Transformative Principal

Sarah Levy and Mark Parmet are the co founders Einstein Academy in Colorado. K–5 and building out to 8th grade Four components of the school: for kids, family, community, today and the future. I got sick of hearing people say, “It’s school, kids shouldn’t have fun.” Setting an environment where kids can be the best they can. While working on things they’re good at, we can also work on things they struggle with. What do you love? What do you enjoy? What gets you excited? Until we’re feeling good, we’re not going to push ourselves. You gotta get to know your kids and their families! Parents have fears also. As educators, we’re the deciders. We tell kids what is important to learn. Teaching students and not teaching curriculum. How can we integrate hockey into the curriculum? Packaged curriculum. We’re really trying to build a program around our students. Curriculum adheres to Colorado state standards so it does provide some framework. Personalized learning profile. Private school instead of charter school. Only about 160 students in K–8 The way we get to the content. Can’t lose sight of teachers. How do we get the best out of the teachers without overwhelming them? Teaching the student means you’re also taking the social emotional growth of the student into consideration. Hiring school teachers and not classroom teachers. All teachers will have a role and responsibility to the whole school, and not just their classroom. Teachers all need something different. What teachers want is to feel heard, cared for, and supported. Planning every morning to talk with teachers and talking with teachers every day after school. I wanted to know that my administrators had open lines of communication. Creating a culture where teachers want to collaborate. How to be a transformative principal? Sarah: Think about where you can be more clear and transparent in your communication Mark: Make a list of things you’ve been afraid to do and just start knocking them off that list. Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, has been publishing high quality guidebooks, magazines and educator-focused professional development books since 1959. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools.   John Catt amplifies fresh voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized around the world for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. Learn more about these professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/.    Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors   Learn about some of John Catt Educational’s newest publications: What the Academy Taught Us: Improving Schools from the Bottom-Up in a Top-Down Transformation Era by Eric Kalenze Be More Toddler: Leadership Lessons From Our Little Learners by Emma Turner A Quiet Education: Challenging the Extrovert Ideal in Our Schools by Jamie Thom Rosenshine’s Principles in Action by Tom Sherrington The Thinking School: Developing a Dynamic Learning Community by Kulvarn Atwal The researchED Guide to Explicit and Direct Instruction: An evidence-informed guide for teachers by Various Authors