10 Tips for Planning a Successful New School Year

Have you ever wondered why so many school district's student achievement results remain the same each year? In some districts it is too easy to remain the same. If no one is willing to change then the same staff and the same teachers equals the same results. If you want different results you must do something radically different. The change must be powerful enough to shake things up. In some cases it must move old mountains out of the way.  Students in your school district should experience the difference and express joy about it new instruction and innovative learning strategies.  For some students school is the only stable time of their day.  The new year must be so engaging and rewarding that students are running to school. Here are ten things that your school can do to have an exciting new year in your school district.


1. Throw away the box that you operated in last year and cast a new vision. Make your vision measurable.

2.  Take a vacation during the summer to relax your mind and clear your thinking. Get ready to bring new ideas and activities into your school.

3.  Ask your staff and teachers for five things the school can do differently and new during the new school year.

4.  Line up your professional development presenters for the school year http://www.studyskills2u.com.

5.  Make a newsletter to highlight staff and faculty accomplishments inside and outside of school.

6.  Turn over new responsibilities to the vice-principal and take some away.

7.  Take a class that you've been wanting to take over the summer.

8.  Brainstorm with friends a new way for parents to help you to assist their students.

9.  Read a book or listen to a CD that will raise your motivation 

10.  Ask your students to write a note on what went well last year and do more of it. Also ask what did not go well and change it.

When you realize that change will help your school to succeed in the 21st century then change will be easy. Good school principals always want to be better and they are not afraid to be taught something  new. Everyone will know that you are an excited principal because your students know who you are. Spend time with your students and you will know what is going on in your school. You can create a student counsel to get suggestions and discuss solutions. It's time to take the plunge to do something different.

Principals must operate with a new paradigm in mind in order to make an amazing difference in the lives of students. You cannot afford to miss out on your students contribution to  society. The future is know. Let's make this the best academic success year our students have ever experienced.  Hire Dr. Stephen Jones he is a professional development presenter, author and education consultant. He can be contacted at 610-842-3843 orstephenjoness@rcn.com and websitehttp://www.studyskills2u.com

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.