This book explains how teachers can serve as facilitators as students lead their parents through discussion of their work. The 9 chapters are: (1) "Philosophy and Purpose of Student-Led Conferences" (relevance, responsibility, and reporting to parents); (2) "Roles and Responsibilities of Participants" (teacher, student, parent, administrator, office staff, and support teacher role); (3) "Designing Formats for Student-Led Conferences" (individual or student-involved conferences, simultaneous conferences with multiple families, and presentation or showcase conferences); (4) "Preparing Students to Lead Conferences" (e.g., portfolios, making time for reflection, role-playing, and preparing students); (5) "Preparing Parents and Colleagues for Student-Led Conferences" (communicating the concept, preparing parents, and introducing the concept to colleagues); (6) "Organizing for Student-Led Conferences: It's All in the Details" (e.g., scheduling, arranging facilities, and encouraging parent participation); (7) "Anticipating and Handling Unique Solutions" (e.g., parents who cannot attend, potentially abusive parents, and students with special needs); (8) "Evaluating Student-Led Conferences" (e.g., gathering comments from parents, students, and colleagues); and (9) "The Role of Student-Led Conferences in Authentic Assessment and Reporting." Student conference resources are included. (Contains 20 references.) (SM)

The secret to every positive learning environment? Belonging. When students feel that they belong in their school and classroom, commitment to learning goes up and behavioral disruptions subside. And when teachers embrace an SEL-infused approach to classroom management that helps every student feel valued, safe, and competent, belonging soars. We Belong offers 50 targeted strategies to increase students' sense of belonging and reinforce the habits that support classroom harmony and learning success. Authors and award-winning educators Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney explore the dynamic partnership of belonging and classroom management and share specific ways to * Build authentic, positive relationships with students and among students * Create spaces that feel physically and emotionally safe for all * Teach and foster social-emotional competence * Increase student engagement and motivation * Foster a sustaining sense of community Covering a range of key topics—from behavioral expectations to conflict resolution to more effective collaboration—this practical guide for elementary and secondary teachers includes downloadable forms and templates to support strategy implementation. Use it to revisit your priorities and reshape your practices so that all students in your classroom can say of themselves and their peers, "We belong."

This book delves into the transformative power of collaboration in education, offering practical strategies for educators, parents, students, and administrators. From fostering positive relationships to setting clear goals and sustaining collaboration throughout the school year, it provides insights and best practices for creating supportive learning environments where every student can thrive.

Build the bridges for English language learners to reach success! This thoroughly updated edition of Gottlieb’s classic delivers a complete set of tools, techniques, and ideas for planning and implementing instructional assessment of ELLs. The book includes: A focus on academic language use in every discipline, from mathematics to social studies, within and across language domains Emphasis on linguistically and culturally responsive assessment as a key driver for measuring academic achievement A reconceptualization of assessment “as,” “for,” and “of” learning Reflection questions to stimulate discussion around how students, teachers, and administrators can all have a voice in decision making

Children in today's world are inundated with information about who to be, what to do and how to live. But what if there was a way to teach children how to manage priorities, focus on goals and be a positive influence on the world around them? The Leader in Meis that programme. It's based on a hugely successful initiative carried out at the A.B. Combs Elementary School in North Carolina. To hear the parents of A. B Combs talk about the school is to be amazed. In 1999, the school debuted a programme that taught The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Peopleto a pilot group of students. The parents reported an incredible change in their children, who blossomed under the programme. By the end of the following year the average end-of-grade scores had leapt from 84 to 94. This book will launch the message onto a much larger platform. Stephen R. Covey takes the 7 Habits, that have already changed the lives of millions of people, and shows how children can use them as they develop. Those habits -- be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek to understand and then to be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw -- are critical skills to learn at a young age and bring incredible results, proving that it's never too early to teach someone how to live well.

In this second edition of a practical and eminently useful resource, Rosemary Thompson discusses the new and expanded roles of today's school counselors. In the wake of recent school violence, and in light of the tough decisions that students now face everyday, the role of the school counselor has changed dramatically. Today, more than ever, school counselors must do more than simply offer guidance on educational and vocational choices, but must become catalysts for change. This second edition examines the ways in which recent economic, political, social, and educational trends have impacted the professional school counselor. Throughout the text, Thompson integrates her discussion of recent national reform issues and the new professional standards set forth by the American School Counselors Association. Focusing throughout on the inherent benefits of and need for professional counseling in our schools, this second edition is a groundbreaking resource and will be of great value to school counseling students and professionals alike.