How to Massively Turn Failing Students Around

Now that the school year is over it time to turn up your preparation for the next school year. There is a saying that insanity is doing what you've always done and expecting different results. Tell everyone in your school that change is good and ideas are welcomed. Everyone can contribute to the success of a school. Here are some things your school can do: 

1. Engage your students in creative group projects inside and outside of the school

2. Flip the classroom and let students have many opportunities to review what they are learning on video

3. Tell your students the ten things they must know to succeed in each section of your course

4. Have an examination review to tell students in depth how to prepare for the examination. Always teach study skills and study habits.

5. Find ways to give out awards and certificates to students who are not normally recognized

6. Make school attendance a big deal and celebration all of the time 

7.  Implement an entrepreneurship program in your school. Get the Small Business Administration center and companies involved

8. Ask parents to get involved in one specific school project each year

9. Get your students involved in chess tournament it teaches great problem solving, patience and decision making skills

10. Get your students involved in robotics competitions like First Tech Challenge 

Now is the time to have a new vision for your school. Put pictures of successful people of all around your school. Put success quotes around your school. Have the students develop and vote on a school motto. Change is good. Help students to earn better grades and to believe in themselves. Time to take your students to the next level of learning. It's up to you. Dr. Stephen Jones is an education advocate and author of the Seven Secrets of How to Study at http://bit.ly/1wJHWaa Join his education newsletter at http://bit.ly/1sVyCzs. Contact me with your questions at 610-842-3843.

Unique Stress Management Tips for Busy K12 Professionals

Stress can be one of the greatest challenges for K12 professionals. You are constantly under pressure to get student to show school improvement without the resources that you need to accomplish it. You spend 60 to 80 hours each week doing your job. There are all kinds of meetings with students, staff, teachers and parents. You have a significant number of regulations. In spite of all these challenges you enjoy what you do. In order to survive your daily challenges you must commit to managing your stress. Here are some things that you can do to lower your stress:

1. Participate in a water aerobics class at the YMCA/YWCA

2.  Organize a weekly fun game night for your family or with friends

3.  Take a more than one mini 3 day vacations during the fall and the spring

4. Take off a Friday and a Monday to create a 4 day weekend to enjoy family

5. Hire a trainer to keep you on track with your fitness and healthy eating goals

6.  Go walking three times a week. It is a great alternative exercise.

7.  Take a month off during the summer.

8.  Visit an aquarium to relax 

9.  Go to the beach to enjoy nature

10.  Create a picture board with fun things that you want to accomplish and start working on them.

11. Do different exercises 6 days a week. Try different exercises and it will not be boring.

The K12 professionals who are effective have learned that stress management must be a way of life for you. Something that you must do to be an effective K12 professional is managing your stress. I have talked to several K12 professionals who never take a vacation. Vacations can help you to recharge your battery and to relax. An important part of your health plan is reducing your stress and taking a day to relax when you are overwhelmed.

Dr. Stephen Jones is an education advocate, author and professional development presenter on numerous topics at http://bit.ly/1wJHWaa or email Dr. Jones at Learn@DrStephenJones.net

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How to Close the Achievement Gap Today

The gap between those who have and those who do not continues to grow. It separates the rest of society’s chances to get access to the best education. Ultimately the outcome of the socioeconomic disparity is growth in the achievement gap. The future is affected by every student that is sitting in class disenchanted with the education that they are receiving. The future of education is now. While some say standardized testing provides good information to change a failing school others say it is a distraction to the learning process. Some teachers are forced to teach to the test and this does not result a better school.  Principals and teachers jobs are lost based on test scores.  Educators and parents need to make a serious effort to close the achievement gap by working together.

Some say there is a lack of parent involvement. Parents face many socioeconomic challenges that limit their participation. It takes a whole community working together to build a bridge that connects the children to the right education experience. If you live in a state where early childhood education is not supported your children’s chances of reading at grade level is limited. It’s time to close the achievement gap today by improving education all along the K12 experience. Too many school districts are fighting an uphill battle to survive.  In subsequent paragraphs you will find suggestion for closing the achievement gap.

