Showing posts with label elementary education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elementary education. Show all posts
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Influence of #ncadmin
It started with a list on Twitter.
I thought it would be beneficial to create a Twitter list of School Administrators to help connect school leaders across the state of North Carolina. Therefore, I created the list @CSmithGoBlue/NCADMIN. I began actively seeking out administrators in the Tar Heel state by following other school administrators and requesting others to be sent my way. More importantly, my Professional Learning Network (PLN) became expanding with other leaders in the state.
Then came the hashtag.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
"How to be a Common Core Instructional Leader"
Chat from 9/5: "How to be a Common Core Instructional Leader"
This is a summary from the September 5th #NCADMIN chat:
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Senate Bill 795 Continued...
The calendar has turned to June and Senate Bill 795, the "Excellent Public Schools Act", is not officially approved, but it is "tentatively approved". My original post about Bill 795 discusses many, but not all, of the main components of the bill.
The Senate passed the 2nd reading of Bill 795 yesterday (May 31st), which has been mostly supported by Republicans, yet opposed by Democrats.
Financial details were discussed in the controversial Pay-for-Performance component with an expected cost of $45.6 million for the first year of implementation. The cost may rise to an astounding $82.3 million by 2016-2017. The Pay-for-Performance component would require each individual LEA to create and implement their own teacher-payment plan, resulting in hundreds of various formats state-wide. Many have doubts on where this funding will come from, given our current financial struggles in education.
In the Teacher Tenure component, Republicans are pushing for new teachers to be initially placed on one-year contracts, allowing principals and superintendents to approve if the teacher remains on staff for the following year. After passing the initial licensure/Beginning Teacher status, teachers would be given four-year contracts. This is similar to the current contract systems of assistant principals and principals, but Democrats are requesting for this to be removed from Bill 795.
Tenure would be eliminated, but teachers who currently "have" tenure in North Carolina would not lose it.
I feel that it is extremely important for all educators in North Carolina to stay abreast on the components and amendments of Bill 795. These components will drastically change public education in North Carolina. The final vote is set for Monday, June 4th.
You can check out the history and information of the bill here.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
The Senate passed the 2nd reading of Bill 795 yesterday (May 31st), which has been mostly supported by Republicans, yet opposed by Democrats.
Financial details were discussed in the controversial Pay-for-Performance component with an expected cost of $45.6 million for the first year of implementation. The cost may rise to an astounding $82.3 million by 2016-2017. The Pay-for-Performance component would require each individual LEA to create and implement their own teacher-payment plan, resulting in hundreds of various formats state-wide. Many have doubts on where this funding will come from, given our current financial struggles in education.
In the Teacher Tenure component, Republicans are pushing for new teachers to be initially placed on one-year contracts, allowing principals and superintendents to approve if the teacher remains on staff for the following year. After passing the initial licensure/Beginning Teacher status, teachers would be given four-year contracts. This is similar to the current contract systems of assistant principals and principals, but Democrats are requesting for this to be removed from Bill 795.
Tenure would be eliminated, but teachers who currently "have" tenure in North Carolina would not lose it.
I feel that it is extremely important for all educators in North Carolina to stay abreast on the components and amendments of Bill 795. These components will drastically change public education in North Carolina. The final vote is set for Monday, June 4th.
You can check out the history and information of the bill here.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
#thankateacher = awesome
National Teacher Appreciation Week is concluding Friday. Elementary, Middle, and High Schools across the country have been recognizing and praising their teachers in various ways. School leaders, students, and PTSA's have provided meals and gifts as tokens of appreciation. Most have simply sent personal messages to the teachers that have made a difference in their lives.
I have utilized Twitter throughout the week to provide simple thank you's to our teachers in various instances, sometimes with specific teachers in mind. These have all taken the form of "________ = awesome. #thankateacher".
My online PLN has shared my acknowledgement through numerous Retweet's and Favorite's. The best part is the diversity of WHO has been responding, ranging from principals and teachers to former students of mine now in college. This has motivated me to do the following:
I am asking my Twitter folks to reply to my post with their own "When a teacher _______ = awesome. #thankateacher", filling in the blanks with their own characteristics of great teachers. I will be doing my best to retweet every response that I receive tomorrow (Friday, May 11).
Please feel free to to post message comments at the bottom instead of taking your post to Twitter.
I will be adding all of the responses here throughout the day and weekend:
Make sure to respond to one of my tweets and include the hashtag #thankateacher
(blue indicates my own)
When a teacher advocates for respect and equality = awesome.
When a teacher comes early and stays late = awesome.
Teachers that provide remediation to students during their planning period = awesome.
Teachers writing letters of recommendation for students, even when it was requested at the last minute = awesome.
Teachers providing a safe environment to a student, when they won't have one anywhere else = awesome.
