How Every School Principal can Create Witty Students who Earn A+ Grades

By Dr. Stephen Jones

What is your school doing to make learning fun and exciting? Learning should be fun, innovative and creative. Students are more witty when they are having fun. Students should never sit down all day looking at a blackboard or a bunch of powerpoints. Look for innovative games on Pinterest. Our bodies where made to move. Children need to move. Principals should form an innovation team at your school and come up with ways to make learning all subjects more engaging. Be an school that rewards creative teaching methods

1. Teach them how to study using creative videos on Youtube or Kahn Academy
2. Make reading fun. Read and act out a play.
3. Let them listen to audio books
4. Always create something they can take home and display
5. School pride equals learning pride. Get school t-shirts, buttons, affordable jackets/wind breaker, pencils etc
6. Everyone goes on a school trip even if it is something within walking distance
7. Celebrate school success with a fun day of activities. Have your own carnival
8. Teach your students time management
9. Students earn school bucks they can use to purchase school items or meals. Involve students in ways to earn bucks
10. Career days throughout the year. Presenters bring something to display, a video or power. Get tge students involved in making something or designing something job related. 

To discuss more ideas get in contact or to hire Dr. Stephen Jones at 610-842-3844http://www.drstephenjones.net/contact-page

5 Ways to Inspire your Child

By. Dr Stephen Jones

Children need the guidance, caring and encouragement of a parent daily. Your words are power influences in a child’s life. 

Here are 5 things you can do:

1.Give them positive words of encouragement first thing in the morning. They are never to old for a kiss.

2.Pray for them and teach them to pray. Also encourage mindfulness.

3.Explore the world with them by taking them places outside of their community 

4.Get to know all their teachers and communicate with them daily.

5.Focus on healthy living. Make sure your child gets enough rest, eats healthy food, gets the best education and  focus on fitness.

For more tips and strategies take my Parenting 101 course at. https://www.parents.teachit.education/

Parent Involvement the Primary Key to Student Success

 School districts all over the country are suffering from a lack of parent participation. Could you imagine a day when fifty percent more parents show up for a parent’s night?  Parent involvement can change an entire school system. I challenge parents who are reading this article to use their social networks to encourage friends of your family to show up at Parent’s Night.  If more parents showed up it would let other parents know what resources are needed and they could play a major role in helping schools to become better.  Gone are the days when a mother stayed at home to raise children and participate in school activities.  When a child’s parent is involved in their school it sends a message that they care. If a parent is working they can send a relative or a grandparent. Something needs to be done to make parent involvement in K12 schools a high priority on their list of daily activities. Each parent should want to witness their student’s academic success. Their student’s achievements will draw them into the school and encourage them to participate.

What the educators are saying about parent involvement is true. Parents who read to their children early develop children who enjoy reading.  Children are like sponges absorbing new knowledge at a tremendous rate. 

 Parents are great role models for their children’s love for learning.  If the majority of the parent’s time is spent in front of the television or laptop computer then it becomes their child’s main source of information and learning too.  In other words parents who demonstrate a joy of reading instill it in their children. A student’s enthusiasm for learning should begin in the home then spreads to a child’s in school instruction. Here are a few tips:

1. Parent Involvement – Make out a schedule of dates when you or a relative will show up for school meetings during the academic year. There are plenty or resources that are only announced during a parent’s night.  Also you are getting an opportunity to meet your student’s instructor to find out how they run their class.  You will also uncover ways that you can get involved with at least one activity for the year.

2. Encourage them to set goals for themselves – Children need to know that there is no limits to wait they can accomplish.  Encourage your child and stay involved in school activities.

3. Failure is success – Help your child to understand that there is a lot that they can learn from each failure.  Let them know that they will know to try something different the next time that they are pursuing a grade. The student may also need a tutor to help them to learn a particular subject.

4. Surround your child with positive role models – Get them involved in activities that promote leadership and determination.  An optimistic child can learn that they should never give up.

5.  Expose your child to the world -  Children need to know that there is more to the world than their immediate neighborhood.  There are a lot of positive things that they can learn from others.

6. Physical fitness and good health leads to optimism – A child who is physically healthy will have more energy and enthusiasm for life. A child who is eating write, physically fit and gets sufficient rest will be a very productive child.

