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Debbie Wooleyhand's Blog (49)

Advice From a Great PLN by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

The topic for #mdeschat last night was looking toward the New Year. While the challenges of teaching and leading are many, it was reassuring to hear the hope and energy expressed by many in last night’s chat. The last question was “fill-in-the-blank” and the answers are a good example of the power of positive thinking.

“2015 will be a great year because…

@WalterReap

…I will continue to avoid “the box” and create an environment where creativity is… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on January 2, 2015 at 1:09pm — No Comments

Tips for successful parent-teacher conferences by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

November is parent/teacher conference month in many school districts across the United States. Conferences give teachers the opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with parents and discuss student progress from the first quarter of the school year. What should teachers remember as they prepare for conferences? What should parents expect to learn from their conference? I asked several principal colleagues to share their sage advice.

What is your best piece of advice for teachers… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on November 10, 2014 at 6:00pm — No Comments

An ineffective way to look at teachers by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

I wrote the following which appears in today’s edition of the Baltimore Sun in the Readers Respond section.

Liz Bowie’s recent reporting on Maryland’s teacher evaluation system (Where ineffective teachers are found, November 2, 2014) raises many questions. Bowie’s investigative report contains several quotes from Sandi Jacobs, the vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality. The NCTQ is a Washington think tank with a clear political agenda that is…

Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on November 6, 2014 at 6:32pm — No Comments

Isn't it time for an elementary TOY, Maryland? by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

According to educationbug.org, there are 1,424 public schools in the state of Maryland. More than half (866/60%) of those schools are elementary level. With a little investigating at localschooldirectory.com one can discover that there are 33,000 elementary teachers (K-5) in Maryland and 24,544 secondary teachers.

The question I have is, if there are nearly ten thousand more elementary teachers in Maryland than secondary teachers, why has there been only one elementary level Maryland… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on October 20, 2014 at 8:12am — No Comments

Why Should Educators Blog? by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

I began blogging a year ago today. This is my 70th post in a calendar year. I was never the type to keep a journal. When I was eleven years old I was given a diary for Christmas from my mother. I dutifully wrote in that diary for six weeks, then my entries trailed off to nothing. Maybe it’s a guy thing. We’re just not a reflective gender. Nevertheless, I started writing Common Sense School Leadership on October 7, 2013.

For me, Twitter was the “gateway” from micro-blogging to full… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on October 7, 2014 at 7:57pm — No Comments

Six Tips for Growing Good Readers by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

In 2000, the National Reading Panel issued a report that served as the basis for reading instruction across the United States. Many NCLB initiatives used the Panel’s report to justify a very narrow definition of reading instruction. Their findings suggested that the best approaches to reading incorporate:

Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness

Systematic phonics instruction

Methods to improve fluency

Ways to enhance comprehension

Fourteen years later, as… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on October 1, 2014 at 8:23pm — No Comments

Growing Sustainable Teacher Leadership by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

One of the biggest challenges principals have today is hiring, growing, and sustaining teacher leaders. In his article for Phi Delta Kappan titled, Beginning Teacher Induction: What the Data Tell Us, Richard Ingersoll discusses teacher attrition. He noted that, “…40% and 50% of new teachers leave within the first five years of entry into teaching.” That statistic alone should give principals pause to reflect on their hiring practices, induction efforts, and school culture. Teacher leadership is… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on September 24, 2014 at 6:38am — No Comments

Meet Chris Shriver-Edcamp Baltimore Co-founder by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

Edcamp Baltimore (@EdcampBmore) will be held next Saturday, September 27th on the campus of Johns Hopkins University. Co-founder, Chris Shriver (@ccshriver) sat down with #mdeschat to discuss her passion for technology, teaching, and the edcamp movement. Chris will guest host #mdeschat on Twitter this Thursday, September 18th, 8PM EST.

You serve as a Digital Learning Specialist at Garrison Forrest School. What are the roles and responsibilities of your position?

As a… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on September 14, 2014 at 8:00am — No Comments

Five Thoughts on Student Engagement by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

Teachers naturally want their students to be engaged in the instruction they provide. They want their students to be personally absorbed in the learning process. The “how” of engagement can be challenging, even for experienced teachers. Planning for active student engagement requires meticulous preparation and thought. Most of all, it requires that teachers truly know each and every one of their students.

Teachers who know the strengths and needs of their students use that… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on September 8, 2014 at 6:17pm — No Comments

Top Five Reasons to Attend an Edcamp by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

Edcamp Baltimore will be held at Johns Hopkins University-Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy on Saturday, September 27th. Edcamps are cropping up all over the United States as viable alternatives to traditional education conferences.

