Education

Requirements for Principals

June 3, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Many teachers may aspire to leadership or administration positions, especially given the increased authority, responsibility and salary potential that principals enjoy. However, becoming a principal may be more difficult than one might think. Consider the skills that are necessary to succeed with this job title and compare these skills to those demonstrated by the best teachers. There seems to be very little overlap. Principals need to be able to consider the needs of the faculty, staff, students and the school as a whole. In addition, becoming a principal may be easier if planned for during one’s own education.

In addition to a teacher’s certification and related bachelor’s degree, most candidates for a principal position must also hold a master’s degree in educational administration. This requirement adds another year or two onto the already-stringent coursework and may also include an internship. Interns are asked to assist existing principals in their administrative duties while they learn on-the-job about meeting state requirements and managing staff.

The educational requirements for principals may vary considerably from state to state, and even from one school district to the next. Students who are considering a career in education and believe that they may eventually decide to pursue a principal position should plan accordingly. Working the required courses in to the curriculum while in the undergraduate years is much easier than beginning a master’s degree program while in the workforce. Also, these students will have a much better picture of what being a principal really means if they are aware of the additional challenges early on.

Filed Under: Administration, Discipline Tagged With: Education, Head teacher, Teacher

Setting the Right Example

May 25, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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Discipline is an important aspect of life and it is something that is inculcated from a young age both at home and at school. No matter which way you look at it, discipline is an important aspect to growing into a mature individual. The one problem with discipline is that there is a fine line between what is good discipline and what is not. Research as well as several debates and studies have been conducted from the perspective of parents as well as educationists.

Several schools adhere to certain methods. These range from specialized attention, counseling, heart-to-heart sessions and more. The concept of discipline in the olden ages was one of strict dictatorship. Nobody in the classroom was allowed to make noise or move out of turn. Perhaps, that is why we have a generation of adults who are strict disciplinarians to the point of a being a little feared. However, times have changed and students require a more delicate approach.

The amount of exposure children have, thanks to the media and other technological developments, has led to several misconceptions. While at times, they may be lucky to have their doubts clarified by the right authorities, at other times, their information is a bit warped and this can lead to issues of discipline. Unfortunately, entertainment often exposes children to glorification of wrong deeds. This leads to misunderstandings among children who are of an impressionable age.

According to most studies, the best road take is discipline by example. Children tend to imitate what they see around them and the simplest way to get the job done is to behave the way you want them to.

Filed Under: Discipline, Education Tagged With: Child, Discipline, Education

Dealing with School Violence

May 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Image by Self-portrait Girl via Flickr

There is no escaping it. For reasons that may sometimes be difficult to understand, school violence is prevalent. School violence has taken the lives or destroyed the futures of several youngsters as well as education providers. While many would like to point fingers at a faulty education system, the fact is that the social environment, home atmosphere and the child’s own psychological makeup can be contributing factors. If one were to try to deal with this issue, it has to be on multiple levels – it is the responsibility of the school, parents, teachers, members of society and all who live together in a community.

Schools have taken several steps to help deal with school violence in an effective manner. Teachers and education providers have to be sympathetic to students to a certain extent. They are at a volatile age and are undergoing many changes both physically and mentally. Life can be a series of turmoil for them and during school hours, it is up to the teachers to spot those that need some extra attention.

As parents, you must try to recognize violent tendencies in your child and address them. This does not mean just admonishing your child and forbidding them to do things. Rather, you should try to talk to them about what could possibly result in such violence. Anger management is not just for adults but for children as well.

For those who have already suffered the brutality of school violence, coping is just as important too. This must be done personally with family members as well in school among staff and students.

Filed Under: Administration, Discipline, School Violence Tagged With: Education, School violence, Violence

The Power of School Boards

May 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

School boards are an important aspect of the education system. Rules, regulations, and administration of schools are decided at this level. This is also a singular means of allowing the public to get involved in the process of education and shaping the people of tomorrow. The decisions made at school board levels are those that influence the education policy at higher levels. These school boards have also played integral roles in shaping student testing means as well as graduation needs.

As far as the workings of school boards go, there are certain aspects that are a given. All school boards have the responsibility of creating a vision for their school. This allows schools to have a better perspective going forward. Once this has been put in place, the next step would be to develop a mission for schools to work towards. This is where the beliefs and values of an educational institution can be developed.