Bold School Leadership

Some school districts are constantly unstable which causes a crisis in leadership. Principals across school districts are added and removed throughout the school year. Some principal’s don’t know what teachers will work in their build during the school year.  Teachers may change from one year to the next. A person may be trained for leadership but they need consistency among their teachers to organize an effective school. If the principal and teachers are working together a lot can be accomplished and students can earn better grades. It can also help to reduce the achievement gap because the students have the same teachers throughout the school year.  I have heard about one school  that had three math teachers in one year.  You cannot expect a child to learn with that kind of instability.

Effective leadership on the part of a principal can help to close some of the doors that limit a student’s ability to go to college. All principals that work at schools in each city need to regularly come together and think of solutions that they can implement. The principals must be united in to see better outcomes for the children who are in their school district. The student should have an awareness that their principal has a plan to improve how they perform. Principals must know that they must sacrifice their time and continually gain more knowledge to make their school the best that it can be.

Absenteeism

To close the achievement gap a written and measurable plan must be followed  in order to reduce student absenteeism. There are a number of issues that plague students who are frequently absent. These students often face adverse health issues, some students have persistent problems with asthma or stress that cause students to be more susceptible to sicknesses.  There may be abuse going on in their home and it has not been investigated.  A significant number of students are no longer interested in school and there are no parents at home who can inspire them to excel while in school.

Every effort must be made to overcome the challenges of decreasing the amount of student absenteeism.  There should be an assessment of the patterns of absenteeism that exists in certain neighborhoods.  The data can be used to come up with new strategies to resolve issues that absent students face and each day. Getting students to attend school is important because the research says that when students don’t show up for school their grades are affected. This student can easily become disillusioned with school and dropout.  School districts must find more creative ways to catch up with students and their parents to offer them solutions. It takes a team effort to send a message to families that you want their child to succeed in school. School districts must be aware that some parents are on the move in terms of their place of residence throughout the school year.  Most parents want their children in school every day but moving to survive affects their child’s attendance. There must be an easy process for a child to transfer to a new school.

There must be many communication access points to keep the school district informed about a child’s absenteeism issues.  Some schools have a call in telephone number in place on their website or a parent can call and talk to someone live. Some parents may use a library to communicate with the school over the Internet.  Effective communication may take time when a parent moves to a new neighborhood. The best results will come with the school districts that have multiple ways to communicate regarding student absenteeism. The school district must have a plan that will address the absenteeism issue while also helping students to be motivated about attending school.

Health Issues

One cannot ignore the health issues that often plague students who are in the United States. Students suffer issues like asthma, diabetes and teen pregnancy to name a few. All of these issues can contribute to the gap in the academic achievement of the students. These students may end up in an emergency room prior to a test and they may feel out of it when they do retain return to school to take their test. Depending on the illness it may take several days to get back to school. If the student does not have a computer at home they must have parents who can help them to get their assignments.  A good student may turn in an assignment late due to their illness. Parents who have children with several health issues can feel overwhelmed.

There needs to be a citywide coordinated effort to respond to health issues that are happening in the community. When a young person has a baby it can hinder her ability to continue school unless there is a health advocate in place to help the student. She could be a student who had good grades before the pregnancy. She should not be penalized. Schools should not count her as a loss because she cannot return to school right away.  Educators should always find multiple ways that a student can return school. There must be a coordinated effort with the school nurse and other public health agencies.  There should be a health plan in place so that the principal has the help that they need with the students who have health issues.

Each month parents need information about health solutions and other resources. It is better to help parents to take a preventative approach to healthcare rather than awaiting the next crisis. A lot students do not have the right glasses some parents do not have enough money to take care of their need for new glasses.   The Philadelphia Eagles football team has a bright idea they have their own truck with doctors who the provide glasses for children. We need to make a big investment in how our children’s health is monitored and resolved.  Closing the achievement  gap must include a healthcare plan that works.

Parent Engagement

The socioeconomic condition of parents is an ongoing factor in the expansion of the achievement gap. There are economic factors such as income inequality and homes where there is only one income coming that limits a parents aspirations for their child.  Some parents may remember their own experience with their local school and decide that their participation will not make a difference. They do not realize that they are their child’s first teacher. Spending time communicating with their child is more work but is worth the investment.  A student whose parent is reading to their child every day  significantly at increases their chances for success.