What is an edcamp? While you can find many answers with a quick internet search, you have to attend one to truly understand their value. Here are my top five reasons for attending an edcamp. Are there any that you would add?

1. For… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on September 1, 2014 at 11:44am — No Comments

Giving Students Our B.E.S.T. by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

“Every day is a gift with a child, no matter what problems you have.”

-Carol Ann Duffy

Monday is the first day for students in our district. How excited they must be! Anticipation and hope well up in the hearts of children and parents on the eve of a new school year. New clothes, new shoes, and fresh supplies make for a restless night of sleep. Our families send their best to our schools and they deserve our best in return. Giving our students the best means:

Being a… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on August 21, 2014 at 6:49am — No Comments

It's the most wonderful time of the year! By Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

“Renewal requires opening yourself up to new ways of thinking and feeling”

-Deborah Day

Our teachers return to school next week. They’ll spend the week preparing their rooms, getting to know new colleagues, and participating in many staff development opportunities. Of course, they will be most excited to get ready for and meet their new students. One of the greatest parts of working in education is the sense of renewal that comes with the start of the school year. The excitement… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on August 12, 2014 at 4:57pm — No Comments

Redefining the Narrative: African American Students Find their Path to College by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

There is an excellent article in the Washington Post today written by Emma Brown (Traversing two D.C.s, from Dunbar High to Georgetown University). It highlights the experiences of two former Dunbar (D.C.) High School graduates and former class valedictorians. The article is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the challenges that African American students face when they venture into the world of higher education.

Johnathan Carrington and Sharnita James want a chance to excel… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on July 31, 2014 at 4:25pm — No Comments

Retreating to the Chesapeake Bay by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

“A kid today can likely tell you about the Amazon rain forest- but not about the last time he or she explored the woods in solitude, or lay in a field listening to the wind and watching the clouds move.”

Richard Louv

Last Child in the Woods

I had the pleasure of spending three days last week enjoying a principals’ retreat sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We gathered at Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, Maryland for introductions and orientation prior to… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on July 20, 2014 at 2:35pm — No Comments

Summer Renewal by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

Summer offers educators the chance to, as Stephen Covey taught us, sharpen the saw. Covey touted the need for balance in our physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual lives. When all four dimensions are balanced, the result is personal and professional synergy. The sum of synergistic living is always greater than its parts. When all four dimensions are attended to, everything falls into place.

The modern educator can easily be overwhelmed by the challenges of teaching in the… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on June 16, 2014 at 5:36pm — No Comments

Eternally Optimistic by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

June marks the end of my 27th year as an educator, twelve years as a teacher and fifteen as an administrator. Even with all of those years behind me, I remain highly optimistic about the importance and impact of public education. This optimism comes from the gift of seeing children grow every day and every school year.

It is humbling and inspiring to watch a kindergarten child go from learning to recognize the letters of the alphabet to reading grade level passages in a 10 month time… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on June 9, 2014 at 5:23pm — No Comments

What Data Should We Use? By Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

School leaders and teachers have been besieged by national and local experts who emphasize the need to make “data-driven decisions.” Check the agenda for any educational conference and you will likely find the term “data-driven decision making” in the description of several speakers’ sessions. The term data-driven is a catchphrase of educational jargon that is gradually losing its meaning. Like a song that has been over-played on the radio, the concept of data-driven decision making is losing… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on June 2, 2014 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Strategic Planning in Schools by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

The strategic planning process begins in the spring for many schools. It can be challenging for school leadership teams to shift their thinking from closing out the current year to preparing for the next. In April, I reviewed The School Improvement Planning Handbook by Duke, Carr, and Sterrett. Their seven-step plan for developing and implementing school improvement plans is a good place to start.

They recommend the following steps:

1. Data gathering- use multiple sources,… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on May 27, 2014 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Will Fed Guidance on Charter Schools Bring Change? By Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a letter of guidance last week to charter schools (see link below). While supportive in tone, it laid out clear expectations regarding the application of civil rights laws in charter schools. This is good news for all schools. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Catherine E. Lhamon’s letter suggests that a new level of transparency needs to be practiced by charter schools.

Charter schools have been criticized for… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on May 19, 2014 at 6:30pm — No Comments

The Mad Rush by Christopher Wooleyhand, Ph.D.

The middle of May signals the start of the “mad rush” toward the last day of school. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators are faced with fitting in all of the things that need to be done between now and the final school day. This can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Here are a few quick tips for each group that may make the coming days a little less stressful.

Students

-provide students with consistency over the final weeks

-lower their stress… Continue

Added by Debbie Wooleyhand on May 12, 2014 at 5:45pm — No Comments

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