It’s time for the 2017 TED Conference, and neuroscientists, inventors, technologists, and performers have gathered in Vancouver, British Columbia to share their ideas worth spreading. A group of a dozen educators are joining them, and with the staff of TED-Ed they are examining how to get more students and teachers into spreading their ideas. TED-Ed has beenContinue reading “Students and Teachers Have Ideas Worth Spreading”
Category Archives: School Design
Help! The Third-Grade Teachers Aren’t Talking!
Teams of teachers can do amazing things together. Sometimes, however, they don’t. In my work supporting leaders in schools, “teams gone wild” is a frequent situation that I’m often asked about by principals and assistant principals. This week at Principal Matters! we’ve examined teacher teams and specifically teacher-leaders. Today, our focus is on diagnosing the dysfunctional team. So the question at handContinue reading “Help! The Third-Grade Teachers Aren’t Talking!”
What Principals Can Pour Into Teacher-Leaders
This week at Principal Matters!, we’ve focused on teacher teams and teacher-leaders (T-L). To catch you up for today, here’s the picture that’s painted so far: It’s necessary for teachers to work together in teams for our schools to be effective; Teacher teams need purpose, selflessness, and professionalism to be their best; Administrators shouldn’t expect teacher-leaders toContinue reading “What Principals Can Pour Into Teacher-Leaders”
Teacher-Leaders Need Training and Support
The work of teachers and schools is increasingly more complex than ever before. We evaluate our teachers’ effectiveness in preparation and delivery of instruction; communication and professionalism; engagement, assessment, differentiation, and design. Our expectations for the outcomes of their work is that all of our students will grow in their competencies, and that those who are competentContinue reading “Teacher-Leaders Need Training and Support”
What Is The Culture Around Freshmen at Your School? (And Why It Matters)
What kind of reception do the freshmen get at your school? Are they looked at with great anticipation? Are they welcomed with open arms? What effort do you make to help them have a smooth transition? We’ve been looking at ninth-graders this week, but if you work at a different grade band, you can translateContinue reading “What Is The Culture Around Freshmen at Your School? (And Why It Matters)”