School Decision Making
School Decision Making - Making decisions are an important component of an educator's job. Some take a lot of thought and require multiple people to come to the correct decision while others are straight forward and easy. School administrators and teachers make difficult decisions every day covering many different areas. Some of these decisions include student discipline, student retention, teacher discipline, student safety, teacher termination, hiring a new teacher, etc.
Each decision can be critical to the overall success of the school and should not be taken lightly. The following scenarios look at real life decisions that administrators and/or teachers face every day. This is only intended as a guide to provoke thought and discussion on each issue. Each solution is not absolute as every situation is different and those differences will factor into any decision that must be made.
Angry Parent
Angry Parent at School - Parents are vital part of their child's educational journey. There are many different parenting styles when it comes to education. Some are highly involved with their child's education, some are moderately involved, and others are minimally involved. Research has proven that students with greater parental involvement...
Child Custody and Schools
Child Custody and Schools - It is rare for children whose parents are divorced or unmarried to be equally involved in their child's education. Most of the time, the parent that has custody rights and lives with is the one who the school typically sees and deals with.
Drugs at School
Drugs at Schools - There are drug issues in many schools across the country. This is obviously a serious problem. Administrators can spend a lot of time handling these sensitive situations. The battle against drugs at schools begins with a strong drug education program for younger students. Even the best drug education programs will not...
Hiring a New Teacher
Hiring a New Teacher - Hiring a new teacher can be a challenging task. Every school/administrator/committee is looking for a unique set of qualities. Sometimes a great fit for one school may not necessarily be a good fit for another.
Parental Conflict
Parental Conflict - As an educator parents can be your worst enemy or your best friend. Parents can be kind, considerate, and friendly on some occasions and condemning, condescending, and hateful on another. There are even special occasions when you are not the target of a parent rant or blow up.
Profanity in the Classroom
Profanity in the Classroom - Teachers should be professional at all times. They should lead by example by being respectful, choosing their words carefully, and being positive. This doesn’t mean that every teacher is perfect. There may be an occasional slip that requires some disciplinary action.
School Attendance Issue
School Attendance - School attendance is an undervalued indicator of student success. Most students with poor attendance habits struggle with academics. Missing school can easily become a habit. It is also something that quickly adds up. A student who only misses an average of ten days per year, will miss an entire school year by the time they...
Student Retention Decision
Student Retention Decision - Retaining a student or holding a student back is one of the most difficult decisions a teacher can make. Student retention often has a negative stigma, but there are definite cases where it is the best option for a student. Teachers must collect evidence and begin to collaborate with the student's parents as soon as they feel retention may be an option.
Swearing in the Classroom
Swearing in the Classroom - Swearing, profanity, or cursing does not have a place at school, but there are several factors to consider when dealing with this issue. Context, age of the student, and the word itself should all be taken into consideration when handling this type of issue. No matter how it is handled it is important that the student...
Teacher Argument Issue
Teacher Argument - One of the most important components of being an effective teacher is the ability to work cooperatively with your peers on a daily basis. This isn't always easy. Teachers often have strong personalities and can be stubborn when they feel they are right. This can create disharmony amongst members of a faculty. Administrators know that a staff that is divided cannot be fully effective and so much time must be spent building cohesion amongst the team.
Teacher too Hard
Teacher Too Hard - Parents make complaints against just about everything. One of the most common complaints is that a particular teacher is too hard. This often occurs when a particular teacher has extremely high expectations for their students, pushes them academically, and essentially forces the student to learn something to earn their grade....