plan 217

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 12, 2014

I recently read this Education Week post by Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers titled We Have 21st Century Learners Who Need 21st Century Leaders. They go on the summarize the following: "Essentially, the 21st century leader has to develop a renewed understanding of how children are learning now. The tenets of leadership still apply.

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Leadership Artifacts Professional Development Cultures 405

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 17, 2019

It represents a sound piece of advice for any leader, especially in the field of education. However, a convergence of styles separates generalists from specialists when it comes to leadership. Moving from Specialist to Generalist Below are some common styles prevalent in leadership today.

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Leadership Professional Development Tradition Cultures 396

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 30, 2019

The same can be said about drive-by professional development. When it is all said and done, the best experiences are ongoing and job-embedded so that the needed support, application into practice, feedback, and accountability for growth lead to actual changes to teaching, learning, and leadership.

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Leadership Archiving Professional Development Tradition 410

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 5, 2014

On a professional level excuses can, and often do, have dramatic negative impacts when it comes to change on many levels. If education is good for one thing, it is for making excuses not to move forward. The feeling is that our system of education has worked so well during this time why change now.

Leadership 404

Leadership Professional Development Humanities Cultures 404

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

They have utilized me as a keynoter, coach (leadership and teaching), and workshop presenter. Recently the district asked me to be a part of their professional development day, which consisted of seven different learning strands specific to the needs and interests of their teachers.

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EdTech K-12 Pedagogy Professional Development 540

ED Surge

DECEMBER 13, 2023

In early spring this year, the local chapter of my teacher professional development organization held our first in-person conference since the pandemic. Having served on the leadership team of our local PD organization for many years, I’ve planned numerous conferences and knew what needed to be done, but this year was different.

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Professional Development K-12 Leadership Teaching 137

ED Surge

MARCH 26, 2025

Looking back on my educational journey, I recently reflected on my classroom experiences from kindergarten to fourth grade. The summer before I entered the fourth grade, my mother informed me that I would be attending a new school in my same community with one caveat: it was a class in the gifted and talented education (GATE) program.

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Education Advocacy Middle School Cultures 103

ED Surge

JANUARY 25, 2023

As a classroom teacher, I always tried to improve my practice by reading academic and practice-based articles, attending trainings and connecting with fellow educators to share resources and troubleshoot challenges. Despite my love for learning, I strongly disliked most professional development sessions.

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Professional Development Advocacy Tradition Leadership 140

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 21, 2010

Yesterday I was granted an opportunity to deliver a keynote at the NYSCATE Leadership Summit in Troy, NY. The topic of my talk was, "Leadership in the Digital Age." Change in the field of education is as elusive as the Lock Ness Monster. Educators must be willing to take risks, learn from mistakes, and put in the time.

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Leadership Professional Development Cultures Education 322

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 4, 2020

For more information on various hybrid models, check out this detailed piece from Education Week. If you are already in a hybrid model, time can still be added with approval from the Board of Education. They should not be mandated to attend meetings, participate in PLC's, meet with parents, or attend professional development.

Pedagogy 514

Pedagogy Professional Development Leadership Teaching 514

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 12, 2010

So many exciting things have happened recently as a result of my own learning and growth in educational technology and leadership. As a result, I have seen my own knowledge increase in these areas, participated in exciting professional development opportunities, presented at both my school and at other events on web 2.0,

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Professional Development EdTech Educational Technology Leadership 273

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 13, 2022

There are many digital tools available to educators these days, which often creates an overwhelming feeling. Professional Learning Typical means of professional development (PD) such as drive-by events, one-off workshops, or book studies, while having value, will not lead to impactful virtual learning at scale.

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Professional Development Leadership Research Pedagogy 518

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 23, 2010

The construction of a PLN enables educators to harness the power inherent in 21st Century technologies in order to create a professional growth tool that is accessible whenever, wherever. LinkedIn : Professional networking site that allows educators to connect, exchange ideas, and find opportunities.

Professional Development 395

Professional Development Leadership Teaching Education 395

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Change is a word that is thrown around in education circles more and more each day. We are made to think that education is in a downward spiral and that students are ill prepared to succeed in college and/or careers that require students to think and apply learning differently. Image credit: [link] ?The Forced change rarely works.

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K-12 Leadership Professional Development Cultures 352

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 22, 2023

With the suggestions in hand, the leaders were empowered to review what we had seen and my recommendations to determine the focus for an upcoming professional development day I would be facilitating. Feedback is a critical catalyst for professional learning and growth.

Psychology 429

Psychology Professional Development Cultures Leadership 429

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

The desire to increase agency in the form of voice, choice, and advocacy should be viewed as just as important for educators (teachers and administrators) as it is for students. For sustainable change and innovative practices to take hold let’s evaluate the level of educator agency in our schools. Image credit: www.peoplematters.in

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Education Advocacy Leadership Professional Development 216

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 25, 2019

With all of the disruption we see as a result of the 4th Industrial Revolution, changes to how we educate kids have to be considered. The result has been districts, schools, and educators making a great deal of investment in an array of ideas, strategies, and solutions with the goal of improving learning for all kids.

Leadership 335

Leadership Pedagogy Professional Development Cultures 335

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 8, 2020

For the better part of my educational career, I always referred to any type of learning to assist me as a teacher or administrator as professional development (PD). The experiences where I had some level of choice were the most meaningful to me and resulted in real changes to my educational practice.

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Professional Development Leadership Humanities Cultures 358

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 5, 2012

Change in education seems to be as illusive as the Loch Ness Monster. Through my work over the years as a teacher, educational administrator, and learner through I have identified common roadblocks to the change process. There is more talk about change in the field of education than actual change.

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Professional Development Leadership Cultures Education 332

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 23, 2015

This past April I was fortunate enough to have been asked to speak at the Moanalua High School Professional Development Conference in Honolulu, HI. It was an incredible opportunity to get back to Hawaii for a professional event as opposed to a vacation. Talk about making a commitment to grow and get better!

Leadership 284

Leadership Professional Development Cultures High School 284

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 12, 2015

The onset of the process is typically fraught with challenges such as overcoming the status quo, a mentality of if it isn’t broke why fix it, fear, a void of leadership somewhere in the hierarchy of schools, lack of knowledge on initiating change, no clear vision, too many initiatives at once, naysayers/antagonists, and a one size fits all approach.

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Leadership Cultures Professional Development Teaching 371

Digital Promise

JULY 15, 2021

For more than 30 years, California’s Outreach and Technical Assistance Network ( OTAN ) has been at the forefront of meeting the technology needs of adult education providers, including English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), Adult Secondary Education (ASE), and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

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Leadership Education Professional Development High School 118