It is important to consider how to close the achievement gap as an ongoing part of the school plan. In order to succeed there must be several different ways to get parents involved in schools academic life. My suggestion is finding ways to meet parents where they are. For example the school principal should consider all of the events where parents typically show up. It can be exporting event, a school play or something is happening at a community center. This may require more time but is it worth the investment. This is a signal to the local community that the principal and the teachers at a particular school really care about how well the students perform.

This is the day to get started with new ideas and programs to get parents excited about their role at their child’s school. You want to get all the parents involved in some way. There could be a conference call, workshop or online chat about things that are happening at the school. Identify a parent who is very committed to talk to school administrators and teachers and get them involved in all the parent initiatives. Another approach would be getting one parent from each class to participate in the Parent Taecvher Association (PTA).  If this happens you will have a significant level of participation throughout your school. There is a possibility that you could have 30 to 40 parents involved.  If you get one parent from each class you are increasing your parent engagement and changing the school environment. This will be a great strategy for close the achievement gap because parents could be an active part of their student’s success.

Summary

Closing the achievement gap will require innovative leadership and a commitment to changing how students learn. The principal at a school must find a creative way to address multiple issues. Students should know that they are welcome in the school and that they can benefit from instruction that is happening throughout the day. We cannot continue to allow the achievement gap to expand. This is time for the entire American community to come together to address a crisis issue. There needs to be more than a national dialogue about closing the achievement gap this is a time for action. The future is in our hands now and we have an opportunity to expose students to the new careers that can change the socio-economic conditions of students who graduate from high school  or who pursue a post secondary education .

Please join my newsletter at http://bit.ly/1AUafKL

Dr. Stephen Jones is an education advocate and consultant who has published three books the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide at http://www.DrStephenJones.net or Learn@DrStephenJones.net.

How Principals Can Change Failing Schools

One of the critical aspects of transforming a school is selecting the right leadership.  The expectation that there will be new  leadership that will result in a successful school must be in the hearts and minds of the principal, staff and teachers who see students every day.  Why do some schools turn around while others flounder?  It is because some principals and teachers continue to lead the same way they did last year.  They expect different results but they keep doing the same things that caused the school to fail.  Successful principals and teachers see change as a good aspect of their schools success.  There must be leadership with a positive vision and measurable outcomes that inspire students to be successful. There must be a commitment to moving forward with new ideas and actions.

     The principals, staff and teachers in a school that’s progressing has very good communication and cooperation among the entire professionals who are running the school.  There is an expectation that all communication has a purpose and motivates everyone to raise the level of energy that is invested in student instruction. A better school will come from everyone knowing how to carry out the vision of the principal.  Teachers in this school should feel free to talk to each other and to develop some of their own strategies to improve student motivation. This includes reviewing the way that they communicate their lessons to students.  The teachers must also feel confident that the principal understands them and takes time to teach students too.  A principal who takes time to teach will have a better sense of what students are learning in their classrooms.

     The students must understand that everyone at the school expects them to do well.  There must be a strategy to totally abolish the culture of low expectation.  Students must be applauded and recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom.  A whole school culture can change if the students who maintain a “C” average are challenged and rewarded for raising their performance to a “B” average or higher. Success is evident in a school when the principal and teachers make learning fun and engaging.  The school not only celebrates their success of its athletes but has a bigger celebration over students who excel in the classroom.  A school atmosphere can change so that athletes want to become a scholar athlete.  Better grades and academic performance will get all students excited about coming to school.

     There must be a level of compassion by the principal and teachers.  A school must be a welcoming place that is aware of the neighborhoods and cultures that influence the students.  Schools administrators that ignore the child’s problems are ignoring that they are affected by a number of struggles.  The challenges that a student can face when there is one parent in the home are tremendous.  Even if the student has two parents it does not guarantee that they will focus their energy on the student’s academic success. The principal and teachers must understand these challenges and work on some solutions that help each student to position themselves to learn when they are in school.  There are some very bright students whose home situation is not good.  It is better to meet the challenge head on than to hope that it will go away.