7. Get a Tutor – If your student needs help with their academic achievement level talk to their teacher about tutoring. The teacher may provide it or have a tutoring recommendation.  If you ask you will find out that other parents are getting help for their children.

Some governors are saying we need more standardized tests to resolve the student achievement gap.  Testing is not the answer. Parent involvement is an alternative that costs fewer dollars to implement.  The resources that are allocated for testing could be spent to increase the number of parent leaders who are in the schools.  Some schools are finding ways to get parent’s involved in the daily activities of their schools.  Parents who are involved can learn about instruction methods that other parents can use in the home.  They are the catalyst to get parents who are not involved to volunteer for special projects.

Parents sometimes reflect on the bad experiences that they had when they were in K12 schools.  Student achievement can be raised when parents know that their active participation will make a difference in their child’s learning capacity.  Some parents are looking at their child’s achievement level to see if there are any differences.  They need to know more about the benefits of looking at the value of education from a different perspective.  Some parents do not know what a good education looks like.  School administrators and teachers must continually advocate for increased communication with parents.

Parents need more information about how K12 education is changing.  Most parents are not aware of the financial challenges that school systems are facing.  Many schools are underfunded when compared to school districts within their own states.  Parents can play a role in encouraging their local legislators to get involved in changing their states school funding formula.  Parents should invite the legislators to visit schools and to witness so that they can witness the challenges that they are facing.  It is easy to create a policy that under fund schools when you make assumptions that money is getting wasted.  Parents need to partner with schools in order to help with specific resources that their child’s school requires.

The United States is steadily slipping in terms of its edge in graduating students from high schools, trade schools, and colleges.  Starting a national campaign to help parents to understand their role in student achievement is a solution whose time has come.  New and innovative organizations are needed.  These organizations must take into account the changing trends in family structures.  Parents are looking for solutions to the achievement gap.  The solution lays in a combination of community and K12 schools working toward alternative education activities which are easily implemented in the home.

Some parents are raising the bar on their expectations for their student.  They are often interested in identifying resources that will prepare their child for college.  They participate in after school and weekend programs right along with their child.  They sign up because of their belief that their program will serve as a link between high school and post secondary education. Today is the day to get involved and make a difference in your local school. Parents are the key to a successful school and their child’s future career opportunities.

Dr Stephen Jones is and education advocate and an author of the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide. Get your copy http://www.DrStephenJones.net .

Why #DrsCorner Twitter Chat

I am starting a Twitter chat at #DrsCorner and I will answer your education, career and college questions every Monday evening from 7:00 - 8:00 pm est. Please join the conversation by submitting your questions, sharing information and comments. 

There are many questions that I have received over the years regarding, public and charter K12 schools, which college to select, how to find a job etc. This is my opportunity to give back by answering questions. I am using #DrsCorner as a way to reach out to students of all ages, parents, school districts, colleges, teachers and professors. This will also be an opportunity for other persons to share their expertise. I look forward to hearing your questions and comments. 

5 Back to School Savings Tips

Every year thousands of parents grab a cart and engage in the age old tradition of back to school shopping. There is a level of excitement in the air as students consider new school supplies and what clothes they will wear back to school. All parents can do is look at their pockets and try to find a way to stretch a dollar. Many parents start their shopping without a plan and that’s where money is lost. Have you ever noticed how things are strategically placed around the store so that you will make random purchases? There are all kinds of pencils, notebooks and paper right within your grasp.

There are some things that you can do to resist the temptation to spend too much. First make a list of the most expensive items that you need to purchase. Check the internet and advertisements in your local newspaper. This is important especially when you are purchasing electronic products like lap tops, Ipods and digital recorders. The money that you save from these purchases can add up to hundreds of dollars. Recognize that every product that has a sales tag can be bought cheaper if you are willing to do your research.

The second tip is to watch for the best day of the week to purchase clothes and other items. Some stores have sales on certain days of the week. This is done to increase the number of parent’s and students who are coming into their store. As you shop for sales it may be worth returning on another day. Talk with your relative who works in a retail store. They may have a discount that they can use on your purchases. There could be an additional discount in addition to the sale that is going on in the store.