These school boards also develop certain standards for each of the schools to function with. Schools can be tested on a regular basis to ensure that they live up to these expectations. It is how a certain level of accountability is placed on parents as well as educational institutions.

School boards also carry a responsibility towards ensuring that the area around a school and the culture in a school are well maintained. Considering the number of ethnic groups studying in schools today, keeping an eye on possible cultural influences is of vital importance. In order to be able to do all this and more, school boards are vested with legal and administrative powers of several kinds.

Filed Under: Administration, Education Tagged With: Board of education, Education, School

Our Educational Priorities

March 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

As educators and school administrations struggle with decreasing funds, higher violence and myriad of social factors that influence the ability to provide a successful learning environment, many are forgetting to keep in focus what really matters.

Teaching and modeling a love of learning will help students to be life time learners. If all of the focus is on the negative or how many sports events a school district has won, then those students who are in sports or causing trouble get overlooked.

The facts are what they are and they do have to be addressed, but at the same time an educational system that encourages the positive and works toward the betterment of everyone will be a successful educational experience for the students and faculity.

Could it be that with less you could potentially do more? Having groups of students who mentor and tutor struggling students could create an atmosphere among a larger group of students.

Physical education is important to the health and well being of everyone. But does a school really need the latest and greatest gym equipment?

What if students were taught the importance of growing food, while also receiving exercise, while also learning science, economics and green living at the same time.

There is more to art then sitting in a classroom drawing and by getting students and faculity excited about learning in a slightly bolder and broader thinking way, then students will experience the joy that really comes from learning.

More money may solve some of the problems of our schools but creative thinking will certainly open the doors of a student’s mind.

Filed Under: Education, Students Tagged With: Education, Learning, Student

Rules that Work

March 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

A safe educational environment is the ideal situation for students and faculty. But any time you have a group of people together, you need to have in place a well established set of standards, rules, and expectations for everyone at every level.

Without guidelines people in general will gravitate to a comfort level that may not work for everyone.

Educational administrations need workable standards of performance set in place for the benefit of everyone including the students they are teaching. No one is should feel above reproach, but everyone should have someone they are ultimately accountable to.

This will help the educational system run in a manner that is beneficial for everyone.

Deciding upon a predetermined set of qualifications that will enable administration and faculty to create benchmarks to determine effectiveness and performance will help to establish a high quality of educators.

Students should feel they are being supported and protected within the learning environment and that they have resources if they do not feel safe. Students also need to be aware of the consequences for inappropriate behavior. Allowing for open communication and awareness of the potential for disciplinary action that they will incur will help to deter them from wrong behavior.

It is the obligation of the staff and administration to create an atmosphere of equality based on respect for a student to achieve educational success.

Going to school should not have to be filled with stress and fear but for many students that is exactly what happens at the beginning every school day for them.

Filed Under: Discipline, Students Tagged With: Education, Student, Teacher

Principals and Funding

March 20, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

When a school is performing poorly and funds are needed to improve their struggling financial situation, the federal government seems to be offering a very tempting stimulus package they can apply for.

But if your administration has teachers and principals that work hard and believe in the students and are an asset to your educational system, you might what to look at this offering a little closer. Maybe local fund raising and bake sales would be a better way to increase the bottom line at many schools. Otherwise you could be choosing money over people.

The fact is there are rules that must be met in order to qualify for the educational stimulus money that the current federal government is hawking. It is truly a sad situation when schools that have very little funds who are trying to educate in usually depressed and socially challenged areas will have to remove teachers and principals in order to qualify for any of those government funds.

Exceptional teachers and principals are being let go, or assigned and receiving lower pay across our county in order for the their school district to qualify for the stimulus packages being offered.

Principal’s who have worked hard in making their schools successful and who really care about the education of their students are being tossed aside for more money.

It is disturbing to witness the effect and potential long term damage that could these educators may experience. Not only are their paychecks and self worth being damaged but the students they influence everyday will not receive the quality of care and education they once had.

Filed Under: Education, Students Tagged With: Education, Head teacher, Student

A Principal Responsibility

March 7, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

As the leadership of the school goes so goes the school, could be an accurate statement as to the importance of the position held as that of principal of an educational institution.

School violence is not a rare occurrence any longer and must be an issue that is addressed early and at every level of grade within the educational system.

