TL;DR: Find your balanced lifestyle. Take care of yourself first before taking care of others. Aspire to be your best self. 3 Strategies to Embrace Yourself This SPRING: Self-Care Are you ready… Finally, that moment where you can countdown for spring break, the last break of the school year where you know the final term is around the corner. And … Read More
A RoadMAP for Faculty Meetings
TL;DR: After-school staff meetings are difficult for staff who have a lot of other things going on following the school day. Sunday Drive meetings are a type of staff meeting without clear or desired outcomes. Staff drives this type of meeting. Problem-solving meetings analyze data and are more structured. Often there is very little time to actually problem-solve, despite the … Read More
What Should Students Know and Be Able to Do?
TL;DR: Certain skills are necessary for students to be successful beyond high school. Many schools no longer address these skills because of their focus on standards and mandated tests. Backward design helps prepare K-12 students for the future. “As societies become more complex in structure and resources, the need of formal or intentional teaching and learning increases. As formal teaching … Read More
The Heart of Education: Feeling Safe
TL;DR Emotional safety is just as critical as physical safety. Creating safe spaces in our classrooms starts with understanding our own safety needs. Build hands-on tasks with students and colleagues to break down complex emotional ideas. Using mood meters provides learners with a language to describe their emotions. Feeling safe is a fundamental need. Learners’ attention in our classes depends … Read More
Five Leverage Points For Supporting School Improvement
TL;DR: Every year, schools work to establish school improvement goals. Schools may fall into one of three categories: improvement, diminishing returns, or flatlining. There are five leverage points schools should look at for improvement. Each year, school improvement teams identify needs, create goals, and determine how to measure each goal. Staff commits to focusing on school priorities and strategies for … Read More