Cultivating Assistant Principals

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5 Ways To Help Your Students Become Better Questioners by Warren Berger

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My STEM professor , Dr. Wil Parker  introduced the graphic below to my doctoral class.  He asked us to take a minute to review the graphic and then asked us what resonated with us...

My school district uses Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching for our Teacher Evaluation and Component 3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques always seems to be the area in which teachers score the lowest.   The elements of Component 3b includes: Quality of Questions, Discussion Techniques, and Student Participation.

Inquiry is a basic to science instruction and the desire is that  inquiry will be the basic to all instruction. As many of us can attest, young children have mastered the art of asking questions as it seems they have a never-ending supply of questions about EVERYTHING...What happens with older children?  They very seldom ask questions...

 Warren Berger provides suggestions (and a wonderful graphic) on how to encourage more student questioning.

Thanks Dr. Parker for bringing this graphic (and article) to my attention!


How to Encourage Questioning:

1. Make it Safe
2. Make it "Cool"
3. Make it Fun
4. Make it Rewarding
5. Make it Stick

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/help-students-become-better-questioners-warren-berger

School Leadership Resources by Ross Cooper via Edutopia

A collection of great resources for administrators!


http://www.edutopia.org/school-leadership-principals-teachers-resources

Top Tips for School Leaders

• 5 Strategic Tips for First-Year Administrators, by Ross Cooper (2015)
  For admins just starting out, it's helpful to establish relationships, visit classrooms, understand others, flatten the hierarchy, and become an active social media presence.
• 8 Top Tips for Highly Effective PD, by Vicki Davis (2015)
  Among the top strategies for highly effective professional development are making it useful, making it relevant, and making sure that teachers start practicing it ASAP.
• 8 Tips to Create a Twitter-Driven School Culture, by Elana Leoni (2014)
  Administrators can create a more connected school culture by modeling Twitter use and encouraging staff to work, play, and learn through the medium. For more ideas about using technology to communicate, check out Josh Work's five-part series "Technology SAMR Model for Administrators," which examines how administrators can use the SAMR model (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) for clarity and efficiency in presenting to and communicating with school staff.
• School Administrator's Guide to Supporting School Counselors, by Dr. Kimberlee Ratliff (2013)
  Ratliff, a National Certified Counselor and APUS Associate Professor and Program Director, offers school administrators a checklist for what they should and should not expect from their school counselors.
• How To Expand a Successful School Model, by Suzie Boss (2013)
  Karen Kodama, the founding principal of John Stanford International School in Seattle, shares advice for administrators on expanding and replicating successful programs.
• Four Suggestions to Help You Lead by Relationships and Realize Your Vision, by Scott Taylor (2013)
  Taylor, an assistant superintendent, writes about the importance of leading by relationships in order to realize your vision.

• Cultivating Great School Leaders

  • School Leaders: Tips for Coaching Your Super Teachers by Ben Johnson (2015)
    School leaders and administrators: Check out these suggestions for supporting growth and development in the teachers you lead.
  • It Takes Courage to Make Schools Better by Maurice Elias (2015)
    Making one's school better requires honest conversation, and that requires courage. Check out these questions and conversation starters that can be used in faculty meetings or as a professional development activity. Also from Elias, "You Need an Elevator Pitch About School Culture and Climate," which highlights how your school's leadership team can help the community understand the importance of culture and climate -- and improve it.
  • What Makes a Great School Leader? by Elena Aguilar (2014)
    Longtime Edutopia contributor Aguilar highlights the three qualities she thinks most indicative of a great school leader: visionary leadership, community builder, and emotional intelligence.
  • Encouraging Teacher Leaders to Become Principals, by Bob Lenz (2014)
    Lenz discusses how a recent report offers a road map for system leaders to establish new standards, practices, and management structures for growing a strong pipeline of principals.
  • Don't Be Afraid to Give Direct Feedback, by Scott Taylor (2013)
    Superintendent and adjunct professor Taylor returns with advice about using reflective questions as a constructive way of delivering direct feedback.

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Drive Your CSF Strengths!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/learning-drive-your-csf-strengths-nathanael-small?trk=prof-post

I love this analysis of the Clifton StrengthFinder Strengths!  Nathanael Small intereprets his 34 themes list as  driving a car with traffic lights and different types of roads.

It's definitley a fun way to learn how to "Name, Claim, and Aim" your Strenghts!

I am...RESTORATIVE, LEARNER, DELIBERATIVE, RESPONSIBILITY, and INPUT!



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The BEST Job Interview Advice Book by Devay Campbell

This is a wonderful resource for anyone preparing for an interview in any field. I will be definitely recommending it to the assistant principals I work with in pursuit of the principalship. The advice and tips are provided in a manner that is easy to implement. The author provides great reference tools as well as "lessons learned". I absolutely love the space provided for you to organize your thoughts and write down ideas and information as well as the valuable input from all the experts.

Perhaps the best part of the book is the conversational writing style that Ms. Campbell used. The writing style makes it easier to relate and it conveys the intended message perfectly!

You will definitely return to the book frequently for guidance either for yourself or someone else that is seeking your input on interviewing. This book is worth buying if you are looking for practical advice that you can apply immediately.

I highly recommend this book to all preparing to interview and those who assist individuals in preparation for interviews.

"Being prepared will ultimately make you more confident" ~Devay Campbell

You may purchase the book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-BEST-Interview-Advice-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZIQHFPO Tweet