Jasmine Kullar
You’re absolutely ecstatic because you finally got that principal position you’ve been wanting for a long time! Since the moment you were named principal of your school, your mind has been racing about all the things you’re going to do, right? Well, take a deep breath. My first piece of advice is to slow down. Take a moment to think about what mistakes you don’t want to make as you begin this exciting journey as a principal. Read more
School Improvement
Why We Need to Move on from Classrooms
Categories: School Improvement
Based on the book Learning Without Classrooms
Secondary schools consisting of classrooms is an outdated and ineffective idea. A classroom-based school is the most visible manifestation of mass-instruction thinking. It has been with us in education for over 100 years, since it was first implemented in 1908, when Nicolas Wirt applied mass-production thinking to education in his “’platoon school.” Read more
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From Compliance to Empowerment for Students and Staff
Categories: Instruction, School Improvement
Based on Behavior: The Forgotten Curriculum
Student empowerment is a popular topic. And it should be.
Student empowerment is often represented along a continuum. On one end of this continuum is compliance. On the other end is empowerment. Somewhere in between is engagement. Read more
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3 Ways to Prevent Over-Collaborating
Categories: School Improvement
In my book, Everyday Instructional Coaching, I emphasize the important role instructional coaches play in facilitating effective collaboration. As educators, we continually demand collaboration for our students and consistently schedule team meetings and planning sessions. We have to ask ourselves, “What is the purpose of collaboration?” Is it to check a box for the principal, truly be productive, or meet pre-established goals? We have placed a high value on collaboration, but at what cost?
Becoming Edupreneurs in 21st Century Schools
Categories: 21st Century Skills, School Improvement
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” —Charles Darwin
Becoming an edupreneur requires the dusting off of three dispositions of our younger selves. These are three postures that made many of us fearless warriors in the education arena, taking on every challenge we faced with energy, enthusiasm, and most of all, eagerness. Read more