2nd Edition
Improving Your School One Week at a Time Building the Foundation for Professional Teaching and Learning
Learn how you can work more effectively with your staff to improve your school. In this unique book, Jeffrey Zoul and Spiri Diamantis Howard reveal how a powerful tool, “Friday Focus” emails or newsletters, can help school principals communicate more proactively and consistently with their teachers while improving instruction and morale.
The chapters cover 37 “Friday Focus” memos, which are organized around the school year and which cover topics such as student behavior, teacher observations, parent-teacher conferences, and more. This updated second edition offers suggestions for additional areas including artificial intelligence and equity, hope, microlearning, universal design for learning, engaging the families of ELLs, online relationship building, and gamification.
Whether you’re a new or veteran school leader, these inspiring messages will help you work alongside your staff as change agents for school improvement.
Introduction Part 1: The First Quarter 1. Opening Day 2. What Makes a Good Teacher? 3. Effort-Based Ability 4. The Dreaded Homework Dilemma 5. The Impact of a Teacher 6. Effective Listening 7. Bullying Prevention 8. Hope Is the New Grit 9. Questions, Questions, Questions Part 2: The Second Quarter 10. Parent-Teacher Conferences 11. Student-Led Conferences 12. Teacher Observations 13. Supporting Parents of ELLs 14. Teaching: Art or Science? 15. Giving Thanks 16. In the Middle 17. Microlearning: Why Small is the New Big 18. The Big Rocks 19. God Bless Us, Every One! Part 3: The Third Quarter 20. Managing the Classroom 21. Strategies for English Language Learners 22. Working with Students with Special Needs 23. More Classroom Management 24. Responding to Learners 25. Striving for Great 26. Universal Design for Learning 27. Differentiation: Inconvenient but Inescapable 28. Test Time 29. Gamification Part 4: The Fourth Quarter 30. Professional Learning Communities 31. Choosing Positive 32. Extraordinary Teachers 33. Making the Connection 34. Dissolving the Screen: Online Relationship Building 35. Teaching People, Not Content 36. Artificial Intelligence and Equity 37. A Culture of Success 38. Overtime
Biography
Jeffrey Zoul is a lifelong teacher, learner, and leader. During Jeff’s distinguished career in education he has served in a variety of roles, most recently as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning with Deerfield Public Schools District 109 in Deerfield, Illinois. Jeff has been recognized as a local teacher of the year and as an outstanding principal in the State of Georgia. He also served as principal at a national School of Excellence in Illinois.
Spiri Diamantis Howard has been a dedicated educator for over 25 years. Currently, she serves as a Reading Interventionist at Commonwealth Charter Academy, one of Pennsylvania's largest public cyber charter schools. Spiri's commitment to fostering a love for reading and learning in her students is at the heart of her work. Her dedication to education and her community continues to inspire those around her.