Great coaches who are also great teachers, since both involve teaching, just a different environment = awesome.
Teachers who send a quick email or place a call to inform parents of something positive = awesome.
Teachers looking out for each other and truly working as a TEAM = awesome.
Teachers who aren't afraid of failure when implementing new instructional strategies = awesome.
Teachers arriving early (really early) or staying late (sometimes really late) for tutoring or test re-takes = awesome.
Teachers taking ownership of their students' learning and growth = awesome.
The teacher/teachers alumni want to see when they visit the school = awesome.
When a college student realizes why their teacher pushed them so hard in high school = awesome.
Teachers giving their students options for projects/assessments = awesome.
Genuine enthusiasm displayed while teaching = awesome.
When staff members (non-teachers) still find ways to teach students in other capacities = awesome.
Teachers who teach every day like they will be formally observed = awesome.
Teachers that consistently maximize instructional time = awesome.
When a teacher makes accountability a way of life rather than just for a student's instructional year = awesome.
When a teacher teaches a student who later becomes a celebrity and gets on VH1 for an interview = awesome.
When a teacher allows students to learn by searching for their own answers (and they like it!) = awesome.
When a teacher takes the time to also take the role of counselor/parent = awesome.
When a teacher teaches WITH former students = awesome.
When a teacher goes the extra mile to communicate with a parent = awesome.
When a teacher buys shoes for a kid = awesome.
When a student wishes a former teacher Happy Mother's Day = awesome.
________________________________________________________________
Please at least take a moment to thank someone who dedicated their career to teaching. Thank you to every educator, everywhere.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue. Also, a big thank you to Ann Doss Helms (@anndosshelms) of the Charlotte Observer for including this post in her blog.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
(I always put this disclaimer in my posts, but this time, I hope the opinions are shared by ALL employers!)
I have utilized Twitter throughout the week to provide simple thank you's to our teachers in various instances, sometimes with specific teachers in mind. These have all taken the form of "________ = awesome. #thankateacher".
My online PLN has shared my acknowledgement through numerous Retweet's and Favorite's. The best part is the diversity of WHO has been responding, ranging from principals and teachers to former students of mine now in college. This has motivated me to do the following:
I am asking my Twitter folks to reply to my post with their own "When a teacher _______ = awesome. #thankateacher", filling in the blanks with their own characteristics of great teachers. I will be doing my best to retweet every response that I receive tomorrow (Friday, May 11).
Please feel free to to post message comments at the bottom instead of taking your post to Twitter.
I will be adding all of the responses here throughout the day and weekend:
Make sure to respond to one of my tweets and include the hashtag #thankateacher
(blue indicates my own)
When a teacher advocates for respect and equality = awesome.
When a teacher comes early and stays late = awesome.
Teachers that provide remediation to students during their planning period = awesome.
Teachers writing letters of recommendation for students, even when it was requested at the last minute = awesome.
Teachers providing a safe environment to a student, when they won't have one anywhere else = awesome.
Great coaches who are also great teachers, since both involve teaching, just a different environment = awesome.
Teachers who send a quick email or place a call to inform parents of something positive = awesome.
Teachers looking out for each other and truly working as a TEAM = awesome.
Teachers who aren't afraid of failure when implementing new instructional strategies = awesome.
Teachers arriving early (really early) or staying late (sometimes really late) for tutoring or test re-takes = awesome.
Teachers taking ownership of their students' learning and growth = awesome.
The teacher/teachers alumni want to see when they visit the school = awesome.
When a college student realizes why their teacher pushed them so hard in high school = awesome.
Teachers giving their students options for projects/assessments = awesome.
Genuine enthusiasm displayed while teaching = awesome.
When staff members (non-teachers) still find ways to teach students in other capacities = awesome.
Teachers who teach every day like they will be formally observed = awesome.
Teachers that consistently maximize instructional time = awesome.
When a teacher makes accountability a way of life rather than just for a student's instructional year = awesome.
When a teacher teaches a student who later becomes a celebrity and gets on VH1 for an interview = awesome.
When a teacher allows students to learn by searching for their own answers (and they like it!) = awesome.
When a teacher takes the time to also take the role of counselor/parent = awesome.
When a teacher teaches WITH former students = awesome.
When a teacher goes the extra mile to communicate with a parent = awesome.
When a teacher buys shoes for a kid = awesome.
When a student wishes a former teacher Happy Mother's Day = awesome.
________________________________________________________________
Please at least take a moment to thank someone who dedicated their career to teaching. Thank you to every educator, everywhere.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue. Also, a big thank you to Ann Doss Helms (@anndosshelms) of the Charlotte Observer for including this post in her blog.