    It is important to lead from the front and not from the back. What is meant by this statement? It is better to have a plan that the school is following than to constantly respond to conflict and problems that were never fixed.  When the principals, staff and teachers lead from the front schools become better.  The teachers are excited to come to school because they feel supported. The students get the benefit of the teacher’s enthusiasm.  The principals and teachers can be role models of what good leadership looks like.  They also inspire students to become leaders at the school and in their community. 

     Positive changes can come from principals, staff and teachers who know how to get parents involved in the daily life of the school.  Parents often do not know how they play a positive role because their own parents were not involved in their school.  The school staff and several parents should come together to discuss how other parents can be involved.  These meetings can be held in the school, at a community center or at a church.   An effective parent involvement program includes meeting the parents where they live.  It’s great when a principal can find a pre-existing group of parents that meet and find a way to get on their agenda.  This saves the parent’s time but the principal can share important information with them. Persistence and a significant improvement in the students success is the key to improving parent involvement.

    Finally an inspired principal and staff can change a failing school by promoting career awareness to all at all K12 levels. Too many students are drifting in schools where they have no idea what their future could look like.  I firmly believe that career exploration should occur all year.  The K12 students need to explore careers to sustain their enthusiasm and the vision to explore how they can work in professions such as medicine, engineering, government, business and other professions.  The principals and teachers are the catalyst that motivates students can educate students about some of to pursue the top careers.  It is time to try something different at the failing schools. It is time to take action and to fight for successful schools.

Dr. Stephen Jones is an education expert who you should consider for your school.  He is the author of the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate scholarship guide at http://www.studyskills2u.com. Contact him right away at 610-842-3843.

7 Unique Student Motivation tips for High School Principals

Do you want to see an abundance of student's coming to your school motivated to learn? Change what you are doing year after year. That's right the principal has the power to make school an exciting place. It can be a place where the students feel empowered to be innovative as they think about how they are learning. The students need to see passionate teachers who are altering the curriculum to keep them engaged. I suggest finding ways the get the students involved in local community and city wide projects to improve the city for everyone. Here are 7 things you can do:

1. Teach your students to play chess

2.  Get a back door tour of jobs at an airport, public transportation and other businesses.

3. Start a entrepreneurship class for students

4. Student professional development class for internships

5.  Teach students how to earn A+ grades

6. Visit companies in the area

7. Start an energy careers course

It is important for students to see how learning more information can lead to a career opportunity. Students need to know that there is a benefit to indepth conversations with teachers who care about their success. The school environment must be a place where students can explore and ask questions to the principal and counselors. 

Today is a good time to try something different at your school. You might find out that the changes that you make gets students to view their school differently. Dr. Stephen Jones is the author of the "Seven Secrets of how to Study" at 

http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew.

Back to School Success tips for Principals

It's important for a principal to have a back to school plan that gets the entire school and neighborhood involved. Remember to begin the school year with the end in mind. Know what you want to accomplish by the end of spring 2015? Then identify partners who will help you to take your school to higher levels of academic performance. Clearly outline your goals and the steps to get there with your staff, teachers, parents and students. You are the leader and people want to hear from you. Here are some other tips.

1. Get parents involved in the school during August start up.

2. Appoint a parent liaison for the year. This liaison will contact parents and get them involved in the school.

3. Get staff and faculty to talk about their vision for the new school year.

4. If you are a high school principal establish a 9th grade transition program where students get two credits.

5. Make career exploration a fall and spring monthly effort.

6. Be flexible get school change insights from your staff, faculty, students and parents.

7. Make more tutoring available for students. (College students, retired teachers, corporate representatives).

8. Plan trips to visit companies at all levels of the K12 experience.

9. Have a stress reduction plan for the school year. (Healthy eating, exercise, yoga, walk, run, occasionally a long weekend.

