The history of evaluation in education seems to stem from the underlying assumption that good teachers are not made; they are born. Principals traditionally formally evaluate each member of their division once or twice a year, generally by appointment.  Employing a checklist, the principal observes the teacher in the classroom for one period, ultimately writing a formal assessment that is shared with the teacher and then placed in a personnel file.  Summative in nature, the process offers little constructive feedback to the teacher; instead, the process provides a means for the principal to recommend retention or dismissal.  Though neither party embraces this model, both recognize its necessity to maintain accountability.  MORE ... 

Encounters With Greatness: Finding and Developing Good Teachers

When my three seventeen-year-old children unpack their loaded backpacks, stacking the books on their desks for the evening like cement bricks of accumulated knowledge, three types of experiences likely occupy their thoughts about the school day: 1) the next day's workload, with a flood, stream, or trickle of ideas interspersed from the current day, 2) the interpersonal, emotional, and social experiences that inspired or embarrassed them, and 3) their teacherly encounters.  And they are fortunate to have some engaging teachers.  MORE ...

Whether the setting is a school, an office, or even your home, there's always someone who doesn't follow the rules. For instance, who hasn't endured dirty cups or plates in the sink, left with the assumption that they will simply clean themselves?  When the irritation becomes unbearable, an email is sent out or a meeting is scheduled to let everyone know that leaving a mess behind will no longer be tolerated.  It's a fair request, but you, who don't drink coffee or never leave a crumb behind, react either with annoyance or guilt.  Feeling that your tidiness is underappreciated or unacknowledged, you resent this blanket statement that applies to someone else. Or, as a classic overachiever, you accept the full weight of this rebuke and assume an additional role as maid.  Meanwhile, the shirkers who regularly dump their dirty dishes are relieved to learn that they are not the only culprits and are reassured that individuals will not be held responsible.  MORE ...

Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl, Dean of The Margolin Hebrew Academy (TN), discovers a story of compassion and kindness alongside a story of hate. 

Bill Brown, Holy Innocents' Episcopal School English Teacher (GA), reflects on why this national heartbreak led some to buy guns and others to play music.

David Colon, Collegiate School Academic Dean (VA), encourages us to consider the distinction between quantity of dialogue in technology infused world and quality of meaningful conversation.

Suzanna Jemsby, Galloway Head of School (GA), wonders whether some rules have been around so long that we've forgotten why we follow them.  

Grant Lichtman, host of SAIS's Lunch and Learn on Emerging Innovative Practices, offers healthy criticism of the embracing failure movement, reminding us that we need "to be focused on maximizing experience in the equation, not failure." 

Stan Beiner, Head of School at The Epstein School (GA), asks when and why we let the college preparatory track become so overwhelming.

Transforming School From Consumption to Creation

Bo Adams, Director of Education Innovation at Unboundary and April 19 SAIS Lunch and Learn presenter, urges schools to transition students from consumers of knowledge to creators of solutions. 

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