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At an urban school with above-average STEM scores, faculty fought against the principal’s effort to raise expectations and do “even more.” When she had first urged her deeper learning vision with a call for project-based learning, many teachers balked. “Last year we worked hard to get our scores up. Don’t ask us to change what works. You can say that PBL will help even more, but who knows?” Read more
The fundamental purpose of a professional learning community is to ensure all students learn at high levels. The very reason why educators collaborate is to achieve this outcome. This is why the first step—the first pillar—of the PLC at Work® process is building staff consensus around this shared mission (DuFour et al., 2016). Read more
In my upcoming book, Managing Unstoppable Learning, I focus on what all educators need to do to ensure learning for all students in a positive environment. In my work with schools over the last year, I have zeroed in on the notion of welcoming students to “Our House.” Read more
Based on Leading With Intention
We both love concerts and attend them often. We recently compared notes about summer concerts we attended, and it was interesting how different our experiences were. One concert was well organized with many entrances open, plenty of places to buy food and drinks, and a highly visible staff that was attentive and ready to assist. Overall, the event felt safe, controlled, clean, and organized. In another city, a similar event felt very different. There were limited entrances open, with long lines to get inside the venue and even longer lines to get food and drink. Event staff were difficult to locate, and it generally felt chaotic.
As we compared our experiences, it was easy for us to make the connection to schools. When organization is not of the utmost concern in schools, a situation similar to the chaotic concert experience can ensue. How can school leaders engage in practices that increase a sense of order? Read more
Based on Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning
Is there a school that isn’t trying to purchase and integrate technology into its classrooms? If so, such schools are few and far between. And yet, despite the ubiquity of this work, most schools are doing it poorly. Read more
James A. Bellanca
