Education World Administrator's Desk Volume 6, Issue 51

Dear Education Leaders, This free Administrator's Desk newsletter is published weekly by Education World®, the largest free, independent resource on the Web for educators. If you enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to others. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you may sign up to receive it at http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml. To unsubscribe, see instructions at the bottom of this email. Education World remains a free resource thanks to the support of our advertisers -- so please click on ads of interest and visit our advertisers' sites. Thank you. =========================================================================== This week's newsletter is sponsored by Online Degree Directory. Further your teaching skills with the latest theories and practices -- get a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction.  You'll learn practical and relevant information you can instantly apply to your classroom. Inspire your students and faculty -- get your Doctoral in Education: Leadership for Higher Education. Programs developed in collaboration with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). And discover more available programs with FREE Information from Online Universities - Online Degree Directory. http://www.educationworld.com/OnlineDegree2.shtml =========================================================================== This week's newsletter is sponsored by Marygrove College. An online Master in the Art of Teaching degree is within your reach from Marygrove College—a leader in teacher education since 1927. With Marygrove, you take two courses per semester, finishing a course every seven weeks—allowing you to complete your master's degree in less than 2 years. Choose from one of four areas of focus: Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment, K-12; Reading & Literacy, K-6; Mathematics, K-5; or Mathematics, 6-8. Attend an online information session and receive a free $25 gas card!   =========================================================================== Volume 6 Issue 51 December 23, 2008 Each year at this time, we spotlight some of the most popular content from the year about to end. In this week's issue, we present the BEST OF 2008 from our Administrator's Desk. To view the BEST OF 2008 for the entire Education World site, see our BEST of 2008 page.

Top Ten Admin Desk Articles Of 2008 These ten Administrator's Desk articles were among the most popular articles of 2008. Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week Activities for administrators, parents, and students to show teachers just how much they mean. Mission Statements Tips for writing the mission statement and keeping it alive once it's written. Walk-Throughs Are on the Move Principals talk about the benefits of walk-throughs. Plus: How to initiate them. Handwashing Campaigns Cut Germs, Absenteeism Are you aware of how many resources are available to help get you started? PBIS Boosts Behavior and Academics Principals say the PBIS approach to school-wide behavior management drastically reduces discipline problems. Big Test Pep Rallies 2, 4, 6, 8 -- taking tests and feeling great! Included: Cheers, skits, and more. Sports4Kids Restores Order to Recess Before you eliminate recess, consider these principals' thoughts about a program that has reformed their playgrounds. "Souper Bowl" Connects Kids and Communities Each year during Super Bowl week. students collect millions of pounds of food to benefit local organizations. 50 Great Interview Questions 50 questions to help you learn about applicants' knowledge, experience, and more. Community Scavenger Hunt Teaches Many Skills This 3-day community event challenges kids to track down answers to questions. See more articles from our Leadership Archive. FROM THE "PRINCIPAL FILES" Education World's "Principal Files" principal team responds to monthly questions. The result: some of the most popular and practical articles of 2008, including these: Recognizing the Stars on Your Staff Principals' Favorite Read-Aloud: 2008 Interviewing for the Principalship: Tips from Principals Got Motto? -- Twelve Slogans     To Help Build School-Wide Community The Interview: Principals Share     30 Favorite Questions for Future Teachers See more articles from this series in our Principal Files archive. WEEKLY ADMIN FEATURES FROM EDUCATION WORLD Focus On... New in 2008! Our archive of Focus On... articles provides practical ideas on dozens of topics of interest to school leaders -- everything from getting the school year off to a smooth start to crisis management. More topics: Discipline, Fund Raising, Hiring New Teachers, Reading Achievement, Recess Management, Testing, Traditions... How I Handled… Principals share "lessons learned" from their experiences. Grant of the Week Grants expert Don Peek offers new grants each week. Check out the latest additions to our Grants Center. And check back often for updates. Exceptional Events A year of school-wide events that spotlight students and involve parents. Partners for Student Success Education World has teamed up with the National Network of Partnership Schools to share the stories of schools that are bringing together parents and the community to help ensure student achievement. Learn about home-made school programs and events that are helping to build