Over the last few years, the workplace, like school itself, has experienced change in unanticipated and disruptive ways. Many trends, such as a growth in the leisure and hospitality industry, came to a screeching halt while others, such as the demand for remote work, gained momentum. One thing that has remained consistent is this: the world of…

Most district and school leaders understand that recruiting group members who have differing backgrounds, perspectives, talents, and personalities makes for good decision-making. Unfortunately, simply assembling a variety of top-notch individuals does not necessarily mean their talents and perspectives will be fully considered. Beth Strathman…

Rebecca Van Tassell struggled during her first years as a science teacher. She knew her colleagues had good ideas to share, but she never got to see them in action, so she started a walk-through club in which she and a few colleagues visited one another's classrooms and discussed what they saw. The group met every two weeks, after having…

Opening activities at meetings should provide opportunities for people to get acquainted. Some examples are provided. (Author/MLF)

When literacy specialist Jennifer Allen agreed to meet weekly with five boys who wanted to share their out-of-school writing with her, the weekly all-boys lunch-time writing group was born at Albert S. Hall elementary school in Waterville, Maine. She had intended to run the group as a writers' workshop and teach mini-lessons. But from the…

Most scheduled gatherings of teachers are, in fact, meetings at which teachers yawn their way through lists of informational items announced and commented on by the principal. If any clear communication results from those meetings, it takes place in the parking lot long after the official meeting has ended. Good faculty meetings should be…

People do not know instinctively how to interact effectively with others. For cooperation to succeed, students must get to know and trust one another, communicate accurately and unambiguously, accept and support one another, and resolve conflicts constructively. A seven-step recommended procedure is outlined. Includes nine references. (MLH)

Former elementary principal suggests ways to improve student learning by increasing information sharing among faculty, including the restructuring of faculty meetings, adopting an inclusive planning process, and creating study groups. (PKP)

The purpose of this article is to offer a process for motivating people for change based upon specific strategies. (Authors/CB)

Whereas the laissez-faire approach merely tells each teacher to do what he or she thinks best, the principal moving toward empowerment charges a group of teachers with devising the best decision for all. A Maryland elementary school used the Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement staff development plan as a big step toward preparing teachers…

Four literature reviews found that cooperative learning methods using group rewards and individual accountability consistently increase student achievement more than control methods in elementary and secondary classrooms. More research is needed to gauge cooperative learning's effectiveness at senior high and college levels and for instilling…

Two education professors developed New Teacher Groups to offer a safe place where beginning teachers can voice their concerns, share their joys and frustrations, and help one another deal with problems. Interviews with participants revealed that nearly two-thirds attended for personal and professional support they could get nowhere else. (MLH)

The role of today's leaders in a rapidly changing society is analyzed. (CK)