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
(I always put this disclaimer in my posts, but this time, I hope the opinions are shared by ALL employers!)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Information Technology Essential Standards
The Instructional Facilitator's did a great job with their presentation on the Information Technology Essential Standards last month for both Principal's and Assistant Principals. The link to the presentation can be found here:
ITES
The YouTube clips are great, demonstrating some of the strategies that allow teachers to incorporate these standards into their instruction. I really like the young girl explaining how "QR Codes" work. As a matter of fact, I created a QR code the day after the meeting and it is still on my office door.
Located in the presentation are five "Fast Facts" of the ITES:
This is simply a small sampling of the technology needed to incorporate the new Information Technology Essential Standards into our classrooms. It's important for school leaders to become familiar with these standards, as well as comfortable discussing their implement them into instruction.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
ITES
The YouTube clips are great, demonstrating some of the strategies that allow teachers to incorporate these standards into their instruction. I really like the young girl explaining how "QR Codes" work. As a matter of fact, I created a QR code the day after the meeting and it is still on my office door.
Located in the presentation are five "Fast Facts" of the ITES:
- The ITES are to be embedded within all areas of the curriculum.
- Classroom teachers are responsible for teaching the new ITES standards beginning this current school year.
- Media Coordinators and Technology Facilitators, as ITES experts, will collaborate with teachers to plan, create, teach, and assess effective student instruction.
- The ITES must be taught in all North Carolina schools-in places where technology is prevalent, as well as schools with limited technology access.
- Technology and information tools and resources must be taught and used in authentic ways.
This is simply a small sampling of the technology needed to incorporate the new Information Technology Essential Standards into our classrooms. It's important for school leaders to become familiar with these standards, as well as comfortable discussing their implement them into instruction.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Pre-Payment Update for NC Educators
In November, I published a post called "No More Pre-Payment for Educators in NC".
In an effort to address concerns raised by teachers and still move forward with ending pre-payment as called for under the 2011 law change, the N.C. Association of School Administrators and the N.C. School Boards Association gave the committee chairs a slightly revised proposal from the previous array of pay date options that we had endorsed. The revised proposal from NCASA and NCSBA would do the following:
Here is the revised proposal from the NCASA and NCSBA Regarding Pay Date Options for School Districts in North Carolina
To all educators in North Carolina, make sure to follow this story. It impacts all of us!
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
In an effort to address concerns raised by teachers and still move forward with ending pre-payment as called for under the 2011 law change, the N.C. Association of School Administrators and the N.C. School Boards Association gave the committee chairs a slightly revised proposal from the previous array of pay date options that we had endorsed. The revised proposal from NCASA and NCSBA would do the following:
- Delay the ending of pre-payment until July 1, 2013 for all districts.
- Require all school districts to provide their first paycheck by Aug. 31 each school year but include pay only for the days worked.
- Allow for district flexibility with the establishment of pay dates that would follow the initial August pay date.
- Allow for multiple payroll checks each month.
- Enable an early payroll date in December.
Here is the revised proposal from the NCASA and NCSBA Regarding Pay Date Options for School Districts in North Carolina
To all educators in North Carolina, make sure to follow this story. It impacts all of us!
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
What Sean Payton's Suspension Can Remind School Leaders
The recently suspended Head Coach of the National Football League's New Orleans Saints: "As the head coach, anything that happens within the framework of your team and your program, you're responsible for."
This is an extremely important reminder to all School Leaders, especially Principals. I think anyone involved in education can simply replace "head coach" with "school leader" and "team" with "school", resulting in the following: "As the school leader, anything that happens within the framework of your school, you're responsible for."
The great Bobby Bowden said, "It was my job to be a chief executive officer and oversee the entire program.", when discussing the importance of having an idea of what was going on throughout his program. He also acknowledged that, due to the size of a Division I college football program, it was impossible to stay on top of every single individual. Therefore, he put forth a large emphasis on surrounding himself with assistant coaches that held the same beliefs about right and wrong. He relied heavily on their judgement to make him aware of anything worthy of attention.
School leaders must also do the same. It is an unrealistic expectation for a Principal to be directly involved in every single aspect of the school, as this type of micro-managing would drain any school leader into immediate burn-out. But, as Coach Sean Payton eluded to, the school leader is responsible for everything within the framework of the school. Therefore, it is crucial for a Principal to surround themselves with an administrative team in which they trust, as well as empower teacher leaders within the school.
We live in the modern society where responsibility must always fall to someone and, fair or unfair, this usually falls to the top. Sean Payton's suspension, although unrelated to education, is a perfect reminder to all school leaders.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What Makes A Successful Student?
“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT?”
by
James Robert White, Ed. D.
THINK CAREFULLY!
USE TIME WISELY!
DEVELOP GOOD STUDY HABITS!
NEVER SKIP CLASSES!
TAKE LEARNING SERIOUSLY!
SUCCESS SUCCESS SUCCESS
[Copyright © January 25, 2005]
(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School
101 Ivy Street
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
What Makes A Successful Teacher?
