As a golfer, I admired advice attributed to Tom Kite, outstanding PGA player and course architect. “Tee the ball as high as you can. Swing as hard as you can. Hit the ball as far as you can. We’ll fix … Continue reading
Let Learning Unfold Naturally
Teaching Profession: Align Educational Improvement with Professional Improvement
It is difficult to read educational literature nowadays without confronting an article regarding how to improve teaching. In fact, just Google “How to improve teaching” and you will receive 124,000 results. Add another word, like “instruction”, “quality”, “skills”, “practice”, “strategies”, … Continue reading
When In Motion, Make Only Small Changes in Direction
A school is a very complicated organization. Public schools, especially, are becoming ever more complicated with federal and state mandates trying to cooperate or maybe compete with local control. There are many interests each trying to influence the nature, purpose … Continue reading
To Begin Well Show Students The End First
It’s a new school year!!! How many times will the word “new” appear in any conversation or school publication prior to the first day of school? Welcome to new teachers and new students. Unwrapping new books and materials. Sitting at … Continue reading
School’s Pre-Season Is A Lost Preparation
“Fortune favors the prepared mind.” — Louis Pasteur In less than a month millions of children will begin the 2014-15 school year. They start a new academic year in which every child will be instructed and assessed and expected to … Continue reading
Teacher Talent: Professional Coaching Required
“Do you want to know why you lost today?” Sam Mussabini asked of Harold Abrahams regarding Abrahams’ loss in the 100 meter dash. “You’re over striding. Now these coins represent the steps in your sprint.” Mussabini pushed the coins together. … Continue reading
Teacher Talent: The New Professional Teacher
The new professional teacher is not the teacher of your youth or your mother’s or grandmother’s. The words “new” and “professional” are used with a reason; the teacher of tomorrow will be a new breed. I lay back on an … Continue reading
Teacher Quality: You Don’t Have to Settle for What You Get
Thelma and Louise taught us, “You get what you settle for.” They were discussing life’s ups and downs with men and money. Getting is one thing. Settling is yet another. If you get what you settle for, it is necessary … Continue reading
Summer – School’s Second Season to Achieve a Perfect School Year
June, July and August traditionally are down time for scho0ls. Summer vacation! “Schools out! Schools out! Teachers let the monkeys out.” Traditionally, classrooms go dark in the summer and teachers either assume summertime, non-school employment or settle into “kicked back … Continue reading
Adapting and Adopting: Necessary Skills When School Leadership Changes
The shade of influence cast by the person at the top of the school district’s organizational chart is wide and deep. It does not matter if the organization is an immense urban school district or a compact rural district. The … Continue reading