leadership in high schools

Today the new Physical Education teacher, Jamie S. stopped me to inquire about starting an Honor Society at the High School level.  This is truly revolutionary and far beyond my own expectations.  We have a student council, and a parent sponsored 4-H club but an Honor Society is exactly what we need to jump start student interest in the new school year.  This in addition to ranking students when they graduate from High School will go a long way in stimulating interest in academic pursuits ………I will definitely be picking this teacher’s mind for ideas about how she intends to go about starting this Honor Society. 

Are there others out there with ideas for a school that wants to launch an Honor Society?

Our teachers are not all in place.  One morewas hired today, grade 4-6 and will begin tomorrow.  Ms. Alicia C. will hopefully assist us at the Hewes Center in terms of reaching our digital students.  She is both general and special education certified.  Once the last position is filled plans will be in place to set up faculty meetings aimed at familiarizing teachers with all the instructional technology available to us.  Refer to the the post on Blog Roll out at the Hewes Center. 

One of the new teacher’s pivotal questionsto me before taking this teaching position, her first, was whether the class she would be assigned would have an academic focus.  At the Hewes Center and throughout our BOCES, the focus in special education is academic and reaching the students where they are and pulling them up to a higher academic bar.  Our goal is to expose them to all the learning opportunities available to their general education peers including technology – video streaming, blogging etc. 

I was very touched when Anthony a 6th grader in the class told me that the room needs more math books.  This occurred while I was introducing the class to the new teacher.  I know Miss. Alicia heard this!.  A new student this year, immediately took to the teacher and asked that she come and sit by him…………….

The teacher has her job cut out for her.  Showing her the room today, reminded me of my own first teaching job.  40 students, 9th grade, no instructional materials, bare walls, eager, curious students and I a green horn armed with the teacher text!  The Principal introduced me to the classroom, all the teacher rose to greet me and I was left on my own.  Alicia has a classroom aide and two 1:1 paraprofessionals.