school community across the U.S. Instant Meetings Are staff meetings getting to be a drag? Here are three dozen principal-tested ideas for meetings that work. Take Five Each week we take 5 minutes to share five quick tips. In our Take Five archive, we offer advice for planning effective and fun staff meetings, recognizing and celebrating student achievement, helping first-year teachers succeed, and much more. PR for PRincipals George Pawlas offers new ideas each week for getting out the good news about your school. Newsletters 'R Us Copy and paste this free content into your teacher or school newsletters. Fun Facts Math @ Home quotED: Education Quotes The ABCs of Student Success Caught on the Web Newsletter Clipart Library Parent Newsletter Templates THE PRINCIPAL POET Ivan Kershner, known to students and colleagues alike as Mr. Ivan, has been writing poetry for more than 40 years. His poems should ring familiar to all educators. Click a title below, and enjoy! Bringing Elephants to School One Child Left Behind The Teacher's Messy Desk See more poems from this series in our                  Principal Poet archive. MEET OUR COLUMNISTS Each year, our Administrator's Desk columnists -- all experienced school leaders -- challenge and motivate us to improve our approaches and our schools. At the end of 2007, we are proud to spotlight some of their most inspiring work. Pete Hall Pete Hall's efforts at turning around one underperforming school earned him ASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award. In his Education World columns, Hall challenges all school leaders to always strive to be a better you! Making It Fun Again Leading Off the Edge of the Map Confronting Concerns With Teacher Performance Diane Hodges An award-winning educator, highly acclaimed speaker, and bestselling author, Dr. Diane Hodges' weekly Looking Forward to Monday Morning columns present a wealth of ideas administrators can use to drive staff members happy! Going Above and Beyond Just for Fun: Volume #1 Fun With Food: Volume #1 Paul Young A former national Principal of the Year and past president of NAESP, Paul Young brings a unique perspective on school leadership and a cheerleading spirit to his Young @ Heart columns. The Principal as Troublemaker The Five Levels of Principal Leadership Becoming a Principal Is Like Learning to Swim All Over Again Carlton Ashby The newest member of our Admin Desk columnist team is actually a kindergarten teacher. But his powerful messages about building relationships with students always resonate with principals who've seen him speak at state and national conferences. Making Connections Is Key A Small Pair of Eyeglasses Can Make a Big Difference Three Keys to Student Success: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships Leah Davies Educator and counselor Leah Davies is the creator of the Kelly Bear character building resources for children ages three to nine. Her practical advice is a huge help to principals and the teachers they mentor. 25 Ways to Gain Children's Attention Instilling Perseverance in Children Ten Ways to Involve Fathers in Their Children's Education George Pawlas A principal educator and author of The Administrator's Guide to School-Community Relations, George Pawlas shares ideas to help principals create successful schools in his regular Pawlas on PR columns. Crisis Planning: Have You Done Yours? Take Care of the People Who Take Care of You Experienced Administrators Share Their Advice BEST BOOKS FOR SCHOOL LEADERS Are you looking for books to help you improve instruction in your school? Motivate teachers and students? Improve school climate? Increase parent involvement? Click the links below to see a few of Our Editors' Choices of recommended books. Then it's your turn to share titles that you recommend. and tell why you value them. With your help, we will build the best list on the Web of Best Books for leading schools of achievement and caring. Energizing Staff Meetings The Sixty-Second Motivator Case Studies for Teacher Problem Solving A Survival Kit for the Elementary School Principal Being a Successful Principal: Riding the Wave of Change Without Drowning How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms Failure Is Not an Option™ - Six Principles That Guide Student Achievement                     In High-Performing Schools   Each week, Education World spotlights books of interest to educators. This week, read a brief summary of two more of our "top 50 books for educators." Discipline in the Secondary Classroom Many books on classroom management are aimed at K-8 or, more often, the early end of that range. So here is a "grown up" classroom management book that takes an approach and adopts a style more in keeping with the college-preparatory level (whether the kids are actually sitting down and getting enough work done to get into college is another question!). In particular, this book's appendices, including observation and analysis worksheets and a student satisfaction survey, are a good commbination of the practical tool often found for younger grades and the more "adult" methodology appropriate to high schoolers. Click to learn more or to purchase this book. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading A guide to developing ambitious thematic units, a "balance diet" reading list of 150 books of interest to teens, and special help tips for students who struggle with reading, all help make this book a strong candidate for becoming a core content-area-reading playbook for middle school and high school teachers. Click to learn more or to purchase this book. Click the icon to the right to see more books and many other products that are available in the Education World MarketPlace. ========================================================================== The Best of LEARNING GAMES If you enjoy Education World's weekly LEARNING GAMES feature, you'll love this book! Education World and the National Education Association (NEA) have joined forces to create a handy, pocket-size booklet of more than 30 of our most popular learning games. PLUS an extra bonus -- ten more games for classroom fun! These classroom games span the grades and the major subject areas -- and inject a healthy dose of fun into the serious business of teaching and learning. Looking to fill the end of a hectic day with something fun and educational? Looking for a great reward for students that will make valuable use of free time? Looking to reinforce basic skills with a fun activity? These games will fill the bill! Included in this 80-page booklet you'll find these games and more: Math Facts Race (Math, grades K-8) You Can Count on Spelling (Math and Language Arts, grades K-12) Find It... Fast! (All Subjects, grades K-12) Concentration Review Game (All Subjects, grades K-12) The Dictionary Game (Language Arts, grades 3-8) Play Ball: A Major League Review Game (All Subjects, grades K-12) Friendly Feud (All Subjects, grades K-12) Plus 35 more games! The Best of the WRITING BUG If you enjoy Education World's weekly WRITING BUG feature, you'll love this book! Education World and the National Education Association (NEA) have joined forces to create a handy, pocket-size booklet with 44 of the most popular Writing Bug story starters. Use these Writing Bug activities to engage your students in effective writing. Each writing prompt will spark students' imaginations, tickle their funny bones, and motivate their pencils. Included: In this booklet you'll find these Writing Bug titles and many more: If I Could Interview Any U.S. President... The Best Lesson I Ever Learned I Got a Postcard from Another Planet A Week Without TV The Best Invention Ever/The Worst Invention Ever Plus 39 more Writing Bug writing prompts! ========================================================================== Education World now incorporates www.SchoolNotes.com ~ "everybody on the same page!" The leading school-to-home communications platform, with FREE pages for teachers and automatic notification of parents and students when new homework is posted! For a modest $24.95 PER YEAR, upgrade to Personal Edition, "Super SchoolNotes," with thousands of resources linked to your state's standards. Click here for more information. ========================================================================== MORE FEATURES OF INTEREST! Reader's Theater More than two dozen scripts, perfect for the classroom. Best Books for Teaching About… Booklists for 30 popular teaching themes. Sign Up for Our Newsletters Ten free newsletters full of practical ideas. Special Education Center Tools for the special education community. Education World Techtorials Tutorials to take the terror out of technology. Template Library A wide variety of templates to meet your needs. Wire Side Chats Each week, Ed World chats with an expert in the field. Printables Library You'll find great resources here. Hundreds of printables! Meet Our Columnists From many corners of the "education world." Teaching Themes for Early Childhood Sue LaBella offers teaching ideas for popular EC themes. Stress Relief Kit Take a deep breath. Then take a look here for great reading. Classroom Management 101 Real teachers share what they are doing to manage real classrooms. News for Kids News of our world written with kids in mind. Teacher's Guide included. ========================================================================== LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING ========================================================================== Real Teachers Real teachers… …buy Excedrin and Advil in bulk at Sam's. …grade papers in the car, during commercials, in faculty meetings, in the bathroom, and even in church. …know that sixth graders get hormones from Santa at Christmas. …cheer when they hear that April 1st does not fall on a school day. …drive older cars owned by credit unions. …have disjointed necks from writing on boards without turning around. …are written up in medical journals for the size and elasticity of their bladders and kidneys. Last Laugh Teacher: Jane, I hope I didn't see you looking at Emily's test paper. Jane: I hope you didn't see me either! ========================================================================== If you enjoy this What's New This Week at Education World Newsletter, please feel free to forward it to other teachers! If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you may sign up for it -- and any of the other Education World newsletters -- at http://www.educationworld.com/maillist.shtml. ========================================================================== Education World® http://www.educationworld.com/ newsletter-weekly@educationworld.com =================================== Education World 1062 Barnes Road Suite 205 Wallingford, CT 06492 ===================================