Over the past year, we’ve written about everything from professional development (both useless and useful) to the importance of recess—and we’ll be sure to cover more hot topics in the year to come. Before we move on, though, let's look back to the top-read articles in the Division Head e-Letter over the past year.
1. Snow, Snow, Go Away: Winter-Recess Policies
Why we've included it: Winter weather has come again! While current conditions are not as severe as last year's continuous battering of blizzards, lack of 10-foot snowdrifts doesn't signify an equal lack of danger to your students on the playground.
2. Stories to Inspire: Three Creative Teacher Induction Strategies
Vol. 11 No. 10
Why we've included it: New teachers can be hired at any time of the year, and properly integrating them with your current faculty will ensure happy, successful tenures at your school. Last June, we shared these three stories of effective, creative induction strategies to inspire your own teacher induction process.
3. When Professional Development Is Useless for Your Teachers
Vol. 11 No. 7
Why we've included it: If the pigs from the political allegory Animal Farm became teachers, they might conclude that not all professional development programs are created equal, as this article's featured story illustrates.
4. When Professional Development Is Useful for Your Teachers
Vol. 11 No. 9
Why we've included it: In this companion piece to No. 3 on our list, we tally the necessary qualities that comprise excellent professional-development. The items named in this article should be demanded from any workshop, webinar, or conference your teachers attend.
(Of course, if you'd like to experience high-quality, useful professional development firsthand, you should attend our Summer Institute workshop series for private-independent school administrators!)
5. The Right Tool for the Right Job: Three Times to Call Instead of Emailing
Vol. 11 No. 8
Why we've included it: We spend a lot of time in the e-Letters discussing parent communications in all forms: private and public, electronic and paper, in-person and via representative. In this article, we outline the times we feel that it's more appropriate to make a personal call than to send an easy email.
6. Parents May Be Held Liable for Students’ Social Media Activity
Why we've included it: In last month's e-Letter, we highlighted a principal who kept her school out of hot (legal) water by sticking to the school policies about cyberbullying and by communicating effectively and immediately with all families involved. The lawsuit, while interesting in and of itself, takes a second seat to emphasizing the actions of this principal and illustrating how her work can be replicated at your school.
7. Paying for Recess: Families Transfer to Private Schools for Recess
Vol. 12 No. 13
Why we've included it: As recess vanishes from the public schools, parents turn to private institutions to keep what they consider an important part of a child's education: free play. One of ISM's Consultants contributes to this article, explaining why free play is vital to growing children, and emphasizes why it should remain part of your private school's curriculum.
8. Dealing With Emotional Outbursts in the Classroom
Vol. 12 No. 2
Why we've included it: A summer article in the L.A. Times provided us an opportunity to talk about how teachers deal with students disrupting the classroom. If one of your teachers is having trouble with misbehaving students, the techniques outlined in this article should give them a hand.
9. Students Skipping Grades: A Judgment Call
Vol. 12 No. 1
Why we've included it: Accelerating students into a grade level above that of their age group requires intensive care and diplomacy, especially when their parents are requesting the early advancement. Tips in this article should offer some food for thought for those dealing with this situation.
10. School Is Five Days a Week (Except When It's Not)
Vol. 11 No. 6
Why we've included it: Written during the intense cold of last year's wild winter season, we observed that many schools have taken creative routes to redeem the many snow days they used to weather storm after storm. The article may offer some creative routes to snow days that you haven't previously considered, including "Blizzard Bag Days" that allow students to work from home.
What were some of your favorite articles from 2014? What would you like to hear more about in 2015? Tell us in the comment section, or tweet us @isminc!
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 35 No. 16 New Faculty and Your School's Purpose and Outcome Statements
I&P Vol. 33 No. 4 ISM's Standards for Professional Growth and Renewal
I&P Vol. 34 No. 11 Recess May Be More Than You Think
I&P Vol. 30 No. 12 Lessons From Katrina: Disaster Planning at Private-Independent Schools