10. Create student academic success plan and get staff, faculty, students and parents involved.

One of the biggest positive changes in a school occurs when the students know that you care. The principal should be the biggest cheerleader that students see every day. Visiting classes and acknowledging student accomplishments, getting students to have a school pledge, special shirt, art gallery, school song or having students highlights each week. The principal can raise the level of enthusiasm throughout their building. A dedicated principal can be the difference that leads students to a brighter future. Dr. Stephen Jones is a professional development and student presenter, author and

Educator at http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew or call 610-842-3843.

How an effective Professional Development helps your School to Prosper

Did you get all that you wanted from your last professional development?  An effective professional development must involve more than a one day seminar at your school. You want a professional development experience that will help your staff, teachers and students to prosper throughout the year. All change takes time. Sometimes it's important to have a professional development theme for the year. In other words there are some consistent things that you want to develop over the entire school year.  Invite a presenter to come more than once or have several presenters focus on the same theme.   You want to maximize everyone's chances that they will grow as an outcome of the professional development sessions. You and the professional development person can come up with some themes that will be introduced during each session. When staff and teachers feel supported they will respond and the entire school can change. Here are ten things that will change your school.

1. Show staff your goal for the year and how you all can measure progress. 

2.  Be a visible leader with students, staff and teachers.

3. Change starts with you

4. Visit another school to see how they implement a good professional development 

5. Have a monthly conference call with your professional development presenter

6.  Don't give up change takes time

7. Ask the presenter what resources will help your school to become better

8. Expect great things for your school. Your energy will spill over to everyone.

9.  Ask your teachers and staff for suggestions. Express appreciation and let them know when you are implementing their suggestion.

10. Try a new professional development presenter 

You should select the professional development that fits your school.  Find ways to move the items that are in the way of your student's progress.  Seek to strengthen the resources that teachers will need to help students to achieve. Don't look at change as work. Look at it as an opportunity to make your school function better. Move forward with purpose there is nothing you can do about the past. Dr. Stephen Jones is a professional development presenter and author. To reach him email stephenjoness@rcn.com or 610-842-3943. Visit his website at http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew. 

How can Your School Prosper

A successful school has a plan and everyone is invested in following it. Your school can prosper the 2014-2015 school year by making the decision to get the services of the right professional development expert at the right time. You must have a plan that you willing to consistently follow and support. Your plan must be measurable. You will become a witness that your students are achieving better scores on their tests.  It’s important to identify the people who are invested in the success of your school. As a leader of your school you must have the right combination of staff, teachers and other resources that will put your K12 school students into an excellent academic environment. Schools that prosper find ways to engage parents in their child’s total K12 experience. Please let me know how I can help you with your goals.   

Who am I? I am Dr. Stephen Jones and I am a problem solving education driven strategist.

What can I do for you? I work with your k12 school to improve the academic success and career readiness of your students. 

How?

I conduct workshops for principals and teachers
I conduct workshops for students
I conduct workshops for parents
I offer three college preparation books to schools (Seven Secrets of How to Study, Parents Ultimate Education Guide, Ultimate Scholarship Guide) http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew

Why contact me?

Schools invite me because I make my focus about their success and I am passionate about student achievement. Schools contact me because they want to do something new and innovative. Schools want their problems solved and staff and students motivated. I make you my focus.

My objective is to meet your need as a resource and educator. If you are interested in making your school the best that it can be contact me. 

Dr. Stephen Jones
Stephenjoness@rcn.com
610-842-3843
http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew

How to Create Inspired and Effective New Principal

The ability to become an effective new principal is not the end it is only the beginning of a fantastic journey.  The need for professional development for new principals is critical to a schools success. There are more demands on principals than ever before.  Putting a new principal into a school without preparation is dooming them for failure.  Superintendents of schools must have a plan that incorporates training and mentoring for more than one year. A new principal needs to know that he/she is supported by an administration that cares about a new principal’s success.