Third there are numerous websites where you can purchase books at a discount. Search Google for discount book websites. Purchasing books online is real convenient today. Books that you order usually arrive in 3 to 5 days. Still it is better to purchase books well before they are needed. If your son/daughter needs the book to write a report the book will be available to get started early. Also consider purchasing reference books so that your son/daughter will have books to look at when they do not understand a particular definition or subject.

A forth back to school saving tip involves purchasing shoes and sneakers at a reduced price. There are stores that sell hundreds of shoes. You need to keep an eye on the prices several times a week. Sometimes local stores want to move inventory so that they will lower their prices. Ask your child how often he/she talks with their peers about where they get the best sneaker discounts.

A fifth tip is to form a group of parents who can each purchase some items in bulk. Pencils and paper can be shared by parents. Create a supplies storage container where you will keep all of the items. This is one way that you can avoid purchasing too many items that you already have. Before you go shopping go to your storage draws and take an inventory of all of things you need. You will be amazed at how much you have in storage from last year,

Now that you’ve saved hundreds of dollar focus on your child’s education. Decide on something that you will do to make education fun this year. Load up your students book bags with good snacks. Even high school students need snacks because they can loose their energy during the day. Remember a healthy body will boost a student’s performance on tests. Make your back to school journey one that is full of good expectations. You can control your back to school spending and have a great new school year too. Dr Stephen Jones is an education expert, consultant and author of three books the Seven Secrets of how to Study, the Parent’s Ultimate education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide available at www.studyskills2u.com.

Social Networks a School Fund Raising Dream

In these challenging times it is hard to believe that money is available for your school. Your school has used all of the traditional methods like candy sales, pretzel sales and pizza in a box. Having two children at home makes parents fund raising experts for twelve years or more. All of this fundraising has it place but what can a school do to take an innovative approach to fundraising. The rising tide of social networks better known as web 2.0 is bursting with alumni and others who have interest in supporting your school.

One of the best ways to have funding coming in is to identify your alumni. Where can you find them? Three websites I suggest are Twitter.com, Facebook.com and Classmates.com. There are millions of people each day who are finding friends from their past. It is an easy place to find alumni from your school. You can set up a Facebook alumni page for your school and get students to join before they leave school. You can give out your Facebook URL at the next school sports event.

You can update your Facebook page daily with school activities and special events. Sometimes in addition to money alumni can provide resources. For example an alumnus who owns a t-shirt design company may contribute shirts for a football event. Alumni from your school could donate money from items that they sell on eBay. Could you imagine having a bunch of alumni regularly selling items to raise money for your school?

You may even find and alumni on Twitter.com a social network that is gaining momentum. You can accumulate a following on twitter and send them daily tweets throughout the day. You can notify them of the accomplishments of your school. Each tweet will give you 140 characters to communicate your message. Your message gets right to the point. I have learned to be real disciplined when I communicate. The social networks are another way to get out information about your school and it will save you the cost of mailing information.

Classmates.com is another fruitful place to find alumni and organize events to support your students. There are millions of people on classmates. You can find alumni and create events that they can attend. If you find clusters of students in a state that’s next door like Pennsylvania and New Jersey schedule a meeting at your school or by way of a conference call. Today people want to stay in communication daily. On Classmates you can allow friends to join and save them as bookmarks. You can create a group where alumni can keep in touch with each other. The challenging times should inspire alumni to give more support.

Your school can create an electronic newsletter that goes out to current students and alumni. Take time each month to highlight alumni who are joining your Facebook and Classmates web pages. Your current students need to know that your graduates are doing great things. People enjoy reading about success stories. You can also notify an alumni’s company when they are doing something that benefits your school.

Your school can also use Myspace.com to create highlight videos of your school activities. You might be raising money for a new gymnasium or a football field. Your school can even send a visual representation of what the new building will look like when it is completed. Find ways to creatively highlight people who are contributing on Facebook and in your newsletter. Some schools have their own plaque of donors who made their new buildings possible. Why not highlight your alumni on the internet.

Using the social networks is a creative way to engage your alumni and bring more resources that benefit students. Alumni are easily reminded of the things that would have made their K12 experience better. We need every school to operate at their maximum levels to prepare them for 21st century careers.