A Christmas for Leading and Giving

December is a wonderful month.  We get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, share or bounty with friends and family, visit those who live far and near, and eat much more than we should. During this time, it is a good idea to remember those less fortunate, especially the children in our schools, churches, and communities. There are so many children who will not receive a gift for the holiday. They won’t get to purchase new clothes and shoes; they may not have the wonderful family dinner most of us share. 

Image Source
This is the perfect time for leaders to teach children to give and to share. Ask each child in your school to bring a gift for the children in need. Allow each classroom to build their own basket, by bringing food items to make a great Xmas dinner. This is a Service Project that all students and staff can participate in and it is such a benefit to others. 

Leaders can identify children in their building whose family would benefit form the food and gifts or donate the items to a shelter for children. Students should participate in many Service Projects during the school year. It helps build a sense of community, family and establishes, “we are our brothers keeper”.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summer Leadership – What principals should do during the summer? Part 2

Image
What is the work for next year? Before beginning the planning process for the next year, principals should spend time reviewing what happened during the year that ended. They should begin with registration of the previous year and go through school closing at the end of the year.  Take a minute to write down each activity, each program, each strategy that was implemented and review how to make those processes better, what you might want to add for the next year, and who will be responsible for each of those areas. After completing this written activity, take each activity; strategy, and program develop a short-term plan as to how it can be better and more effective for the upcoming school year. Review the materials, textbooks, supplies, and equipment and place orders as needed to replace broken items, order additional for possible new students,, and make sure teachers have the supplies they need to begin the year. Remember to review your operational processes: fire and tornado dr...
Read more

What Should You Focus Your Attention On Between October - December

Image
What should school administrator’s focus on between October and December to impact the classroom-learning environment in a positive manner? Complete multiple 3-5 minute focus walks in classrooms. These walks are designed to target specific areas of teaching and give teachers immediate feedback. The following should be among the things administrators should assess during these walks. Time on task and transition – teachers should have all materials laid out and ready to go before class begins. There should be little time spent getting settled and ready for the days lesson. Class procedures – students should know the procedure of the classroom and should walk in understanding what they should do to get prepared for learning. Few to no questions on procedures should be asked at this time. Check the lesson plan – teachers should be teaching from a planned, organized set of standards, with activities and assessments outlined. Lesson – if administrators come in at the beginning of...
Read more

Spending Tax Dollars On A System That Is Not Producing

Image
1983, President Ronald Reagan commissioned a study of education called, “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform”. This report cited dismal effects for future growth in closing the gap of student achievement between poor and middle-class Americans.  The authors of this study began from the assumption that public schools were failing and since education is function of the state and not the federal government, who are we to offer suggestions on how to fix the failing schools.  Due to the lack of improvement in education, President Regan cut many of the funds previously allocated to schools. His belief was if the money is not helpful, there is no need to spend so much money. Even though there was a substantial cut in funds, President Reagan did keep all the programs in place, simply cutting back on staff to implement the programs. There was no difference in the achievement levels after Reagan cut the funding than it was before. Why continue to spend ta...
Read more