For the new principal it is time to get ready to change the lives of thousands of students.  The new principal is a catalyst for innovation where school staff, teachers and students adapts a new culture.  Here are a few things that new principals can do remain inspired and to excite their entire school about academic excellence:

1. Have a career day every month to expose students and staff to new possibilities

2.  Write down your goals and make them measurable

3.  Join Pinterest and get information from Pins on education, STEM, student activities and other topics

4.  Read inspirational leadership books each month and purchase them for staff too

5. Partner with a seasoned mentor who can offer you good advice

6.  Involve your students in STEM activities throughout the school year

7.  Pursue additional education. Consider an executive MBA or a Ph.D

8.  Join an association of secondary education leaders and attend conferences

9. Join Linkedin leadership group for K12 administrators

10.  Make it a goal to highlight the success stories of your staff, teachers and students

The key to effective organizational leadership is having clear goals that you are following. These goals can influence your teachers, students and parents to take action. They can improve the academic engagement and foster a positive relationship with the local community. Also, since you are the leader you will need to stay on top of new technology and trends that affect your schools performance. You can share articles and other information with your staff and faculty that help them to do their job.

One great assessment tool that you can use is called SWOT analysis.  This analysis will reveal your schools strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Use the SWOT analysis to map out a plan regarding how to address challenges that your school is facing and highlight your successes too.  You should get everyone involved to get your best picture of how you can move forward with new goals. Involvement will help everyone feel happy that they have contributed to your plan.  Focus on opportunities to make your school the best that it can be.

If you are a new principal the best is yet to come for you.  Every successful leader understands that good things happen over time.  Don’t be afraid to ask people questions. You can influence young people to become future leaders by your own leadership style.  Often people may not remember what you said but they will remember what you did to make a difference in their life.  Pursue excellence and you will find that being a principal is not a job it is the rewarding experience that you always expected.  Dr. Stephen jones is a professional development presenter and the author of the Seven Secrets of how to Study, the Ultimate Parent’s Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide at http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew

First Year Teachers who Defeat Discouragement

The National Education Association, “estimates that one-third of all new teachers leave after three years, and 46 percent are gone within five years.”  This is a startling number when one considers that number of teachers who will retire within the next ten years.  It’s time to have a serious discussion about the factors that cause teachers to be discouraged.  Let’s address some of the issues by spending more time on solutions and understanding how to make educating students a national priority.  Too often teachers feel stuck and defeated because they are not totally prepared for working in a real school environment. 

So here are some solutions.  During the first year school districts must surround new teachers with master teachers who can encourage them. Very often new teachers are thrown into schools without a full understanding of the culture of the school.  The key to a teachers success is letting them know that they are not alone.  It is great for a new teacher to have someone who they can have a conversation with throughout the week.  There should be a special time when the new teacher can ask questions without the fear of being judged.  It is also great to have a college professor that a new teacher can call on from time to time too. 

First year teachers need more tools, mentors and ongoing preparation to support reminders:

1.  Let them know that teaching gets better over time. Don't give up.

2.  A mentor who can help them to brainstorm and identify alternative responses to different classroom situations

3. Surround themselves with supportive staff

4. Spend time having a general conversation with students outside of the classroom to encourage enthusiasm for learning

5.  Read books and listen to MP3 recordings that help you to stay motivated to teach

6. Focus on your fitness to endure the stress

7. Work to incorporate different learning styles in your instruction.

Your enthusiasm as a teacher is one of the greatest ways to move your class toward success. They will only receive information when they know that you are making investments in their success. Keep searching for different interactive activities that you can implement each day. Your students will benefit from the different learning styles that you are incorporating into your instruction.  There is a lot that you can find out about yourself and your students by trying different teaching methods.

It is important to identify teachers who will support you.  The best teachers are the ones who tell you what you can do rather than what you cannot do. You should align yourself with teachers who value seeing new teachers grow into their position.  These are the teachers who know how to communicate with students.  They realize that each school can have its own culture.  Don’t place limits on opportunities to learn see your students in different community locations.  Go to a community event or to a sporting event to observe what raises their enthusiasm.  You can also help out in an after school program where you can provide additional support in a fun environment.

There are some great internet resources that can be an aid to your instruction.  You can join several teachers and education groups on the social network named Linkedin.  You can use other resources such as Youtube, Khan Academy and TedX. These websites offer educational videos on a variety of topics.  Some of the videos can serve as a great motivation to teach at a high level. You may also find ways to incorporate videos into your instruction. It is a great way to engage students.

