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.

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 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

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.