“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL TEACHER?”
by
James Robert White, Ed. D.
TREAT ALL STUDENTS FAIRLY!
ALLOW STUDENTS TO BE CURIOUS!
COMMUNICATE REGULARLY WITH PARENTS!
HAVE FAITH IN YOURSELF AND THE STUDENTS!
RESPECT STUDENTS’ OPINIONS!
SUCCESS SUCCESS SUCCESS
[Copyright © January 25, 2005]
(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School
101 Ivey Street
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
What Makes A Successful Parent?
What Makes A Successful Parent?
In an ongoing series and in preparation for Elementary and Middle School Parent-Teacher conferences, an Assistant Principal in my district has created a display for parents. You can also check out TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences.
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL PARENT?”
by
James Robert White, Ed. D.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!
ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD!
RESERVE QUALITY TIME DAILY TO SPEND WITH YOUR CHILD!
ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO ALWAYS DO HIS/HER BEST!
NEVER GIVE UP!
TEACH RESPONSIBILITY!
[Copyright © January 25, 2005]
(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School
101 Ivey Street
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419
Thanks for reading and please follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
My Vision of iPads in the Classroom
Two of my teachers and I have recently applied for a an iPads in the Classroom Pilot, so I wanted to share some of my thoughts:
My vision for the use of iPads in the classroom is with the primary objective to help facilitate instruction in the classroom and increase student achievement. The use of iPads in a 1:1 format will allow teachers to use technology-based student work products as a part of their instructional design. If given the opportunity to incorporate iPads in the classroom, a teacher would be able to engage students to address higher level thinking skills and truly parallel their instruction with the 21st century standards.
Tablets would provide opportunities for students to demonstrate responsibility through technology. Technology empowers students to explore and create (Gliksman, 2012). Most importantly, iPads encourages independent, creative, and innovative use of technology. The new Information and Technology Essential Standards require teachers to use technology as a tool and are expected to “use appropriate technology tools and other resources to access information” and “use appropriate technology tools and other resources to design products to share information with others”. The implementation of iPads will directly coincide with these expectations and requirements for our teachers.
Finally, I was recently recognized by RobertJackson, the 2010-2011 Wachovia Principal of the Year, during the Regional Principals Conferences throughout the state of North Carolina in regards to my ongoing NC Principal ePLC (CSmithGoBlue/ncadmin). The purpose of this ePLC is for North Carolina school leaders to collaborate and work as a Professional Learning Community with a centralized focus of the instructional issues for schools in North Carolina through Twitter and Tweetdeck. Needless to say, if given the opportunity to take part in the iPads in the Classroom Pilot, my strong involvement in Twitter as an instructional leader will provide unlimited professional development and collaboration.
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences
On the eve of my Parent Conference day/night, an Assistant Principal in my district created the following diagram for reference:
EXPRESS APPRECIATION FOR THE CONFERENCE!NOTE TAKING REINFORCES COMMUNICATION!
NEGATIVE ATTITUDES HINDER POSITIVE RESULTS!ENCOURAGE TEAM WORK!EXPRESS ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS!END ON A POSITIVE NOTE!SUMMARIZE POINTS COVERED!
Thanks for reading and follow me via Twitter @CSmithGoBlue
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
“TIPS for Successful Parent/Teacher Conferences”
by
James Robert White, Ed. D.
POSITIVE ATTITUDES YIELD GOOD RESULTS!
ARRIVE ON TIME!
REPEAT ANYTHING THAT IS NOT CLEAR!
TRUST THE TEACHER!
COMMUNICATE HONESTLY AND OPENLY WITH THE
TEACHER!
OFFER SUGGESTIONS!
FACE UP TO FACTS!
REACH OUT FOR HELP!
NEVER GIVE UP!
CONTINUE COOPERATION!
SUCCESS SUCCESS SUCCESS
[Copyright© January 25, 2005]
(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School
101 Ivey Street
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
(704) 82703221 Fax: (704) 827-2419
CS
The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
What Makes a Successful Counselor?
Since February 6-11 is National Counseling Week, a Principal in my district created the following:
“WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL COUNSELOR?”
by
James Robert White, Ed.D.
CIRCULATE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL!
OBSERVE STUDENT BEHAVIOR!
UNERSTAND STUDENT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT!
LISTEN CAREFULLY TO STUDENTS!
OPEN YOUR OFFICE TO STUDENTS!
RESPECT SUDENTS’ OPINIONS!
SUCCESS SUCCESS SUCCESS
[Copyright © January 25, 2005]
(Dr.) James Robert White, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal ▬ Catawba Heights Elementary School
101 Ivey Street
Belmont, North Carolina 28012
(704) 827-3221 Fax: (704) 827-2419
You can also check out: What Makes a Successful Mentor?
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