Don’t forget to continue to work on your teaching skills.  The first year teaching is just a stepping stone to a career that can be filled with exciting experiences.  Every day you will have an opportunity to witness your students as they grow intellectually, emotionally and socially. Each K12 grade level offers different challenges and you must continue to research to maximize your students learning potential.  Ask you student questions that will get them to think about the future and how things will be different.  Get your students to regularly use their imagination. Stay focused on your goal to teach and you will have success.  There is a wonderful reward for the time that you invest in helping students to reach their full potential.  Dr. Stephen Jones is a professional development presenter and author of the Seven Secrets of How to Study at http://www.studyskills2u.com or email stephenjoness@rcn.com.

Radical Ways to Spark K12 Student's College Interest

The best way to prepare a student for college is starting at the beginning of their education.  Too many school systems wait until high school to start a college conversation. During the early years students are like sponges that are waiting to absorb knowledge.  The discussions about college must start early.  That is why I decided to create the Ultimate College Preparation Kit at http://www.studyskills2u.weebly.com/books.html.  Students who inspired to read and compute math in a fun way while they are in elementary school thrive as they move from elementary school to middle school and from middle school to high school.  Parents should be included in the college conversation.  Schools can help parents to understand what they can be doing in their homes for example no television in the students room.  The parent can set a limited television viewing time during the week.  Instead parents should encourage their child to read and read with them.  The school that is preparing students for college must have a parent partnership.

Students not only need to memorize words at their K12 schools they need to have conversations where words are used at a higher volume. This is beneficial especially during the early years when students are learning math and science terms and words.  Teachers and parents should talk about college regularly to raise the student’s expectation that they can attend college. A teacher spends the majority of time with the students during the day.  Every teacher who is teaching at an elementary school, middle school and high school should have the banner of the college they attended outside of their room.  You will be amazed how many student conversations can result from having a banner outside of your door.  The students may not even be in the teacher’s class the banner is creating a college going culture.  The catalyst for a student to attend college is the teacher’s inspiration. It is the fact that everyone that comes in contact with them talks about college.  Tell your students that they are special and that you are expecting great things from them.  Here are a few tips:

1.  Measure and calculate everything so that your student develops good math skills

2. Read for an hour and a half every day

3.  Respond to questions that your students ask to help them to develop a vocabulary

4.  Take your student on cultural trips on the weekend

5.  Find reasons to be on a college campus for a play, sporting event or presentation

6. Plan a college visit every K12 year

7.  Get a college mentor for your student’s class

8.  Use the common application to apply to college

9. Teach you students to manage their time early. It has great benefits

10.  There are over 6000 colleges there is one for your student

Helping children to believe in themselves is half of the battle in terms of encouraging them to attend college.  They may be the first person I their family to attend college and they feel overwhelmed.  You should reassure them of what they can accomplish.  Teachers can talk about people who are living today who've graduated from college too.  A lot of students need to see living examples of college graduates.  You can invite them to your classroom to talk about their career experiences.  You can work with your students to create questions that they can ask to your speaker.  Sometimes that quite student who never makes a noise will have a question.  You never know the profession that I child will pursue.  The television and other media should not be the only way that students are able to identify a career. Every student has great potential.  Find creative ways to involve them in the learning process and they will have a thirst for knowledge and college. Dr Stephen Jones is a college preparation expert, author, consultant and educator.  He recently released the Ultimate College Preparation Kit at http://www.studyskills2u.weebly.com/books.html . You can reach him at stephenjoness@rcn.com or 610-842-3843.

Keys to Maximizing Your Student's Motivation

One of the biggest challenges for any school is how to keep students motivated.  It's challenging to create a school environment where everyone wants to show up every day. There are some key things that you want to keep in mind. Students are not always clear on their goals. School should be a place where they can find their purpose. Students need an opportunity to express themselves and school is a great place to do it.  If all classes find a way to incorporate interactive projects and group efforts and friendly competition you will get better results. Allow students to offer suggestions. Here are more tips: 

1.  Offer tutoring throughout the day and encourage students to earn better grades

2.  Hire teachers who believe that the students are going to be success

3. Incorporate current events into all classes

4. Have a school wide community project

5.  Visit cultural locations with students in another city

6. Have a council of student leaders that represent each grade

7.  Give students an opportunity to teach a part of your lesson.

8.  Develop an exchange of idea program with another school

9. Get your local college's small business office to help your students with starting their own small businesses

10.  Create many ways for parents to participate in the school with conference calls and meetings at the school and in the community.

