Making Advisory Meaningful Finding fun, meaningful activities for middle-school advisory programs can be challenging. The program can’t be too serious or it will feel like yet another obligation; it can’t be too touchy-feely or it will generate eye-rolling. Helping students focus on what makes them happy and building connections to themselves, people, and institutions is part of the successful formula for a two-year advisory program at one Missouri school.

Student-Led Conferences Open Parent-Child Communication Student-led conferences are a staple at one Maryland middle school. Students select and compile exemplary assignments from each subject and practice a short script that improves their communication and presentation skills before the big day. In a 20-minute meeting, each student shows off his or her portfolio of work to parents.

The Principal Poet
Education World’s resident poet, Mr. Ivan, presents a poem that is sure to bring grins to school leaders everywhere. This week’s poem is “Excuses.”
"My dog ate my homework,"
Is so, s-o-o-o-o 5th grade.
I think it's time that some
Better excuses were made…

Take Five for… Reflecting on how strong teams can impact student achievement.

Pawlas on PR Create an historical scrapbook of school news.

Class Lists You've just completed the annual ritual -- the creation of next year's class lists. You've promised yourself you'll look for ways to make the process run more smoothly next year. First step: Read the advice in this Education World Principal Files story from school administrators who've been there, done that.

Copy and paste this free content into your teacher or school newsletters.

• Caught on the Web
  Word Mine Puzzles (Grades 2-up)
• Newsletter Clipart Library
  Fitness Month, Teacher Appreciation Week…
• Parent Newsletter Template
  Memorial Day
• Math @ Home
  Pretzel & Pasta Math
• Parent Pointers Praising Your Children
• quotED
  "Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best."

Paul Young’s Young @ Heart “Effective principals know that the “light” in the principal’s office must be among the brightest lights in the school. We must radiate acceptance and hope for all students. A special compliment, an act of kindness, or an expression of personal interest from us can be a powerful force in a student’s life as well as a model for other adults in the school.”

Pawlas on PR George Pawlas recently asked 23 graduate students in his educational leadership course to do an action research assignment. They were required to ask six questions of an experienced school administrator. The last question had to be What two pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring administrator? Here is what Pawlas’s students learned from the elementary, middle, and high school principals they interviewed.

Meet the other members of Education World's Columnist Team.

Principal Ideas #10 Principal's brag board, "blow up" your teachers, more...

Instant Meeting #29 Plan a special event for sharing School Report Card results.

How I Handled… An emergency in which a student broke his leg.

Exceptional Event Field Day.

Turnaround Tales Determined to make a difference at Carneros Elementary School in Napa Valley, California, teachers began spending more time working together on best practices and long-range planning. The result is the school climbed off the NCLB watch list.

Grant of the Week NEA $5,000 Student Achievement Grants fund programs that improve the academic achievement of students in U.S. schools.

Morning Math Questions for Week 34.

Join the Conversation On our “School Administrators” message board.

Teachers Who Inspire On the eve of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-10), we invite principals to share stories of the teachers who inspired them. Included: Share your own story too.