Perfecting the Practice

By Joseph Clark
Posted on 9/23/2019 - 4 minute read

I try to stay active in sharing information, and it is interesting that from time to time I get asked why: Why Tweet, post on Facebook, podcast, or blog?

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By Joseph Clark
Posted on 9/18/2019 - 3 minute read

Education can be boiled down to the simple idea of growing someone, growing everyone you come into contact with. If an educator is not helping people grow, constantly, it might be time to move on to something more in a gifting area for that person.

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By Stuart Caldwell
Posted on 9/11/2019 - 6 minute read

A good friend of mine, Dr. Robert Cunard, sagely opined that a principal has almost no real authority but most of the responsibility in a school.  This is true! Anyone who has been in the seat will, with little reflection, verify the absolute veracity of that statement. That said, principals still must get things done.  They must move their schools forward, whether their schools are high performing or low in an area or two, there is always room for improvement and growth. How do principals accomplish this?  The plain truth of it is that the only way that they get things done is through influence and relationships.

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By Jill Swisher
Posted on 9/4/2019 - 2 minute read

Much has been written on the power of "thank you." Many a TED talk has highlighted the importance of praise, admiration and appreciation. But what about the power in "I'm sorry"? Apologizing doesn't come naturally to most people, including myself. In this litigious world we've all been taught never to admit fault, but to keep ourselves from becoming vulnerable. 

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By Dr. Eric D. Andrew
Posted on 8/21/2019 - 2 minute read

My wife and I recently attended a Bruno Mars concert in Las Vegas. We paid a pretty penny for the tickets and the show was amazing! Bruno is the consummate performer. Vocals were dynamic, musicians played impeccably, and the Hooligans, his bandmates, performed flawless choreography. I began thinking of the numerous shows Bruno performed nightly and the effects of travel would have on his performances. We were able to attend another Bruno Mars concert in northern California about three weeks later.

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By Lisa McNaughton
Posted on 8/21/2019 - 3 minute read

I have been representing children, parents and adults who are facing criminal or child protection matters for over thirty years.  I have observed many children who feel discarded by their family, community and teachers. The pain on a child’s face when their mom does not even show up to court to get them and they are remanded to custody, or the fear in other children when they are ordered back to toxic foster care, families, and/or schools is haunting and avoidable.

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By Gabriela Rubio
Posted on 8/21/2019 - 3 minute read

Think about how you learned the greatest lessons in your life.  If you are like me, you learned them primarily from making mistakes.  Those experiences share a common thread: someone warned me about the possible consequences of taking a particular action, but like many of us, I turned a deaf ear, took the action, and dealt with the consequences.  Getting advice or being a front row observer of someone else’s mistakes was not enough to stop me from wanting to test the waters myself. Looking back, I can appreciate the role that making mistakes played in becoming the woman I am now.

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By Joseph Clark
Posted on 8/18/2019 - 3 minute read

Complete transparency here. I did not like playing Pac-Man as a kid. I just wasn’t a fan of it at all. I know I am supposed to think it is amazing as one of the founding video games; I just didn’t care for it much. But looking back on it, I think there are a number of daily lessons we can learn as educators from our little yellow circle friend.

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By Michael Collins
Posted on 4/14/2019 - 4 minute read

Thousands of students have sat in my high school English classes the past 20 years. All grades, 9-12, and ages perhaps from 14 to 20 have helped me shape how I encourage the young and intimidated student to write not with proficiency, but write with clarity and description—where writing with proficiency eventually becomes mastery–but not without years and years of practice, and well beyond the students’ high school careers. This later point I continuously make clear to students throughout their writing experiences.

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By Jill Swisher
Posted on 4/8/2019 - 2 minute read

Academic advisors are important to student success and retention in online graduate education. Advisors are the direct link between academic affairs and student affairs. Advisors connect students to the right student services departments, such as learning disability resources or financial aid. For example, when a student has a low GPA or needs to repeat a course, advisors file appeals so students can keep their financial aid funding. Advisors connect students to health or wellness centers if they desire counseling, or to records offices if they require enrollment verification. Research indicates that advisors are the “hub of the wheel,” not an isolated service. Advising, along with orientations and academic support, are three of the most effective strategies to retain students.

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