Don''t stay stuck in the way that you've done things with your students. They are waiting for you to be innovative and engaging. There is a lot that you can do differently and it won't cost money. Always ask your students questions. They want a good school environment too. Seek to uncover your leaders.  Some disruptive students are leaders who have not found the right way to express themselves.  Ask them to help organize the right thing and this student will change.  Every student needs a spark to ignite their enthusiasm for learning. Take time to listen to your students and you can uncover all that's necessary to raise your students motivation.  Dr. Stephen Jones is an professional development/workshop presenter http://bit.ly/MjQ16z and author of the Seven Secrets of How to Study at http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew.

Vice Principals the Aspiring Leaders of Tomorrow

The leaders that we need for tomorrow are the vice-principals that we see in schools today.  There is a fertile group of administrators who are often one step away from the principal’s role.  The experiences that will lead to a successful role as a principal must be a daily task.   There are decisions about the administration of the school, teachers and the academic success of students. These all combine into a tangles web of decisions that require forethought and immediate responses.  Some vice- principals serve as the Dean of Students while others manage the academic affairs of their school. All leadership opportunities add up to experience s that help’s the vice-principal to grow into a future leadership role. There are ten things that you can do to develop your skills as a leader:

1.  Identify a mentor who has plenty of principal experience

2.  Pursue a master’s degree in management with an emphasis on leadership

3.  Attend leadership seminars whenever you attend a conference

4.  Take on a project that’s important to your school district and do a good job

5. Have a plan for your physical fitness

6. Meet and connect with people who attend district wide training sessions for principals

7.  Participate on a panel during a workshop discussing school management

8.  Write an article concerning your role in your K12 school and distribute it

9.  Create a plan of action concerning your timeline for becoming a principal.

10. Take a technology course to enhance your skills

You are on a journey that requires an open mind to everything that will lead to your success. Never allow yourself to be isolated. You will need people to help you to succeed.  While you are a vice principal you have a good amount of time getting people to know you.  You can often listen to concerns that the principal does not hear from staff and students. Effective communication starts with listening.  Listen to the concerns of your staff and parents.  Always seek to find a solution to problems and don’t let carry on for weeks and weeks.  You are the captain of your goal to become principal.

Dr Stephen Jones is education consultant, author of three books the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide available at http://www.studyskills2u.com.

How to Seek a Dynamic Professional Development Workshop Presenter

One aspect creating a successful school is identifying the right professional development workshop presenter.   There are many different types of workshops presented all over the country. A workshop presenter who is motivational is one choice and a teacher is another. The professional develop for each school should be tailored to the needs of staff and teachers.  Here are a few tips for finding a workshop presenter:

1. Research the speaker

2. Go to a place to see the his/her presentations

3. Look for professional development presenters at your conferences

4. Call the presenters references

5.  Talk to a colleague about presenters they have used

6.  Look for presenters in your social networks like Linkedin and Facebook etc

7.  Research speakers bureau

8.  Contact your local Toastmasters or National Speakers Association organizations

9.  Watch the speaker on a YouTube, Vimeo or Vine videos

10.  Invite them to a meeting to discuss their presentation

Hiring a professional development workshop presenter can help to improve your students performance. The teachers who have benefited from the workshop presenter will use new strategies in their classrooms.  It may cause them to do research or to identify new books for their classroom.  Also administrators can learn how to cast a new vision for their school. Sometimes an entire school is stuck in doing things one way.  Bringing in a presenter can give everyone a new way of accomplishing the schools mission to educate students. Dr. Stephen Jones is a workshop presenter and education expert who has given presentations to hundreds of teachers, administrators, students and parents who you can contact at 610-842-3843 or stephenjoness@rcn.com. Visit his website to find out about his books at http://bit.ly/19Vg9ew.