Being concerned, attentive and taking the pulse daily of the school is a necessary part of the duties of well connected principal.

Understanding the socio-economic structure of the community will help the principal in their ability to assess the potential for violence within their schools but cannot be taken as a sole indicator of it.

Violence in schools is and should be a concern of that of every educational institution where there is evidence of students being continually bullied.

Some children are singled out early on and bullied; this should be of concern and helped deal with the situation before the escalation of feelings become irreversible.

The initiation of hotlines is a tool and resource of information for a principal and can help diffuse potential problems.

Providing student programs that encourage talking and opportunities for expressing their emotions, issues and situations is a step in the right direction.

The responsibility of a principal as the leadership of the educational institution is not one of warden but of educator and example. But with the changing and sometimes volatile world we live in a principal’s responsibility is that of accountability where the safety of the children are concerned.

Addressing specific issues quickly and effectively will be an important factor in keeping the environment of the school one of a safe place. Staying in touch with faculty and listening closely to the students will help the principal to provide the strong leadership.

Filed Under: Administration, Education Tagged With: Bullying, Education, Head teacher

Classroom Discipline and Cultural Differences

February 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Teaching a class comprised of students from many different cultures can be a challenge for a teacher. Not all cultures communicate or address conflict the same way. In some cultures, loudly and aggressively reprimanding a child is considered normal. In other cultures, the behavior of children is corrected through subtle suggestions and even mild teasing. For a teacher who is addressing a culturally diverse group of students, understanding these differences can make for a more manageable classroom.

Understanding Cultural Differences in the Classroom

In societies where people are all from the same culture, cultural sensitivity is a given. The norms are understood and agreed upon. However, in other societies where in a single classroom a teacher may be working with students of a dozen different nationalities and ethnicities, classroom management requires greater sensitivity to and understanding of individual cultures. When a teacher doesn’t make an effort to do this, his or her effectiveness as a disciplinarian can be greatly reduced. In these cases, possibilities for misunderstandings are also increased.

Diversity Training to Increase Order in the Classroom

Providing diversity training to teachers and administrators is an important part of creating order in the classroom and in the school. A teacher from a homogenous area who has moved to a more diverse inner city to teach might find herself unaccustomed to certain modes of communication. She might find that children are loud or more talkative than they were in her old area. Some of this has cultural roots and when a teacher does not know this, she might draw unfair assumptions about her students. Making sure that teachers have a solid understanding of the cultural backgrounds of their students helps to eliminate judgments and misunderstandings.

Developing cultural sensitivity, in general, is an important skill for teachers and administrators. When they show an appreciation and respect for various cultures, they set a good example for their students.

Filed Under: Administration, Discipline Tagged With: Classroom, Diversity training, Education

The Steps Involved in Becoming an Educational Administrator

February 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Educational administrators work in a variety of positions. They can become school principals, develop and evaluate curriculum for schools, or work for school boards administering and assessing educational programs. Becoming an administrator in an educational environment requires dedication and the completion of several requirements.

First Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree

In almost all cases, educational administrators must first earn a bachelor’s degree to take on leadership roles in schools, colleges and universities. Majoring in education is a logical first step. However, you can study other topics for your bachelor’s degree and still become an educational administrator.

Get Teaching Experience

In many cases, teaching experience is first required before you can go on to become a school administrator. This type of experience is valuable for making you a stronger administrator. You will generally need a teaching certificate and, in many cases, a master’s degree. If you know that you definitely want to become a school administrator, focus on educational administration at the graduate level.

Gain Experience as an Administrator

To be a good educational administrator, you must develop leadership qualities. Although these qualities are innate in some people, most people need practice before they can effectively lead others. If you take the teaching route, ask the administrator of your school if you can serve on committees or serve in other leadership and administrative roles. Also, choose a graduate program in educational administration that has a hands-on approach and is well-connected with local school programs where you can gain important experience.

Look for Jobs as an Educational Administrator

If you have taught for several years, have a master’s degree and have taken on leadership roles, it’s time to pursue your ambition of becoming an administrator. Look for job opportunities in your community, nearby cities, and network as much as possible. Ask your school principal and other school administrators if they know of positions that would be a good fit for you.

Filed Under: Administration, Discipline Tagged With: Administration, Education, Master's degree