When West Side Montessori was faced with the challenge of distance learning, its leaders understandably had much to tackle. As at-home learning relies primarily on technology—which does not fit the school’s day-to-day philosophy—the leadership needed to ensure it constructed a unified, consistent approach for each level.
Continued Support for the Faculty Is Essential in Times of Disruption
When schools face a disruption that results in financial uncertainty, often one of the first expense items cut is faculty professional development. A growth-focused faculty culture is a necessity, not a luxury. Devaluing professional growth could have serious implications for your school’s culture, enrollment, and professional excellence.
Ensure Your School Takes Care of Your Teachers
As student education continues through distance learning, it is important to consider the enormous responsibilities that fall to your teachers. Your teachers work hard and are the most visible, tangible demonstration of your program’s value to parents during this time. Here’s what you should do to take care of them.
Five Elements Necessary for Successful Distance Learning
When students are at school, they are in an environment that facilitates learning and growth. So when students learn from home, parents are tasked with creating a similar space. This helps ensure students can learn effectively.
Faculty Evaluation: Essential Expectations
In ISM’s approach to Comprehensive Faculty Development, evaluation and growth are treated as two distinct processes. We base faculty evaluation solely on a set of Essential Expectations that constitute critical areas of performance. These expectations go beyond teaching and pedagogy to include behaviors expected of a model employee, colleague, and professional.
Comprehensive Faculty Development: Why the Separation of Evaluation From Growth Is Essential
As stated in the first article in this series, “Comprehensive Faculty Development: An Overview,”* evaluation and growth have traditionally been conflated. When asked for the “why” behind faculty evaluation, the first response is often “to drive growth” or “to improve performance,” even though administrators readily acknowledge that it seldom does either. The most common challenges cited to explain this ineffectiveness include:
Five Elements of Successful Remote Meetings
Holding remote meetings requires careful planning to ensure you use the time wisely and action steps are planned and taken. We recommend using the following tactics.
Student Suicide: Plan for Prevention and Intervention
Of all the sudden and sobering issues you may face as the School Head, the death of a student by suicide is among the most devastating. Everyone in the school community would rather assume that “it can’t happen here,” but the harsh reality is that a student suicide can occur in any school.
Scheduling and Communication: How Academic Leaders Should Respond to the Coronavirus
With Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases rapidly increasing around the world, it is likely just a matter of time before cases reach your area, if they have not already done so. The impact COVID-19, or any pandemic, can have on schools and children is significant. That said, there are three important areas for schools to consider: Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), communication, and continuity of your school’s mission.
How to Prepare for an Effective Meeting
When you call a meeting, everyone in the room spends time they could use to work on other responsibilities. How do you ensure that time is well-spent?