Most professional educators are aware that every school should have an effective approach to harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) prevention in which every member of the school community participates. Regardless of the approach a school takes, all students and all staff members should be knowledgeable participants who have been trained to…

Expert-run training does not often result in long-lasting changes in instruction. True professional development results when teachers have ongoing support as they rehearse new skills and incorporate them into classroom practices. Staff members are often the most effective coaches for their peers when building those new skills. This article…

This article shares the author's experience in writing a school improvement plan. The author and other department chairs were charged to develop a plan that would guide their decision making and professional development throughout the school year. They were also charged with developing department goals and working with individual teachers to…

Developing interdisciplinary teams that function properly should be the goal of every school leader who is interested in promoting middle level reform. To accomplish that goal, individual team members should not be left on their own to sink or swim with the teaming concept, but must be guided through a transformational process that teaches them to…

The first faculty meeting of the year is an opportunity for administrators to model strategies that engage their teachers and promote a sense of teamwork. This article describes the first faculty meeting of the 2008-09 school year at Matoaca Middle School in Chesterfield County, Virginia, where the administrators tried to model strategies that…

Chronic illnesses are long-term or permanent medical conditions that have recurring effects on everyday life. Large and growing number of students have chronic illnesses that affect their emotional development, physical development, academic performance, and family interactions. The primary error in educating those students is assuming that the…

In recent years, principals have had to act as referees for a new type of match between teachers and technology staff members, affectionately known as the "techies." This time the match is for the control of the technology-integrated classroom. Creating technology-integrated classrooms often puts the interests of teachers in opposition to the…