Feb

16

Leadership Experiences

Filed Under Teacher Support, The Way I See It | 6 Comments

question-mark.jpgI’ve talked about leadership qualities here, and now I think it would be interesting to examine leadership experiences. I’d like to invite people to consider the questions Doug asks us to reflect upon

Relative to your leadership role…

- What’s working well?

- What brings you great pride and joy?

- How have you made a difference for good in the lives of those you serve?

- What brings you quiet satisfaction?

- What have you learned over the last few months?

- How can you use this information (above) to move your organization forward

I’m a special education specialist in behaviour and give support to special education and at-risk students and their teachers. My reflections here will be a function of that role.

1. What’s working well ? -Asking teachers what they want to do and how I can help them when they are have problems with kids in the classroom.

2. What brings me great pride and joy? - When teachers of at-risks students try the approaches and strategies I suggest and come back to tell me they worked.

3. How have I made a difference for the good in the lives of others?- I’ve mentored other teachers, and they’ve been able to become more effective teachers so it’s a win-win situation for the teacher and the students.

4. What brings me satisfaction?- I’ve been able to share my insight and experience with others to effect change.

5. What have I learned?- I’ve learned that my blog has been a good way to mentor teachers because teachers have told me it has been.

6. How can I use this information to move my organization forward?- I intend to speak at meetings and conferences about the potential of blogs and the Internet as a source of professional development and support.


Now, I’d like to extend the invitation to the following people who I believe would have really interesting reflections to share relative to their leadership roles, and perhaps they could invite seven others that they know to share their reflections as well. (I’ve learned about memes)

Todd- Thoughts On Teaching
Doug- Positive Psychology News Daily
Senia-Positive Psycholog Blog
Sherri- Flourishing Schools
Dan- dy/dan
Doug- teaching.mrbelshaw.co
 Kelly- Educational Discourse

Feb

14

SOS for Teachers- Using the Internet more effectively

Filed Under Computers In The Classroom, Engaging Assignments and Activities for Students, SOS for Teachers, Teacher Support | Leave a Comment

cool.gifI recently came across Internet4Classrooms which helps teachers use the Internet more effectively. It’s a great site. It was selected for 101 Best Web Sites and I can see why. I found the on-line practise modules very user friendly because you can go at your own pace. They’ve helped me get my students beyond the absolute beginner stage and create more sophisticate projects. Not all kids have the new technology at home. (I’ve talked about this before. ) So when I find that a student can’t go home and create a PowerPoint presentation or a concept map using Inspiration because they don’t have computers or printers at home, I have them drop into the Credit Resource Centre where they can learn to use the program and complete the assignment.

Feb

11

It Takes a Whole School

Filed Under "At-risk" students, Special Education, Teacher Support | 2 Comments

bell1.jpgEducation is the ability to think clearly, act well in the world of work and to appreciate life.
Brigham Young

When I read that quotation I thought that’s it. That’s how I would’ve defined education if Brigham Young hadn’t beat me to it! The definition is short and to the point. What more is there than to be able to think clearly, act well in the world of work and to appreciate life?

At our Board, we talk in terms of the educational pathways students can take while in school. There’s the pathway to work, the pathway to apprenticeship, the pathway to university and the pathway to college. Each pathway has a set of compulsory and optional courses students take as they journey towards their post secondary destination of work, apprenticeship, university or college. Students can even change pathways along the way if they have changed their destination.

Many of the students I teach are at-risk of not completing their journey down any pathway. They seem to be stranded in a pothole on the path they’re on, just sitting there hating it and not doing much except throwing stones at anyone who comes near them to draw attention to their plight. It’s my job to help those students get out of that pothole and get back on the path. How do I do this? Well, first of all I don’t do it alone. It’s not just student success teachers or special education teachers like me who help these at-risk kids. It’s all the teachers, counsellors and administrators. It’s like that old saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child . Well, I say it takes a whole school to help educate an at-risk student. It takes all of us to help at-risk students learn strategies that develop their ability to think clearly so they can make better choices that lead to better consequences and a better quality of life. And, it takes all of us to help and support each other so that we can educate these at-risk kids.

I can speak for our school because that’s what I know best. At our school, we’re like that village where everyone is responsible for all it’s kids. When we come across a student sitting in a pothole in his pathway throwing stones at someone for whatever reason , the reasons are many, or crouching down so no one will notice that he’s not going any where, we come to his aid. We have a variety of tools we can use to help failing students get back on track. Students who are identified as being at risk can be part of the Credit Recovery Program, the Credit Rescue Program, the Credit Completion Program or the Counting On You program. The whole idea is to help students earn sixteen credits by the time they’re sixteen years old. Studies have shown that kids are more likely to drop out of school if they fall behind their peers. We don’t want that to happen because we want them to be able “to think clearly, act well in the world of work and to appreciate life”. We want them to be able to have what everyone else can have- an education.

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